May 27, 2005

"American Jews Disappearing"

American Jews are rapidly disappearing. Assimilation has wreaked havoc to Jewish survival and continuity in this land of liberty. Demographic surveys of American Jewry gave us six million only twenty or so years ago. In the most recent population study, the official figures were reduced to five million but the new numbers include some six hundred thousand who are of Jewish descent but practice Christianity and from a halachic perspective. The numbers can be reduced to a bare three million. If current trends continue, American Jews will depopulate to an insignificant sect rendering our people voiceless in government, and our institution with very little support.

Hitler annihilated six million Jews and destroyed their synagogues, schools, social welfare, institutions and communities. The devastation of American Jewry can be blamed on many different causes. Blessed with freedom and relative affluence, American Jews failed miserably in sustaining Jewish commitment and retaining the post immigrant generations. Most of the efforts to save our people from the mire of Jewish assimilation have met with little success. Outreach programs are worthy and education is invaluable, but nowhere near enough to replace our losses and to save present numbers.

Some say aliyah to Israel is the only solution. Since 1948, the year of Israel’s establishment, two hundred and fifty thousand Americans have migrated to Israel. Many of those who made aliyah however, were not the ones susceptible to assimilation. They were mostly Orthodox Jews with a passion for Torah and mitzvoth, and a smaller, but significant group of Zionists.

Aliyah is not a panacea by itself. There is more than enough hedonism and secularity in Israel to divert some of us from the paths of Torah and even Zionist ideology. Secular Israelis have lost most of the Zionist passion of the past. Soccer and pleasures obsess Israel’s majority. Israeli culture has been profoundly Americanized but there is one major difference between the Jewish State and anywhere else in the Diaspora. Israel is overwhelmingly Jewish. Long ago, I learned that you can bring a Jew to Yiddishkeit, but only a Jew.

American Jewry is in a critical state. Though it brings me joy to witness the spiritual and physical growth of America’s Hareidim and to a lesser extent the advances being made in Modern Orthodoxy, they do not calm my fears for the rest of our people here. Yes, it would be nice if we could make everyone frum but we can’t, yet we are morally obliged to seek other solutions. We must not, Heaven forbid, face being judged by G-d as apathetic to the plight of our people. American Jews could have done more to save the victims of Nazi hatred and we can certainly do much more to save American Jewry from its march into the spiritual chambers of voluntary self destruction.

There are a number of ideas ruminating in my mind and my heart as well. First, aliyah can be made much more attractive. To begin with, the bureaucracy of Israel needs to undergo a radical change. Most of the paperwork can easily be completed before the oleh ever gets on the plane top Israel. American olim need to be treated differently from those coming from lands of oppression, i.e., the former Soviet Union. Greater concessions need to be made on their behalf and those arriving with an American income should not be doubly taxed. Olim should be freed from income taxes for their first ten years in the country and not obligated to pay taxes on funds earned outside Israel. Israel does need money, but it needs Jews more. Another idea pertains to our Jewish schools in the United States. All Jewish schools need money and some more than others but again we all need Jews. I hate to think that the cost of tuition impedes Jewish survival, but it does. Cynics will argue that if you want a Jewish education for your child, you must pay or even sacrifice for it, but they miss the point. Most of our Jews care little about Jewish learning for their progeny. The best of them are satisfied with a Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony. A fund needs to be created whose mission would b e to underwrite the tuition for parents considering a Day School or Yeshiva education for their children, but not willing to pay for it even if they could afford to do so.

Years back, we would laugh at those who emphasized the need for Jewish identity. We argued for Jewish learning and practice and thought the mere identification as a Jew was meaningless. We were wrong then and even more so now. Identifying Jewishly leaves us with some hope. Long ago, the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught us all that identity is the aleph to the aleph-bet of Jewish redemption.

I would love hearing from my readers on this subject. If you have any ideas and suggestions other than gripes, please email me at RGG5671@aol.com.

Edited by Anna Olswanger

Shabbat Shalom