“Gathering of Israel” in the “Melting Pot”: Nation-Building Policy in Israel in the 1950s

Abstract

Realization of the central Zionist idea, known in Judaism as the “gathering of the exiles” (קיבוץ גלויות), caused one million Jews’ immigration to Israel in the 1950s and became a significant challenge for the country: Jews who came from different countries did not have a single culture and language, a common historical memory and generally accepted social habits. The way to achieve national unity was the “Melting Pot” policy, known in Israeli discourse as “mizug galuyot” (מיזוג גלויות) — “the mixing of exiles”, — aimed at forming a single Israeli nation. Despite the declared nature of the policy of cultural mixing, the practice of implementing “mizug galuyot” continues to be criticized by many researchers, who often characterize it as the forced assimilation of new immigrants by old-timers — the Jews, who arrived before 1948. This article aims to contribute to the study of Israel’s nation-building policy in the 1950s. based on archival documents.

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