Mizrahi Jews: Migration to Israel from Muslim Lands

This seminar course offers a comprehensive study of the history, culture, and present-day experiences of Mizrahi (Oriental) Jews who participated in the immigration (aliyah) from Muslim countries to Mandatory Palestine and then Israel before and after 1948. The course fosters a more comprehensive understanding of global Jewish history that extends beyond the European Ashkenazi narrative hegemony and experience to include the diverse histories of Jewish immigrants (olim) from the Middle East and North Africa. Against this backdrop, the course will consist of robust discussion on the histories, politics, hardships, and integration strategies of first, second, and third-generation Mizrahi Jews on their long and winding road from second class citizens into the mainstream of the Israeli society.