American Aliya

The major focus is on the who, when, and where of American immigration to Israel, but it is the "e;why"e; of this aliya which constitutes the core of the book. Waxman analyzes the relationship between Zionism, aliya, and the Jewish experience. Chapters include "e;Zion in Jewish culture,"e; a synopsis of Zionism through the years, and "e;American Jewry and the land of Israel in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries,"e; an account of proto-Zionist ideas and movements in early America. Chaim I. Waxman delivers a broad analysis of the phenomenon of American migration to Israel - aliya. Working within the context of the sociology of migration, Waxman provides primary research into a variety of dimensions of this movement and demonstrates the inadequacy of current migration theories to characterize aliya.