ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book portrays aspects of the life of a community of over 1,200 Jews who were either born in Yemen, or who were, in 1975–1977, the young sons and daughters of immigrants from Yemen. It considers one ethnic group, the Jews from Yemen who live in Israel. It considers the role of ethnicity with respect to identity and self-image, social relations, practices and institutions, values and attitudes, and the conscious maintenance of their traditions. The book deals with a people from Asia, from the Arabian Peninsula, who would be considered by most observers as part of “the Other Israel” or “the Second Israel” because of their origins and because of the assumed relative standing of their ethnic group on the scale of success. It provides an accurate and realistic picture of their lives, of their relationships with others, and of their attitudes.
