Volunteering as a Way of Accumulating Social Capital of New Russian Repatriates in Israel

This study examines the volunteering activities of new Russian repatriates in Israel, who represent the wave of emigration that began after February 24, 2022. Despite numerous challenges associated with relocation and the lack of integration into Israeli social networks, the repatriates are actively engaged in volunteer work. Volunteering can facilitate the creation of new social connections and other intangible resources for the volunteer repatriates. Based on this, the present study aims to determine the role of volunteering in the accumulation of social capital among new Russian repatriates in Israel. The empirical basis of the study consists of 19 semi-structured in-depth interviews with new repatriates who are regularly involved in volunteering in Israel. According to the study's findings, an important motivation for new repatriates in their volunteer activities is the desire to give back in return for the support received from Israeli society. The motivation to seek social connections is not directly recognized, which may indicate the social unacceptability of this perspective on volunteering. However, the accumulation of new social connections through volunteer work is one of the characteristic effects observed in the sample.