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Posted on 07/11/2005 11:22:49 AM PDT by IAF ThunderPilot
Israel to be largest Jewish community
For the first time in 2000 years, Israel will next year become the largest Jewish community in the world, figures released by a Jewish Agency think tank revealed Sunday.
However, the report issued by The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute predicted that even in 15 years time, the majority of world Jewry will not be living in Israel (at present, about 40% of world Jewry live in Israel while by 2020, 46% will choose Israel as their home).
Today, there are about 13 million Jews worldwide, while in 2020 the figure will increase to an estimated 13.6 million Jews. While the number of Diaspora Jews will decrease by half a million by 2020, the report estimates that the Jewish population in Israel will grow by one million.
At present, 5.28 million Jews reside in the United States while 5.235 million are Israeli citizens. Both communities, the report stated, comprise 80% of world Jewry.
Other findings list the French Jewish community, totaling 494,000 as the largest in Europe, making it the 3rd largest Jewish community in the world.
In terms of the quality of life Jews enjoy, the study found that 90% of world Jewry live in the top 20% of the wealthiest and most developed countries. The most prospering communities in the Diaspora are located in Mexico, Australia and Canada.
After analyzing marriage statistics, the report concluded that the majority of Jews outside Israel intermarry. In Russia and the Ukraine, the rate of intermarriage stands at about 80% compared to only 3% of Jews who intermarry in Israel.
In the battle of the numbers of Jews who had visited Israel, the United Kingdom outnumbered the United States by a surprising 80% to 35%.
Less surprising, given the recent alarming news reports emerging from Europe, about 96 anti-Semitic attacks per year – the highest in the world – convinced nearly 2,000 French Jews to immigrate to Israel – the most from any other country.
Regarding Jewish education, the report highlights that a relatively high number of children are enrolled in Jewish schools in South America (55-85%), while in Europe and the former Soviet Union the numbers are much lower (25% at most, excluding France which stands at 40% and Britain -60%).
The report marks the second annual survey that the institute has published and its findings will be presented to the government and various Jewish organizations in anticipation of the budgets and project planning scheduled for next year.
The Knesset Committee for Aliyah, Absorption and Diaspora Affairs will convene on July 11 to discuss the reports' findings. Former US envoy and current chairman of institute, Dennis Ross, will attend the meeting.
I assume this means there are 5.235 million Israeli citizens living in Israel, not 5.235 out of 5.28 American Jews are Israeli citizens.
That'd be a pretty high number of dual citizenships.
It is a well-known teaching that prophecy will return to the Holy Land when it is inhabited by the majority of Jews in the world!
I wonder if that counts conversions in general, Orthodox conversions, or just organic growth.
If simply organic growth, that's a more than 4.5% increase in 15 years.
In other words, the percentage of young frum Jews will be significantly increasing.
Gee, more than new York, Miami, and Hollywood combined??
increasing through organic growth and the Ba'al Teshuva movement is also growing exponentially. So the number of frum Jews is increasing due to both of those factors. Frum Jews are no longer necessarily FFBs.
Ezekiel 36:24: For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
Jeremiah 16:15 As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north from all the countries where He had banished them "For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers."
..................
Is this what is meant by the term Aliyah?
Whose teaching is that? "When thy demographics are such that a majority of Jews are again living in the Promised Land, prophecy will return..."?
I heard the teaching from the late Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, based on Rambam and Talmud.
I am speaking from a traditional Jewish perspective. Christianity is a completely different religion with its own definitions.
"FFBs."
?
Frun From Birth (has always been observant)
oops...Frum From Birth (sorry)
A Jew who immigrants to Israel is said to be making Aliyah.
Whew, never mind the ellipsis. Talk about an unintended play on words er citizens. Of course they are "Israeli" citizens... the American Jews are abiding with the house of Joseph.
Both communities, the report stated, comprise 80% of world Jewry.
Gee I can't imagine why.
Ezekiel 37:16-22
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?
19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.
21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
Out with IshBusheth, in with David.
'Aliyah' (root ayin-lamed-heh) conveys the idea of 'elevation' or 'development'. Being called to read the Torah is an 'aliyah', the same word as used to denote settling in Israel.
It would seem appropriate to use it in connection with prophecy, though I am not aware of it being used that way.
from the Tanach..."Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever." (Eze 37:20-25)
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