Ma’abarot

Summary

Delving into one of the most controversial topics in the history of the Jewish state, MA’ABAROT uses rare archival materials and testimonials of former residents to reveal the experience of the hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees arriving in the new State of Israel, as well as the institutional discrimination suffered by Sephardic Jews from the Middle East and North Africa. The transit or refugee absorption camps were a controversial enterprise, housing hundreds of thousands of new immigrants from different parts of the world, transitioning them into becoming part of the then-Ashkenazi-dominated Israeli cultural tapestry. In total, there were more than 130 Ma’abarot scattered all over the country. Most of them were dismantled by the mid-1950’s as residents moved to permanent housing, but there were still thousands of immigrants who stayed in the camps longer, some even until the 1970’s. The transit camp experience and its enduring effects on Israeli society have faded from consciousness. MA’ABAROT deftly unravels many of the stories of the camp residents, discovering surprising new details that shatter common stereotypes and challenge prejudices.