The Birthright Israel Program: Present and Possible Future Impacts
By autumn 2008, nearly two hundred thousand young Jewish adults aged eighteen to twenty-six from around the world had participated in Taglit-Birthright Israel, which consists of ten-day educational experiences in Israel. The aim of Birthright Israel is to make the participants’ Jewish identity more relevant to them, to enhance ahavat Yisrael (love of Israel), and to promote a sense of Jewish peoplehood. Research shows a great uniformity of impact on each of these measures, regardless of the par
Jewish-Muslim Relations in Sweden
The last decade has seen a rise in Jewish-Muslim tensions on the grassroots level, and attacks on Jews by Muslims have occurred. Tensions increased particularly with the outbreak of the Second Intifada.
Introducing Israel Studies in U.S. Universities
The anti-Israeli activism on college campuses during the Second Intifada created the incentive among the American Jewish philanthropic community to promote education and scholarship on Israel at universities. There are at present nine Israel Studies centers throughout the United States. By the end of 2008 about 15 chairs in Israel Studies will have been endowed. The program for visiting professors from Israel started in 2004-2005 and, in the current academic year, has 27 such scholars teaching o
The Contemporary Rivalry over the Chosen People: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives
The idea of the Chosen People occupies a central place in Jewish tradition and liturgy and should be viewed as the key defining concept of Judaism. It also remains, however, the central unspoken and explosive psychological, historical, and theological problem at the heart of Jewish-Gentile relations.
Muslims and Jews in Switzerland
There has so far been no openly anti-Jewish mass movement among Muslims. Kurds, Turks, and Bosnians tend to be more secular and friendlier toward Jews than Arabs from North Africa and the Middle East. Certain Muslim groups want to learn from the established Jewish community how to gain legal, political, and social acceptance in Switzerland. Muslims have not been the driving force behind the Swiss version of the new Europe-wide anti-Semitism. However, there is a growing radicalization of disaffec
How Modernity Changed Judaism – Interview with Rabbi David Ellenson
The advent of modernity led to radical political and legal changes for Jewry, particularly in the West. Coercive belonging to a community was replaced by voluntary adherence to what might best be called a congregation. The political and legal changes also led to many religious, cultural, financial, and social developments.
Ireland’s Jews: Past, Present, Future
Irish Jews have historically played a role in Jewish life out of all proportion to their numbers, despite the fact that they were on the margins of the Jewish world.Before 1948 the Irish Jewish community was one of the most pro-Zionist in Western Europe and a major per capita supporter of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), as well as other Zionist organizations and institutions. Irish Jews have played a significant role in all sectors of Irish society including national political life, but since the early 1950s when it peaked at 4,500 members the community has been shrinking in size and influence. Although there have always been sporadic anti-Semitic incidents, Ireland has provided a safe haven for Jews. But the current widespread support for a boycott of Israel among civil society groups is a worrying development, as is the potential of the growing Irish Muslim community to become radicalized.
Jewish-Latino Interactions in the United States
From the Jewish standpoint, the relevance of Latinos is their growing importance in the United States. Latinos are increasingly playing a role in local and national politics. In the economy they also interact increasingly with the rest of society, which means with Jews as well. Key to improving Jewish-Latino intercommunal relations is shared values. Both have a great love for family and are strongly committed to their children’s education.
The Salute to Israel Parade
The Salute to Israel Parade officially began in 1965. Several thousand people participated. A wide range of Jewish participants attended the first parade. Also invited were various representatives of non-Jewish communities. Nowadays the parade draws over one hundred thousand marchers, with an additional million supporters watching from the sidelines. Elected officials, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have appeared at the parade, including governors of New York, mayors and former mayors of New York C
Muslim-Jewish Interactions in Great Britain
There are an estimated two million Muslims in the United Kingdom. The largest communities come from the Indian subcontinent, in the following order: Pakistan, Bangladesh, India. The Jewish community numbers approximately three hundred thousand. On some religious issues such as circumcision Muslims and Jews have common interests. On others, such as the introduction of religious law, their positions greatly diverge.
The Jewish Communities of the Western United States
Twenty-five percent of all American Jews live in the Western United States. They represent a distinctive and growing voice within Jewish life.
Changes in American Jewish Identities: From Normative Constructions to Aesthetic Understandings
Over the past several decades, Jews in the United States have been reshaping their Jewish identities in line with geographic dispersion, cultural changes, and generational shifts. Of special note is that Jews have fewer Jewish spouses, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and formal ties to other Jews. They feel less attached to both Jewish peoplehood and Israel, amounting to a decline in Jewish collective identity.
The Fragmentation of American Jewry and Its Leadership
In recent decades the national leadership structure of the American Jewish community has moved from a fairly integrated state to one characterized by fragmentation. It is hard to discern whether truly powerful national Jewish organizations still exist, let alone whether these set a communal agenda. Several leaders of American Jewry are effective heads of their organizations. However, they rarely rise above their own sphere to influence the discourse on broader issues affecting Jewish life.
Israel and American Jewry: Oslo and Beyond
The problem of Diaspora assimilation threatened to undermine Israel’s position within American society and public opinion. Absent a critical mass of Jews sufficiently committed to the Jewish enterprise to make the case for Israel in the battle of ideas, U.S. Middle Eastern policy could well come to approximate the policies of European democracies.
The Transformation of Jewish Knowledge over the Decades: The New Edition of the Encyclopaedia Judaica
The new edition of the Encyclopaedia Judaica gives many insights into how Jewish life and Jewish knowledge have been transformed since the first edition came out in 1972. Jews contribute in every sphere of human knowledge and endeavor including arts, music, architecture, science, medicine, and so forth. Jews nowadays feel more able, freer, and more empowered to create—as Jews. They no longer fear that doing so confines them to a cultural or intellectual ghetto.
