The practice of the Zionist socialist ideology that characterized the youth movements in Latin America meant for its members to emigrate to Israel and live in the kibbutz. This article analyzes how the Hashomer Hatzair groups, that emigrated in the 50s to 80s of the 20th century, evaluate the achievement of these objectives in maturity (the second decade of the 21st century). The questionnaire was answered by more than 700 people who participated in the movement and emigrated to Israel, and the interviews conducted with them took into consideration the changes that have taken place in Israeli society ever since. The findings show that there is almost a consensus among respondents as to the achievement of Zionist objectives and the movement's contribution to shaping Israeli nationality. The answers that refer to the kibbutz present a more complex picture since there are those who see in that company a failure and there are also those who consider a possible awakening of socialism and the kibbutz collective. Disappointment, and even personal injury, do not seem to destroy the restorative nostalgia with respect to the youth movement, which is credited with a fundamental place as a juvenile experience. Both the members who still live in the kibbutz (half of the respondents) and those who left the kibbutz would, with current experience, join the movement that seems to be perpetuating itself as an "Immaculate Disappointment."
Siebzehner, B. (2016). Flashes of nostalgia: ideological immigrants from Latin America In today’s Israel. Cuadernos Judaicos, (33), 301–322. https://doi.org/10.5354/0718-8749.2016.44717
