Immigrants on the threshold

I am indebted to several people and institutions in the preparation of this volume. My deepest obligation is to Louis Guttman, scientific director of the Israel Institute of Ap plied Social Research, who played a crucial role in helping to sharpen my sense of scientific rigor through many hours of discussion and analysis of the problems raised by the data. More than any other person, he is probably responsible for whatever merit this book may possess, although it goes without saying that he is in no way responsible for its shortcomings. His gen erosity in placing the scientific, technical, and administrative facilities of the Institute at my disposal for long periods of time is hereby most gratefully acknowledged.

Many people on the staff of the Israel Institute of Applied Social Research had a part in the preparation of this book. My earliest debt is to the field workers, almost all of whom were recent immigrants, who carried out the interviews on which the analysis is primarily based. Knowing that they worked in the transit camps when transportation was difficult and living con ditions were trying. I am more than aware of their devotion and loyalty. During the period between the actual data collection and the final revisions of the manuscript, the scientific and technical staff of the Institute constantly assisted and encouraged me. In particular, Uzi Haim, chief of the Data Processing Section, was indefatigable in supplying me with what might have ap peared to be endless requests for tabulations and statistical analyses. Rachel Hendly, administrative officer of the Institute, was always more than helpful in easing the many administrative problems of carrying out the study.

I am indebted to the Marshall Field Foundation and to the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation for financial support during the early stages of the study. Financial support for the final prepara tion of the manuscript for publication was given by UNESCO as part of its program of aid to member states Under its auspices, I held the post of adviser in social research at the Institute during 1956-1957. I was thus able to devote myself fully to writing the results of the study.

Several social scientists read all or part of the manuscript at various stages of its development. I am indebted to all of them for their fruitful and insightful comments, and it goes without saying that they are in no way responsible for any of its weaknesses. Elihu Katz was most generous in spending many hours in stimulating discussions of the problems raised by the study. I am especially grateful to him for the time and insight he gave to the analysis. SN. Eisenstadt and Yonina Garber Talmon also contributed several useful comments and sug gestions.

Portions of this study have appeared in the journals in somewhat different versions. A paper entitled "Some Persistent Effects of Trauma: Five Years After the Nazi Concentration Camps" received the Helen L. DeRoy Award for 1957, which is given by the Society for the Study of Social Problems. This paper was published in Social Problems, V. No. 3 (1957-1958).