Origin: Israel | Documentary | Director: Dina Zvi Riklis | 84 minutes

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The Israeli transit camps of the 1950s were a controversial enterprise, housing hundreds of thousands of new immigrants from different parts of the world, transitioning them into becoming part of the Israeli cultural tapestry. The film unravels multiple stories of the camp residents, examining and discovering many surprising new details while shattering stereotypes prevalent in the current Israeli consciousness.

Jewish refugees from the Middle East and North Africa reveal the intrinsic bigotry and harsh conditions they found upon landfall in 1950s Israel. Arriving during a time of poverty and austerity, Jews seeking shelter in the Promised Land instead were forced into ma’abarot, remote shantytowns of tents and sheds. Already dispirited, they waited days for food, showers and toilets. An ignored chapter of Israeli history, troubling testimony is illustrated with archival film and photos.

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