ABSTRACT
Yet these Jews, coming from the four corners of the world, had little in common — their diets were different, their cultures unique, and they used different languages, one group often unable to communicate with the other.8 Together they formed a very fragmented community, and while absorbing and providing them with the barest necessities of life - food, housing, clothing — was the government's main task, transforming them from individuals and close-knit communities into a cohesive Israeli society was also of paramount importance.
