דעות קדומות וחסמי הגירה בסיפורי חיים של יהודי צרפת בישראל

The aliyah, or immigration, of French Jews to Israel peaked in the previous decade. After their arrival in Israel, French immigrants faced challenges of absorption that made it difficult for them to become an integral part of Israeli society. This article makes use of biographical interviews within the context of oral history research and sociolinguistics. It offers a comprehensive explanation for the non-integration of French immigrants to Israel. The content analysis presents the difficulties in integration faced by the new immigrants due to lack of knowledge of sociocultural conventions and language. Other difficulties in integration emerge from reciprocal stereotypes held by both immigrants and Israelis. The French immigrants interviewed perceived Israelis as ignorant, uneducated, and uncultured. In turn, they described Israelis’ perception of French immigrants as rich, distant, and antipathetic. Another significant barrier is the gap in the knowledge of Hebrew. We propose that a meaningful improvement in the current situation of non-integration requires the acquisition of sociocultural conventions and Hebrew language skills. This may enable French immigrants to progress from segregation to integration or assimilation, while reducing feelings of loneliness among immigrants and misconceptions about French immigrants among Israelis.