MA’ABAROT

Known as ma’abarot, the Israeli transit camps of 1948–1952 were a temporary housing solution to accommodate the massive surge of new immigrants arriving in the young nation from different parts of the world. A controversial enterprise, the transit camps housed over 300,000 immigrants in tents and tin huts, transitioning them into becoming part of the Israeli cultural tapestry, but also contributing to the divide between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews in Israel. This informative documentary takes a close look at life inside the camps through interviews with former residents, research, and archival footage, revealing the impact of the camps on the lives of those immigrants, and offering stark insights into the racial divides that still permeate Israeli society today.