Every once in a while, we – Israelis – hear of alarming trends in the Diaspora, react with shock, and eventually move on with our lives. To me, it happened twice in the past year.
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The first was the Pew Research Center survey that showed a surge in antisemitic incidents in the US and other unsettling statistics, with the rate of intermarriage being the one that worried me the most.
Over 60% of Jews who wed in the country in the past decade got married to a non-Jewish person. This is a 15% increase from the decade before. This trend is mostly seen among non-Orthodox Jewish Americans.
The second incident happened during Operation Guardian of the Walls – the latest 12-day conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
While Israel was protecting itself against thousands of Hamas rockets, a dozen young Jewish American leaders, who are studying in progressive rabbinical schools, signed a letter in which they condemned the Jewish state and accused it of violating human rights. They even referred to Israel as "an apartheid state."
Although their letter does not reflect the majority of the progressive Jewish leadership in the US – with many being prominent and influential Zionists and supporters of Israel – there is no doubt that a dangerous trend is emerging among the Jewish youth.
Not only are the connection to Israel and the Jewish identity weakening, but these two trends are connected. Someone has to say it: the more a person is connected to Israel, the stronger is his Jewish identity.
Instead of Israel being a source of price for Jews around the world, it is viewed as an oppressor, as the letter reflects. And the main reason for this is ignorance.
As such, rectifying the matter begins with educating about what a state Israel truly is. It is too late to wait until young Jewish Americans turn 18 and come to Israel as part of the Birthright program. The pro-Israel seeds must be planted already in elementary school.
It is time for Israel to take responsibility as well. We do not have the privilege of looking for support elsewhere – like evangelical Christians – or losing half of our people in the Diaspora to assimilation.
On the contrary, it is up to us, the citizens of the only Jewish state in the world, to take action.
Such efforts must also reach "remote" areas that Jewish outreach programs rarely cover. Let's remember that only 15% of Jewish American children study in Jewish schools. Most of them come from Orthodox homes, so their Jewish identity will be alright even without us.
As such, Israel must focus on the other 85%. It is not easy to reach these places, but we cannot give up on our brethren.
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