Can Judaism in the United States be Saved?

Can Judaism in the United States be Saved?

By: Rami Loya

In the past few months, we have learned two very crucial lessons. First, Antisemitism and Jew hatred is deeply rooted and is not going away anytime soon. Second, The State of Israel is vulnerable and much needs to be done to secure its future for generations.

This has been a shocking realization for most Jews and all Israelis. It threw havoc into all the existing thoughts, concepts, predictions and principles held very high within Jewish and Israeli leadership circles. This has been a devastating wakeup call that needs to be responded to with a visionary and powerful forward thinking combined with a well thought immense action plan to secure the future of Judaism into the 22nd century and beyond.

With exponential intermarriage rates, the future of Judaism in the United States looks bleak. A Pew Research Center report published on May 11, 2021, titled Jewish Americans in 2020 paints a sobering picture of the state of American Jewry. Here are some alarming highlights from this report.

“42% of all currently married Jewish respondents to the PEW survey indicate they have a non-Jewish spouse. Among those who have gotten married since 2010, 61% are intermarried”.

“If one excludes the Orthodox and looks only at non-Orthodox Jews who have gotten married since 2010, 72% are intermarried”.

These numbers are frighteningly staggering!!

“The survey finds that among married Jews who are currently parents of minor children in their household, those who have a Jewish spouse are far more likely than those who are intermarried to say they are raising their children as Jewish by religion.”

“And among married Jews overall, those who are intermarried are less likely than those with a Jewish spouse to say it is very important to them that their potential grandchildren be Jewish”.

Another concerning trend is that younger generation Jews (ages18-29) are more likely to identify themselves as Jews of No Religion. See chart below.

These trends should be of urgent concern by Jewish leadership in the United States. There are very few families that haven’t been exposed to this tendency. Jewish parents find themselves helpless and reluctant to confront their loved ones and resort to compromise rather than break up their family.

Revitalizing Judaism from its foundation is crucial to its long-term survival. To reverse the trend, colossal efforts must be taken by the leadership of The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Listed below are the major initiatives that need to be acted upon to try and remedy the situation. It will require substantial effort, resources, huge investment and unity of all the major Jewish leadership organizations worldwide.

Affordable Jewish Education

Jewish education is the prime foundation for the continuity of the Jewish faith. Without it, Judaism will gradually diminish in its numbers and value. Our forefathers realized this principle from it’s founding and made it the highest priority in Jewish upbringing.

The costs of Jewish education soared to levels that is afforded only to the upper middle class and wealthy elite. This means that most Jewish families cannot afford to send their children to a Jewish school as much as they desperately want to. Attending Jewish education institutions from early childhood to high school and potentially higher education institutes, significantly reduces the chances of assimilation and increases the chances of Jewish couples’ reunion.

The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) needs to establish an education arm that will be responsible to raise an enormous fund to subsidize Jewish education to an affordable level, build more schools that are managed cost effectively and focus on curriculum based on Jewish values, love of Israel and academic excellence.

Higher education Jewish institutes such as Yeshiva University, Stern College, Brandeis University, and others need to be established to bolster the presence of Jewish Colleges and universities worldwide. This will provide young Jewish adults with Jewish education options with advanced academic excellence.

Skyrocketing assimilation rates pose an enormous danger to the future of the Jewish Faith which requires urgent and swift action to curb this risk.

This is a monumental task that will take several years to accomplish; however, it needs to be started urgently.

Bolster and grow Jewish Enclaves

There are Jewish enclaves with significant Jewish population nationwide and worldwide.

These Jewish population centers need to grow both numerically and geographically to create Jewish focused centers where Jews can live peacefully, securely and comfortably with greater influence on their way of living.

The Chabad model of expansion of Jewish learning and worship centers worldwide is a notable example of how this can be accomplished effectively and successfully.

Establish National Security Apparatus

The bursts of antisemitism acts and increasing attacks on Jewish people worldwide has proven the need to establish a Jewish national security apparatus with a central control and local branches in major urban enclaves.

