Transnational-Diasporic Social Integration of Israeli Migrants in the United States Over Time

What the paper says

Abstract This study examines transnational-diasporic social integration patterns among Israeli migrants in the United States by comparing short-term (several months to 3 years) and long-term (4 to 10 years) immigrant cohorts, particularly in response to the 2023 judicial reform crisis and October 7 attack. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, 71 semi-structured interviews were conducted in Hebrew with Israeli migrants (66% women, average age 43) residing in New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Texas, and Georgia. Participants were recruited through purposeful and snowball sampling. Israeli migrants construct highly homophilic networks that crystallize into self-sufficient social “bubbles.” Short-term immigrants maintain primarily “touching edges” relationships with non-Jewish Americans through public schools and workplaces, while developing “mutual exchange” relationships with American Jewish institutions. Long-term immigrants demonstrate gradual deepening of ties with Jewish American community institutions, particularly post-October 7, creating “bubbles within bubbles,” where children navigate both Israeli and American spheres. However, the Israeli bubble remains dominant even after a decade abroad. Paradoxically, while transnational ties to Israel persist through digital communication and visits, they increasingly fuel alienation, as immigrants feel progressively more “at home” in the United States. Women emerge as primary agents of network expansion through children’s schools and community organizing, while men sustain professional homophily within Israeli circles. The study extends social integration theories by revealing that successful integration does not require abandoning diasporic networks, but rather strategically managing social boundaries through selective engagement with host society institutions—a process profoundly shaped by gender, time, and transnational events.