Surmounting obstacles to migration and repatriation amid Polish and Israeli nation-building

This article contributes to the understanding of the processes that shaped patterns of emigration from Poland to Israel (and back) after World War II. The article analyzes the Polish Government’s emigration policies and the ways in which nation-building processes in Poland and Israel interacted. It also discusses the ways and patterns in which individuals sought to navigate these policies, bureaucratic systems, and government obstacles to obtaining visas, and how these patterns reflected nation-building strategies in both Poland and Israel. The article pays special attention to the phenomenon of migration of couples in mixed marriages, including those who sought to return, as a special group that illuminates nation-building strategies and the significance of gender in influencing the responses of decision makers.