The Jewish tipping point
"The Jewish tipping point" was the title of a Symposium co-sponsored by Netanya AACI and Netanya College Judaic Heritage Center held at the College on Weds Jan 13. This title was inspired by the fact that we are currently living through a time when the Jewish population of Israel (ca. 6.2 million) has become greater than the total in the rest of the Diaspora (ca. 6 million). The question is what is the significance of this fact for the future of Israel and of the Jewish people, and in what way does it change the relationship of Israel and the Jewish Diaspora.
The program was split into two parts, in the first there were three distinguished speakers who addressed their own versions of this topic: Ze'ev Bielski, former Head of the Jewish Agency and now an MK, Neil Lazarus, a professional PR expert, and Abraham Infeld, Past President of World Hillel. All of these individuals spoke with enthusiasm and were both entertaining and informative.
Ze'ev Bielski answered the problem from his perspective as an Israeli who was a shaliach in S. Africa and married a woman from there, so he saw the problem from both sides. He admitted that now as an MK from the Kadima Party he sees a lot of dissension and he is skeptical that Israel as an entity can unite to save itself. Yet, we have been successful with all the immigrants in developing a thriving, vibrant society, despite all the hatred and opposition and we must be a light for the Diaspora.
Neil Lazarus illustrated some unfortunate truths, that the international media is virulently anti-Israel, that Israeli hasbara is not effective, that the Jews in the Diaspora are often half-hearted in their support of Israel or even antagonistic, and that not much can be done about this. The Israeli attitude towards PR is like their cultural attitude towards many things, "yehiyeh b'seder" (it will be alright), and this is so different from the typical Diaspora Jewish attitude of "don't rock the boat," best to keep quiet," don't show overt support for Israel when others are attacking it. There is a natural divide between the two groups that cannot be overcome by PR alone, and yet we must find a better way to present Israel's case to the rest of the world.
Abraham Infeld made a presentation that in content and delivery was both informative and enjoyable. He posed a question, what do you say to the following puzzle "banana, pear, apple: Jew, X, X?" Jews in the Diaspora (and he has asked over 100,000) answer this "Jew, Christian, Muslim" or "Jew, Protestant Catholic," but Jews in Israel (38,000 examples) answer it "Jew, Arab, European," or 'Jew, Arab, Iranian." So once again we see the clear distinction in self image that Jews in the Diaspora and in Israel have. Jews in the Diaspora think of themselves as a religious group, because their national identity is "American" or "British," while Jews in Israel think of themselves as a national group. What we have to do is to educate Jews everywhere to realize that we are one family, one people, and that the exclusively religious and national identifications are only aspects of the larger identity.
In the second half of the Symposium there was a Panel on "Jewish and/or Zionist activities in the Diaspora." In my introduction to the Panel discussion I pointed out that the very word "Jew" is ambiguous since it contains aspects of religious, national and ethnic/ cultural identity. The problem of lack of common understanding arises when different groups emphasize different aspects of this all-encompassing term.
On the Panel were: Dr. Meryl Weissmann, Director of the Regional Education Office of the Jewish Agency for Israel, who presented a very professional analysis of the JAFI's activities mainly in education and outreach to keep Jewish youth within the Jewish and Israeli world; Ze'ev Schwartz, CEO of World Bnai Akiva, who spoke about the programs that Bnai Akiva have worldwide for keeping Jewish youth active and informed, and Rabbi Yossi Swerdlof, who directs Chabad's humanitarian efforts in Israel, who spoke movingly of his motivation to bring the light of Judaism to every corner of the world.
With people like these one would think that the Jewish Diaspora should have no problems, but in fact inexorably the Diaspora is shrinking, while Israel is growing, both in population and in importance. In the past, Israel was viewed as the child and the Diaspora the parent, now it is going the other way; Israel has to take on the role of the parent and help the Diaspora to remain either Jewish and/or become part of it. It may in the final analysis become a losing battle, but we aren't there yet, and a lot of work needs to be done so that the Jews in the Diaspora do not vanish through inter-marriage, and do not lose contact with their ancestral homeland in Israel.
The program was split into two parts, in the first there were three distinguished speakers who addressed their own versions of this topic: Ze'ev Bielski, former Head of the Jewish Agency and now an MK, Neil Lazarus, a professional PR expert, and Abraham Infeld, Past President of World Hillel. All of these individuals spoke with enthusiasm and were both entertaining and informative.
Ze'ev Bielski answered the problem from his perspective as an Israeli who was a shaliach in S. Africa and married a woman from there, so he saw the problem from both sides. He admitted that now as an MK from the Kadima Party he sees a lot of dissension and he is skeptical that Israel as an entity can unite to save itself. Yet, we have been successful with all the immigrants in developing a thriving, vibrant society, despite all the hatred and opposition and we must be a light for the Diaspora.
Neil Lazarus illustrated some unfortunate truths, that the international media is virulently anti-Israel, that Israeli hasbara is not effective, that the Jews in the Diaspora are often half-hearted in their support of Israel or even antagonistic, and that not much can be done about this. The Israeli attitude towards PR is like their cultural attitude towards many things, "yehiyeh b'seder" (it will be alright), and this is so different from the typical Diaspora Jewish attitude of "don't rock the boat," best to keep quiet," don't show overt support for Israel when others are attacking it. There is a natural divide between the two groups that cannot be overcome by PR alone, and yet we must find a better way to present Israel's case to the rest of the world.
Abraham Infeld made a presentation that in content and delivery was both informative and enjoyable. He posed a question, what do you say to the following puzzle "banana, pear, apple: Jew, X, X?" Jews in the Diaspora (and he has asked over 100,000) answer this "Jew, Christian, Muslim" or "Jew, Protestant Catholic," but Jews in Israel (38,000 examples) answer it "Jew, Arab, European," or 'Jew, Arab, Iranian." So once again we see the clear distinction in self image that Jews in the Diaspora and in Israel have. Jews in the Diaspora think of themselves as a religious group, because their national identity is "American" or "British," while Jews in Israel think of themselves as a national group. What we have to do is to educate Jews everywhere to realize that we are one family, one people, and that the exclusively religious and national identifications are only aspects of the larger identity.
In the second half of the Symposium there was a Panel on "Jewish and/or Zionist activities in the Diaspora." In my introduction to the Panel discussion I pointed out that the very word "Jew" is ambiguous since it contains aspects of religious, national and ethnic/ cultural identity. The problem of lack of common understanding arises when different groups emphasize different aspects of this all-encompassing term.
On the Panel were: Dr. Meryl Weissmann, Director of the Regional Education Office of the Jewish Agency for Israel, who presented a very professional analysis of the JAFI's activities mainly in education and outreach to keep Jewish youth within the Jewish and Israeli world; Ze'ev Schwartz, CEO of World Bnai Akiva, who spoke about the programs that Bnai Akiva have worldwide for keeping Jewish youth active and informed, and Rabbi Yossi Swerdlof, who directs Chabad's humanitarian efforts in Israel, who spoke movingly of his motivation to bring the light of Judaism to every corner of the world.
With people like these one would think that the Jewish Diaspora should have no problems, but in fact inexorably the Diaspora is shrinking, while Israel is growing, both in population and in importance. In the past, Israel was viewed as the child and the Diaspora the parent, now it is going the other way; Israel has to take on the role of the parent and help the Diaspora to remain either Jewish and/or become part of it. It may in the final analysis become a losing battle, but we aren't there yet, and a lot of work needs to be done so that the Jews in the Diaspora do not vanish through inter-marriage, and do not lose contact with their ancestral homeland in Israel.
posted by Jack Cohen at 7:11 PM
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