Израильтяне в постсоветских странах: «профессионалы», «маргиналы» и другие

According to various estimates, between forty-five thousand to seventy thousand Israeli citizens currently live in former USSR states; and more than 90% of them are natives of these states. This community includes both those who left Israel for the FSU, or share their time between their two countries having lived for a substantial number of years in Israel, and the significant number of persons who obtained an Israeli passport (darkon) but never lived for long in Israel. Drawing on available official statistical data, as well as data produced by sociological studies of these groups conducted in 2009–2019 under my supervision, I conclude that the Israeli Diaspora in the FSU can be defined as a “community of professionals.” People’s migration or, in the overwhelming majority of cases, their decision to refrain from full Aliya to Israel was motivated by a wish to better use their professional and business skills in large former USSR industrial, commercial, and culture centers. People who (re-)immigrated to the FSU for other reasons occupy a marginal position in their Jewish communities. As a result, continued economic deline in Russia and the CIS may stimulate a new resettlement of these Israelis in Israel.