Israel Faces Challenge Maintaining Identity Among Second-Generation Emigrants Abroad

The ongoing debate about the wave of emigration from Israel often focuses on numbers, but hundreds of thousands of Israelis already live overseas. The real challenge lies with their children: how to preserve their connection to Israel, Judaism, and the community before it fades away.

Many Israelis who leave do not do so out of alienation from the country or Zionism, but due to globalization, career opportunities, education, family circumstances, and economic reasons. Despite living abroad, many still consider Israel their home. The key issue is maintaining ties with these emigrants and ensuring their descendants continue to identify as part of the Jewish people and the Israeli story.

While first-generation emigrants often retain their Israeli and Jewish identity through language, news, culture, and traditions, the second and third generations tend to lose this connection. Many feel the need to assimilate into non-Jewish societies, especially amid rising antisemitism, and increasingly identify as European or American rather than Israeli. This has sometimes led to their involvement in anti-Israel activism.

This situation also presents an opportunity. As Jewish communities worldwide shrink due to emigration and antisemitism, Israelis abroad could serve as a vital cultural and Zionist resource to strengthen these communities. However, most European Jewish communities do not actively engage Israelis, and many Israelis are not involved in local Jewish organizations, resulting in lost potential for both sides.

To address this, a new national strategy is needed, combining efforts to encourage aliyah and return to Israel with initiatives to build community frameworks for Israelis abroad. This strategy would expand Hebrew and Jewish education for their children, foster local Israeli leadership, and create shared spaces for Israelis and local Jews to collaborate. Success in this area could transform a complex national challenge into a significant opportunity to reinforce the future of the Jewish people globally.