The Mass Migration of
the 1950s
Hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees from Europe and the Arab lands
seek a new home in the Jewish State.
By Jonathan Kaplan
One of the first acts
of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) after the War of Independence (1948-1949)
was to legislate the Law of Return, which stated the right of every Jew to
immigrate to Israel. The Law of Return represented the basic mission of the
state: to provide a homeland for the Jews. Nevertheless, it resulted in some
growing pains for the new nation, as hundreds of thousands of Jews from all
over the world immigrated to Israel. The following article describes the mass
migration of Jews to Israel during the 1950s. It is reprinted with permission
from The Jewish Agency.
The years between 1948 and 1951 witnessed the largest
migration ever to reach the shores of modern Israel. This influx began at a
time when the state was in the throes of its greatest struggle for survival,
the War of Independence, and continued throughout a period troubled by both
security concerns and economic hardship. In the mid‑1950s, a second wave
arrived in Israel. The immigrants of the country's first decade radically
altered the demographic landscape of Israeli society as well as the balance
between Israel and the Jewish diaspora. Many of today's social issues are
rooted in this mass migration: Israel's rapid economic growth, social
stratification, and the formation of new political frameworks and elites.
Dimensions
Some 688,000 immigrants came to Israel during the country's
first 3-1/2 years at an average of close to 200,000 a year. As approximately
650,000 Jews lived in Israel at the time of the establishment of the state,
this meant in effect a doubling of the Jewish population, even in light of the
fact that some 10 percent of the new immigrants left the country during the
next few years. Although immigration declined rapidly during the early 1950s,
another 166,000 arrived in the middle of the decade.
Origins
The first immigrants to reach the new state were survivors
of the Holocaust, some from displaced persons camps in Germany, Austria, and
Italy, and others from British detention camps in Cyprus. The remnants of
certain communities were transferred virtually in their entirety, for example
Bulgarian and Yugoslavian Jewry. Large sections of other communities, such as
those from Poland and Rumania, came to Israel during the first years. After the
initial influx of European Jews, the percentage of Jews from Moslem countries
in Asia and Africa increased considerably (1948 ‑ 14.4%, 1949 ‑
47.3%, 1950 ‑ 49.6%, 1951 ‑ 71.0%). During 1950 and 1951, special
operations were undertaken to bring over Jewish communities perceived to be in
serious danger, for example, the Jews of Yemen and Aden (Operation Magic
Carpet) and the Jewish community in Iraq (Operation Ezra and Nehemia). During
the same period, the vast majority of Libyan Jewry came to the country.
Considerable numbers of Jews immigrated from Turkey and Iran as well as from
other North African countries (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria).
Immigration to Israel
(1948‑1951) by Major Countries of Origin
• Poland 106.4
• Yemen and Aden 48.3
• Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria 45.4
• Bulgaria 37.3
• Turkey 34.5
• Libya 3 1.0
• Iran 21.9
• Czechoslovakia 18.8
• Hungary 14.3
• Germany, Austria 10.8
• Egypt 8.8
• USSR 8.2
• Yugoslavia 7.7
Source: Moshe Sicron, "The Mass Aliyah ‑ Its
Dimensions, Characteristics and Influences on the Structure of the Israeli
Population," in Mordechai Naor, ed., Olim and Ma'abarot 1948‑1952
(Jerusalem: 1986): 34 (Hebrew). During the period between 1955 and 1957, most
(62%) immigrants came from North African countries.
Characteristics
There were considerable differences between the immigrants
from European countries and those from Asia and Africa. The survivor population
was usually older and contained fewer children. On the other hand, the Jews
from developing countries in Asia and Africa tended to have a large number of
children but a smaller elderly population. The European immigrants were
generally better educated. Neither group however, resembled the profile of pre‑state
immigration: a significantly lower percentage of the post‑1948 immigrants
were in the primary wage earning group (only 50.4% in the 15‑45 age group
as compared to 66.8% in earlier immigration waves) and consequently fewer could
participate in the work force of the new state. The newer immigrants had less
education: 16% of those aged 15 and above had completed secondary education as
compared to 34% among the earlier settlers. Women, especially among the
immigrants from Asia and Africa, tended less to work outside the home. The
professions of the new arrivals were also different than those of their
predecessors: few had engaged in agriculture and most had been either small
craftsmen (tailors, cobblers, carpenters, smiths) or traders and peddlers.
Effects on the Israeli Population
First and foremost, the mass migration led to a steep rise
in the Israeli Jewish population. Not only was the population doubled within a
short period of time, but the high fertility rate of many of the newcomers led
to continued population increase in the years ahead. This growth was
significant both with regard to the ratio between Jews and non‑Jews in
Israel and to the demographic role of Israel in the Jewish world. Secondly, due
to the large percentage of immigrants from Asia and Africa and to their higher
fertility rate, the mass migration led to a change in the ethnic composition of
Israeli society. An indication of this trend can be seen in the rise of the
proportion of foreign‑born Israelis who were born in Asia and Africa. In
November 1948 this proportion stood at 15.1%, but by the end of 1951 it had
risen to 36.9%.
Thirdly, the new state now had to deal with a considerable
population that to a large extent lacked agricultural or modern professional
skills, or the same degree of modem education as the veteran population.
Moreover, due to an under‑representation of that age group that could
best adapt vocationally to new social and economic conditions, it was difficult
to quickly integrate the new population. One of the most important social
issues in Israel resulted from the difficulties involved in absorbing the new
immigrants.
By Jonathan Kaplan.
Reprinted, with permission, from the Pedagogic Center,
The Department for
Jewish Zionist Education, The Jewish Agency for Israel
© “Issues in Israeli Society” series, Lecture
# 4, Jewish University in Cyberspace (JUICE).
