In 2015, around 30,000 people emigrated to Israel under the Law of Return which grants people with Jewish ancestry the right to claim Israeli citizenship.

The reasons for emigrating are varied and often complex, ranging from war and rising antisemitism to financial, familial, religious or ideological reasons.

Many single young immigrants enrol at a Mercaz Klita, or absorption centre designed to help integrate immigrants into Israeli society. There they are given dormitory accommodation for five months and half-day instruction in Hebrew language. For some this may be their first exposure to a new alphabet and language.

Perhaps the most well known absorption centre is Ulpan Etzion in Jerusalem which hosts two yearly intakes of young immigrants from 20-30 nationalities, often from very different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and speaking languages as diverse as Farsi and Ukrainian.

July 2016 marked the 134th cycle at Ulpan Etzion since Israel became an independent state in 1948. This project shows a cross-section of these new immigrants in their dormitory bedrooms.