According to a recent study, 20% of the children who moved to Israel in the early nineties from the Former Soviet Union – known in academia as “Generation 1.5” – have since emigrated. Citing general factors and those particular to this population, this article explains the reasons behind this phenomenon, including lack of economic opportunity for this highly educated group, discrimination based on their questionable Jewish status, cultural differences, the security situation, and a lack of Zionist ideology.