The central control apparatus will be responsible for providing training and guidance to the local branches, establishing security protocols, and monitoring risk levels in coordination with federal and local law enforcement. Branches will have trained security officers that can provide a security umbrella to local Jewish organizations and respond to threats in a legal manner in coordination with local law enforcement.

Establish central legal system to combat Antisemitism and Hate Crimes

Create a centralized legal apparatus to receive and examine complaints and prosecute offenders to the maximum extent of the law. The efforts currently carried our by ADL and others needs to be expanded with added resources to be able to handle the growing number of incidents occurring nationwide.

Establish Community and Family Adoption programs between Israeli and Diaspora Families

To strengthen the ties and bonds between Israeli and global Jewry, a family and community adoption plan needs to be created to connect communities and individual families to each other to improve involvement, communications and mutual support between Israel and the diaspora. Adopt a City, a Kibbutz, a Moshav or the Biran family in Sderot or the Biton family in Nahariya are examples. The model of sister cities exists internationally and can be adopted to reach this goal.

This program is crucial to connect and mold the next generation of Israelis with global Jewry youth.

Establish Strategic Partnerships with Devoted Partners

Work closely with organization with likeminded values that supports the goals of the Jewish community and Israel.

Many organizations supported by Jewish organizations for years turned their back on us at time of dire need. This betrayal needs to be avoided in the future. Strategic partnerships should be established only with organizations aligned and loyal to the goals of the Jewish cause and the State of Israel.

Social Media Diligence

Social media activities and posts in the period since October 7, 2023, have been overwhelmingly antisemitic and anti-Israel. Most are senseless lies, disinformation and hatred driven.

Educating the public of accurate history, truth and fighting lies and disinformation is very crucial for protecting the Jewish Community and Israel in the public opinion battle.

A notable example is the Robert Kraft’s Foundation “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” campaign to Combat Antisemitism which has committed $200 million to fight rising hatred in the United States. A lot more concentrated and coordinated action is needed to win this battle.

Streamline Conversion Process

Placing tremendous burdens and pain on people who are committed to convert to Judaism is counter productive to the goals of the Jewish community. It is not an easy decision for any non-Jew who commits to go through this process. This process needs to be streamlined, friendly and accepting while maintaining the learning and commitment portions required for the conversion. This is not an easy task to tackle but a wise taskforce can find a way to make it happen.

What is needed now?

Perhaps a visionary leader like Joseph or Theodore Herzel.

The story of Joseph and his brothers comes to mind. After Joseph solves the dreams for Pharaoh and provides him with a detailed action plan how to save Egypt from the upcoming famine, Pharaoh makes the following statement to his servants. “Could we find another like him-A man in whom is the spirit of God?”. He then says to Joseph “Since God has informed you of all of this, there can be no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace and by your command shall all my people be sustained.”

Another more recent visionary is Theodore Hertzel, The visionary of the State of Israel.

When he made this vision public in 1896 because of vile antisemitism in France during the trial of Alfred Dreyfus, he was seen as a crazy person. As described on the website jewishunpacked.com, “Death for the Jew” that were casually hurled around on the streets of Paris made him understand that a Jewish State was necessary to remove the problem of antisemitism entirely.”

It worked to a certain extent but not entirely.

Unfortunately, we are facing the same evil hatred and threats in our time.

Herzel convened the first World Congress of Zionists in 1897 to launch the idea and garner support for the cause.

What is needed now is visionary Jewish leadership. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations needs to convene a congress of all major Jewish organization to address the challenges facing the Jewish community, reach decisions, and formulate an action plan.

This is an enormous undertaking that will require monumental efforts like the seven years that Joseph gathered all the grain in the land of Egypt to save Egypt and the Israelites from famine and death.

We can only hope that a “discerning and wise” men and women can rise to the task and kick off this historic mission. It will require the commitment, unity, and resources of all major Jewish organizations nationwide.

It will require harnessing the unrelenting support of billionaires, millionaires, philanthropists, and all Jews to join in these efforts and make incredibly generous contributions to support these goals.

Rami Loya is an IDF veteran and author of two Israel related novels. He can be reached at: [email protected]