According to various estimates, some 500,000 Israelis, among our best sons and daughters, are currently living abroad. In the past those who emigrated were called "yordim" (literally "those who descend"), but that concept has become archaic today. In an era of trans-national immigration in which people choose to live in a different country during different stages in life the sense of openness between geographical areas is precisely what might encourage them to return home. The motives for immigration can be economic, social, cultural or a combination of these. Younger people (under age 35) are interested in trying their luck abroad, in some cases to travel and experience exciting new things and in others to study or work. Unlike other immigrants, most Israelis return home after a year or two. A little more than half of the Israelis abroad live in the U.S., while the rest reside in Canada, Britain, Australia, France, Germany and elsewhere. More than 80 percent of them prefer to live in English-speaking countries, because of their perceived liberal and multicultural attitudes when it comes to immigrants. Compared with other immigrant groups, Israelis living abroad are generally more educated and earn more, and their socio-economic status is also higher on average than that of Israelis who didn't emigrate. First-generation immigrants keep close ties with Israel: They visit frequently, tune in to Israeli media outlets, stay in touch with Israeli friends and send their kids to Israeli youth movements. Despite that, their children, some of whom were born abroad, tend to have fewer ties to Israel than their parents. About a quarter of them befriend people in their age group who are neither Israeli nor Jewish. Israelis abroad also have different ties to Judaism and Israel depending on how observant they are in their adoptive homelands, how affiliated they are with their ethnic group, their marital status, gender and other factors. Studies have shown that first-generation Israelis rely heavily on the "Israeli bubble" to prevent them from assimilating. Yet the more liberal the society to which these Israelis emigrate (and most do settle in liberal parts of the West), the greater the chances that their children will assimilate into the general population. Israelis who wish to avoid that scenario send their children to Israeli youth movements or to other Jewish or Israeli social groups. Israel also tries to help by providing "Israeli houses" at various consulates abroad. Some Israelis make use of local Jewish communities, which over the years have developed mechanisms for maintaining their identity they have decades' worth of experience as a minority that holds on to its ethnic heritage while living within a larger group. All in all, Israelis living abroad don't sever their ties with the country. They remain part of Israeli society, more or less. Their rate of return to Israel is certainly higher compared with immigrants from other countries whose economic standing is similar to Israel's. It will benefit everyone if we continue to maintain ties with these Israelis, just as we work to nurture ties with Diaspora Jews. The writer researches Israelis living abroad.
