Haunting images: stereotypes of Jewishness among Russian Jewish immigrants in Germany

Do They Feel the Same Way? Health-Related Quality of Life and Satisfaction With Life in Jewish Immigrants From the Former Soviet Union in Germany and Israel

“…Sociodemographic characteristics of the subsamples are in line with previously reported research on Jewish immigrants from the FSU (Haug, 2007; Jasinskaja-Lahti et al, 2011; Nesterko et al, 2014; Remennick, 2002; Roberman, 2012; Rosner et al, 2011; Shcherbatova, 2012) and reflect the differences in immigration history and policy between Germany and Israel. The German sample is older and, at the same time, a “younger group of immigrants.” So they seem to be less integrated compared with Jewish immigrants in the Israeli sample, although self-rated integration scores in both groups are rather low.…”

“…In Germany, for example, the historical and social position of Jews during the last century has been characterized by radical political and societal changes (beginning with anti-Semitism and Shoah up to the reparation policy and bilateral relations between Israel and Germany after World War II), which definitely had influences on individual notions of what it means to be Jewish. On one hand, there are differences related to religious and/or ethnic conception of being Jewish (Roberman, 2012); on the other hand, Jewish immigrants are faced with the challenge of positioning themselves between their old (in general Russian, and less frequently Jewish) and potentially new (German and more frequently expected Jewish) culture (Shcherbatova, 2012). Considering the historical and political situations in Israel, relevant differences between the groups with regard to their immigration motives seem possible.…”

“…The most popular reasons to immigrate have been reported to be expectations of financial and social benefits (Shcherbatova, 2012). For Jewish immigrants from the FSU who decided to move to Germany, the host country was strongly associated with economic welfare, social safety, and with opportunities for personal growth (Roberman, 2012). In fact, Jewish immigrants in Germany are at high risk to become unemployed, which might be attributed to the relatively high age at immigration, lack of language skills, and a lack of recognition of their academic qualifications (Haug, 2007).…”

Health-related quality of life in Jewish immigrants from the Former Soviet Union in Germany

“…The majority of them moved to Israelover a million of immigrants, who now constitute 13 percent of the Israeli general population (Ponizovsky Bergelson et al, 2015), most of the rest moved to the USA or to Germany. The question of the historically and socially constructed identity of Jewish people from the FSU is a frequently discussed aspect of their integration in these host countries (Roberman, 2012). In sharp contrast to the USA as well as Germany, in Israel it is usual to see immigrants with Jewish roots first of all as those, who came back to the land of their cultural and ethnic heritage.…”

“…The most popular reasons to immigrate have been reported to be expectations of financial and social benefits (Shcherbatova, 2012). Germany is strongly associated with economic welfare, social safety and with opportunities for personal growth (Roberman, 2012). In fact, Jewish immigrants in Germany are at high risk to be unemployed, which might be attributed to the relatively high age at immigration, lack of language skills and a lack of recognition of their academic qualifications (Haug, 2007).…”