Idealism, Criticism, and Pragmatism: American Immigrants and the Israeli School System

Motivations for Aliyah from North America have been characterized as being rooted in a search for religio-ethnic self-fulfillment. While immigration weakens American immigrants’ initial conflict, a new identity conflict materializes as they acclimate to the host society in Israel. Several studies, conducted in the 1970s-1980s, underscored their struggle with their Jewish, American, and Israeli identities.

To date, there has not been research that has moved beyond an analysis of their struggle as individuals to their acculturation experiences as parents engaging with the Israeli school system. Furthermore, over the past twenty-five years, Israeli society has shifted from its socialist, egalitarian roots to an increasingly decentralized and capitalist society thereby offering these immigrants modes of integration that are differentiated from their co-patriots of earlier years. In addition to the direct absorption policies of the government, privatization of education has substantially reduced the scope of public governance of the school system and has empowered (upper) middle-class parents like American immigrants.

This paper will present findings from my qualitative doctoral dissertation. Drawing upon semi-structured interviews conducted with immigrant parents throughout the country, it will explore three typologies of parent-school engagement that are shaped by their immigration motivations, ethnic community life, and American habitus.