July 8 , 2008 / 5 Tammuz 5768

Dear Friends,

In light of recent statistics showing the high rate of assimilation in Jewish communities of the Former Soviet Union and the decline in olim from that region, the Israeli cabinet devoted part of its meeting on Sunday (July 6th) to this issue.

At the opening of the meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and attended by most of the ministers, reports were presented on the situation of Jewish communities in the FSU and in the centers of large concentrations of FSU Jews in North America and Germany.  The reports were presented by representatives of "Nativ" and the Jewish Agency as well as by the Minister of Absorption and the Director-General of the Absorption Ministry.

According to the data presented at the meeting, there are approximately 880,000 Jews in the FSU and another 600,000 who left the FSU since 1989 and who are located mainly in North America and Germany.  The percentage of assimilation in this population reaches 80%!  Less than 10% of them are involved in organized Jewish activity, which affects the decline in self-identification as Jews, a feeling of distancing from the Jewish People and the State of Israel, and declining rates of aliyah to Israel.

The Prime Minister noted with concern that "in another generation there might not be Jewish communities in the FSU" and added that "the Government of Israel cannot ignore these disturbing statistics. Inactivity on our part might bring about the end of the third largest Jewish community in the world.  We must therefore find ways to act in order to increase identification with Israel among this population, strengthen Jewish identity and the desire to be part of Israel's future."

Alex Katz, Director of the FSU Bureau, presented to the cabinet meeting the Jewish Agency's deployment in the FSU and JAFI's activity in the fields of Jewish education, aliyah promotion and deepening the connection with the State of Israel in communities of the FSU and among FSU Jews in North America and Germany.

Besides expressing appreciation for the Jewish Agency's activity in these regions, there was consensus at the cabinet meeting that we are in a critical time and must pool resources and increase activity for strengthening the connection FSU Jews feel to the Jewish People and the State of Israel and increasing aliyah – both through expanding Jewish Zionist activity along with making Israel more attractive, improving absorption conditions and creating incentives for aliyah.

At the end of the meeting, the cabinet decided to set up a committee, headed by the Cabinet Secretary, Oved Yehezkel, with the participation of the relevant ministries and the Jewish Agency, which will deal with ways of strengthening the connection of FSU Jews to Judaism and to the State of Israel and to increase the number of olim, and will propose recommendations to meet these goals.

This discussion is an additional stage in the process which we are leading between us and the government for ensuring the future of the Jewish People in the Diaspora, as it was expressed in the Prime Minister's speech at the Board of Governors opening plenary two weeks ago.

In this context, I would like to share with you a wonderful educational initiative of the Jewish Agency's Education Department headed by Alan Hoffmann, in which 60 outstanding Israeli teachers and educators will go this coming school year to teach for at least one year in Jewish schools in the Diaspora, marking the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel;   this would be in addition to the regular teacher-emissary program.
 
I am pleased to report that Education Minister Yuli Tamir has responded favorably to this idea, which is based on a sense of mutual responsibility between the State of Israel and the Jewish People in the Diaspora, and this is an excellent example of the growing partnership between the government and the Jewish Agency.

We see prime importance in having top Israeli teachers teach in the Diaspora, bringing Hebrew language, history and heritage as well as Israeli spirit and culture to Jewish pupils around the world.  These teachers, upon their return from their mission abroad, will serve as a bridge between Israeli pupils and the Jewish communities abroad.
 
In addition, the government has agreed to allocate substantial funds to assist us in dealing with the special situation existing today in South Africa, as a result of which we are expecting a significant rise in the number of South African olim this year.   Eli Cohen, Director-General of the Department of Aliyah and Absorption, and his department's staff are considering an expansion of activities.

This provides me with an additional opportunity to thank Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for his stance on the commitment of the Government of Israel to the Jewish People in the Diaspora and for the process he is heading on this issue.

We in the Jewish Agency, serving as a bridge between the State of Israel and the Jewish People in the Diaspora, will be partners in the government's action to realize this importance mission

Sincerely

Zeev Bielski 
zeevik@jafi.org