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‘I Speak English, but I Don’t Speak American’
Abigail Pogrebin
June 28, 2023

What is it like to be an Israeli living in America? Over 500,000 Israeli expats live in the U.S., with the largest enclaves in New York, California, Florida, and New Jersey. They often maintain the Hebrew language in their homes and gravitate toward fellow Israelis through social networks, synagogues, Jewish community centers, or more recently, the Israeli American Council, founded in 2007, which is the largest Israeli American organization in the U.S. Many Israelis came to the U.S. for education or job opportunities; some came because of disappointment in Israel’s schools, economy, or religious/sectarian pluralism. Some miss Israel’s sunlight, its shuk (market), or the ineffable power of living in a country that almost didn’t come to be. Conversely, some prefer America’s diversity, and its invitation to practice Judaism without Orthodoxy. READ MORE