Assimilation in Israel?

Posted by Sigal Mendelson on July 2, 2009 under Aliyah, Israel history, News | Be the First to Comment

The amendment to the Law of Return expanded the automatically granted right to include children and grandchildren and non-Jewish souses. This amendment affected the large immigrant community from the former USSR and opened a real threat to assimilation.

The Law of Return grants Jews and their descendants the right to come and settle in Israel. The amendment opened the door to non Jews, this creating a special group of non Jews to come and settle in Israel.

In recent years we have been witnessing major social changes among the immigrant and on their attitude towards the country. In these new circumstances there are hundreds of thousands of non Jewish immigrants, who do not identify with Judaism and the country. This is essentially the beginning of a threat of assimilation.

This situation requires review of the conversion issue with related to the goal to sustain a Jewish state.

Until recently, assimilation and especially due to intermarriage has been challenging Jewish communities around the world but not is Israel. The large immigration from the former USSR has brought hundreds of thousands of mixed couples and non Jews into Israel. Non Jewish spouses are not rare anymore, and this creates a problem when the children are not considered Jews, unless if converted according to Halakha. A similar problem is resulting form the large number of Israeli youth travelling across the globe and sometimes “winning” local spouses.

In addition to assimilation, the state of Israel is facing a serious demographic threat.

Demographic experts are in agreement that by the year 2020 Israel will reach a non-Jewish majority. The primary factor lies within Arab-Jewish demographics and birth-rate. Yet assimilation has an accelerating role here as well. Yes. The state of Israel can lose its purpose due to demographic changes.

Many of today’s immigrant are not motivated towards conversion. The Ministry of Religious Affairs believes that with encouragement of coaching families, communities and rabbis it will be possible to create the awareness towards the issue. The plan is to allow coaching Israeli families much room to assist new immigrants who convert with finding their place in the community, synagogue, school and so on.

More information at Ministry of Religious Services

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Israel Law of Return

Posted by Sigal Mendelson on June 30, 2009 under Israel history | Be the First to Comment

The Law of Return was passed in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) in 1950. It grants every Jew the right to acquire citizenship. Combined with the Nationality law (1952) it results in unique legislation combining nationality, religion and democracy.

In plane words, the Law of Return declares that Israel is not only the home to its citizens, but also for all Jewish people, their decedents, and keens. The basis for this concept is resulting from the goals and purpose for which Israel was established. To be a home for the Jewish people is the ultimate fulfillment of the Zionist vision. Regarding an independent state of Israel as the solution for the Jewish people was recognized by the League of Nations in 1922 and later voted on and accepted by the United Nations in the Partition Plan in 1947.

Eligibility remained a complex issue, as it boils down to the definition of Jew according to the Law of Return. The question “Who Is a Jew” has shaken Israeli Society in the 1960s and 70s, involving subtleties relating to differences between Jewish groups (Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, etc.). When created, the law encompassed Jews only. An amendment from 1970 expanded the eligibility to a child and a grandchild of a Jew, the spouse of a Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of a grandchild of a Jew.

An extremely rare and perhaps the only case that a Jew was denied his privilege was in 1972, with Meir Lansky, a “retired” Mafia head who sought “righteous retirement in the land of his people”, as stated in one of those days’ newspapers . The minister of Interior at that time, Dr. Joseph Burg refused Lansky’s application for citizenship under the law of Return based on the claws excluding those with a “criminal past likely to endanger the public weal”.

For the curious among us, we chose to offer an opportunity to peek at this famous and controversial law.

http://www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Aliyah/Aliyah+Info/The+Law+of+Return

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About Karaite Judaism

Posted by Sigal Mendelson on under Israel history, Traditions | Be the First to Comment

“It is the personal responsibility of every individual to study the Hebrew Scripture and ultimately decide for themselves the correct meaning.” This unique group within Judaism practices Judaism as close as possible to the original scripts.

Karaism is Judaism according to the Hebrew Bible. The word Karaite (Hebrew: Bnei Mikra) means "Followers of the Bible" ("Mikra" is the Hebrew word for Bible). Karaites believe only in the authority of the Hebrew Bible and reject all later innovations such as the Rabbinic "Oral Law".

Karaism does not reject Biblical interpretation but rather holds every interpretation up to the same objective scrutiny regardless of its source.

Karaite Jews belief states that we don’t have the authority to alter anything in the scripts and Tora. They do not take it literally since every written work requires interpretation. Instead, Karaism requires that Biblical interpretation strive for the plain meaning of the text, as it would have been understood by the ancient Israelites when it was first given.

Karaism has been around since the Torah was given on Mt Sinai. It was only in late Second Temple times that other sects appeared and challenged the authority of the Hebrew Bible.

Synagogue, Ramla	Synagogue, Ramla	Synagogue, Bat Yam

Out of approximately 30,000 Karaim worldwide, 25,000 live today in Israel, having immigrated from Arab countries such as Egypt and Iraq and the rest scattered in France, Unites States, Turkey and Russia. There are about 11 Karaite centers in Israel spread across Israel in Jerusalem, Ashdod, Bat Yam, Beer Sheva, Aard, Ofakim, Beit Ezra Moshav Matzliach, Moshav Ranan and Kiryat Gat.

Synagogue, Rana	Synagogue, Ashdod	Synagogue, Jerusalem

Each Karaite spiritual center typically combines a synagogue (Prayers include morning and evening, Shabbat Rosh Khodesh and holidays), Beit Midrash and a community center serving for gatherings and occasions such as Bar-Mitzva, weddings etc.

Pictures courtesy of Israel Karaim Portal.

More information at karaite-korner.org.

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