Soviet immigrants to Israel: users and non-users of social work services

Recently, Israel has become home for about half a million immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Hardships of absorption, a different and strange culture, and the unfamiliar educational system that these immigrants have to contend with lead to numerous personal and family problems. As in every western country, social work services in Israel are devoted to assisting people with their problems. However, Soviet immigrants, coming from a culture with other models of help-seeking behavior, are unaccustomed to making use of these services. Thus, during their initial and most difficult period of adjustment, only a very few of them apply for assistance. This paper compares Soviet immigrants who do apply for social assistance with those who, in spite of their difficulties, are averse to seeking outside help, and some recommendations are made.