For proponents of Jewish Peoplehood, the very existence of an Israeli Diaspora that is not assimilated into local Jewish communities' raises questions and opens new venues for thought. We hope this edition of PTP which is devoted to Israelis who reside abroad will shed light upon the lives, beliefs and aspirations of these Jews who are often neglected in discussions of the relationship between Israel and World Jewry despite their obvious relevance.

Among observers of the Israeli Diaspora there are some points of agreement along with areas of contention. We shall begin with the former. Steven Gold, author of the 2002 book The Israeli Diaspora stated in an interview conducted with him on the Israelis in America website that contrary to popular images, most Israelis abroad are highly educated and financially well off. Another point on which researchers concur is that Israelis abroad tend to shy away from participation in local Jewish communities. Lahav and Arian even report feelings of animosity between Israeli immigrants and the local Jewish community; they go so far as to prophesize that the two communities will eventually go their separate ways.

One of the issues in contention among researchers is the level of religious participation. Moshe Shokeid concluded based upon ethnographic research among Israelis in NYC that they are averse to any religious form of communal participation preferring instead to participate in activities like Israeli folk songs "sing-alongs". Rina Cohen, author of an entry titled "The Israeli Diaspora" in the Encyclopedia of Diasporas, who has herself conducted research on Israelis living in Toronto, differs with other writers on several counts. She claims that despite shying away from Jewish communal activity Israelis do form organizations that serve their community. She also noted a rise in religious participation of long- time immigrants who eventually warm to the idea of religion as a basis for Jewish identification. Gold's findings concur with Cohen's. Regarding the likelihood of continuity, findings in the various research projects are mixed, some point to a greater assimilation of the second generation with their surroundings and others to their continued identification as Israelis.

We conclude with voices of Israelis living abroad. Meira Peery is a Los Angeles resident who has been involved in Jewish education for the last 40 years. In an interview on the Israelis in America website she describes the challenges and satisfactions that are part of the process of educating the children of Israeli immigrants. Daniel Weintroub is a member of the second generation. In an article penned while living in Israel as a participant on Project Otzma he describes the experience of coming of age in a family in which Israel was a constant, if distant, presence.