Natan Sharansky to Haaretz: Assimilation is 'eating' the Jews

[bemildred]

Since taking the helm of the Jewish Agency, Natan Sharansky has made stopping assimilation of Diaspora Jews a focus of his office, sometimes breaking with the line set by his predecessor Zeev Bielski.

In an interview with Haaretz, Sharansky, a former Likud minister, described assimilation as "eating us" as a people, and said he wants to strengthen the connection of Diaspora Jews to Israel.

In September, one of the Jewish Agency's partner projects, MASA, came under fire following a 10-day advertising campaign which urged Israelis to report "lost" North American Jews in danger of intermarrying.

Sharansky had the ad pulled, saying it could be found offensive, and now says the best way of fighting assimilation is to bring people on "Israel experience" programs. Sharansky said he plans to use the United Jewish Communities' General Assembly meeting in Washington next week to hold a special reception for professionals to discuss increasing the level of cooperation between the two main Israel experience programs: the Birthright Israel 10-day trip for young Jews who had never visited Israel, and MASA - which subsidizes participation in Jewish programs here.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1126324.html

[Taverner]

1. Yep, every ethnic group has the potential to be racist and bigoted

[notadmblnd]

3. and the likud and zionists learned from the very best.

[Taverner]

4. Depends on your definition of zionists, but yes

[enid602]

2. national identity

The Jews aren't alone. I read recently that almost 75% of Mexican Americans in CA marry non-Latinos. Other California ethnic groups have similar experiences. I think Americans are just finding their own national identity.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Sharansky risks having quite the opposite effect from the one he wants

Telling people that they are 'lost' and that their way of life is 'eating' their people, is not always the best way of winning friends and influencing people.

[Meshuga]

7. Not only that

Most religious North American Jews are members of Reform or Coservative congregations. Why would I want to move to Israel when my synagogue and rabbis are attacked as illegitimate? America provides a perfect home for non-Orthodox Judaism where Jews can express a meaningful Jewish life without being shat on.

[azurnoir]

6. News Flash to Natan

assimilation is way is of humanity, no matter how much you complain its going to happen and not to just Jews either American Indians and Hawaiians are actually at the head of the list for ethnic extinction but perhaps its best to accept that and concentrate on preserving the culture rather than the bloodlines

ETA eventually it will happen to most of humanity and the end result will not be "Caucasian" either

[Jefferson23]

8. For crying out loud, what a poor choice of words to use, eating us? sheesh.

[bemildred]

9. Israel's relationship with American Jews has changed

WASHINGTON - On the stage in the plenum of the United Jewish Communities' annual conference sat three well-tailored and smiling young people, who had immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia, Brazil and Peru. They told their story to the audience of 3,000. One described how far she had come since childhood, when she was excited by the elevator in the absorption center, and the other two focused on their military service and their love for Israel. A significant percentage of their achievements, as expected at an event of this type, were attributed to American Jewry and its support for Israel.

Also as expected, the audience at the General Assembly was moved - but somewhat less so than in the past. The long relationship between Israel and American Jewry has moved on to a new phase. They're not equals yet, but Israel is no longer the unfortunate relative. The enthusiasm is waning, and the news from Israel is eroding what idealism remains.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1128421.html