|
|
This is a limited free preview of this book. Please buy full access.
and 1960s, and the critical role played by international and local Jewish organisations in the migration and integration process of the Jewish refugees from Egypt. The crucial themes of culture, integration, and acceptance by the host society are central to this chapter, as well as the themes of memory and transmission of the group’s cultural heritage to the next generation.
In Australia, the Jews of Egypt have not particularly attracted the attention of sociologists as a migrant group. Within the context of Australian Jewry, their story is largely unknown. Therefore, my in-depth analysis of their migration experience in Australia, looking at their demographics; ethnic, national, and religious profile; Western education; multilingualism; and other facets of their multilayered identity, covers an area of the rich Australian history of migration that has remained unexplored.
Apart from the personal aim of preserving historical data and memories of a community that has almost disappeared, the objective of this book is to evaluate the Australian migration experience of a particular ethno-religious group, by looking into the history of the Jews of Egypt, past and present, and comparing certain aspects of their experience with that of a similar group in France. At the same time, my research intends to illuminate certain key issues of Australian immigration. The topics of forced emigration, memory, resettlement, and reconstruction of identity of a minority migrant group into the dominant society all fit into the realm of important concepts of social sciences. Through the use of my two sample groups as successful examples of “second-time-around” acculturation, I hope to contribute to the body of research into the exile and migration of minorities and into the policies that regulate the process of assimilation and integration of those minorities into the host society.