This year, as in other years, the highest rated event in Israel will not be a contemporary event, whether a political event, a sports event, or a cultural event. Rather, it will be a traditional event that commemorates the past: the Seder. Like dozens of previous generations, on the eve of Passover, some 85% of Jews in Israel will gather…

Current intensive migration trends, which many societies and states are experiencing as a result of economic globalization, have not by-passed Israel. Emigration from Israel is unique in that its principal treatment comes from the parent country, Israel, and much less from the destination countries. The main reason for this is that, in Israel, emigration is viewed as a contradiction of…

This paper presents the motivation behind, mechanism employed, and preliminary findings of JPPI's project, Jewish and Democratic: Perspectives from World Jewry. Parts of this paper originally appeared in a background document prepared for moderators and participants in JPPI seminars conducted in early 2014 in Jewish communities around the world.

The October 2013 Pew report and other studies raise major questions as to whether this pattern of activity can continue, at least in its current form. These questions are less concerned with the concrete attitudes and positions the Jewish leadership and the Jewish community are currently advocating, and more concerned with the type of Jewish identity that underpins such advocacy…

2014 is likely to be a decisive year for the issue of Iran's nuclear program and for the fate of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. These two subjects pose challenges for the triangular relationship: Israel, the United States, and the American Jewish community. The interim agreement with Iran, and the Vienna talks on a permanent settlement that followed, provoked extremely harsh responses from Israel. At the same time, diplomatic negotiations with the Palestinians are nearing their April 2014 deadline and Israel faces mounting pressure and weighty decisions as the presentation of the American framework approaches. !e coming months, therefore, have the potential to bring new tensions between Washington and Jerusalem that may trouble American Jewry and could strain the "triangle," a cornerstone of Israel's and the Jewish people's power. The main issues – efforts to halt Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapon, and to achieve a breakthrough in an Israeli-Palestinian agreement –…

Should the State of Israel recognize "Israeli" as a nationality rather than defining citizens as Jewish, Arab, and Druze? In an article published by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, II Vice President Prof. Yedidia Stern and Jay Ruderman assert that it is imperative for the State of Israel to continue distinguishing between citizenship and nationality. For Americans, the definition of national…

- Jews "not by religion" are much less likely to pass on Jewishness to the next generation - Jews "not by religion" are not "cultural" Jews, they are disconnected Jews - The Jewish community must decide how much to invest in them vs. other priorities - The alternatives for action are basically three: 1. Write them off (but this means…

Of all the expressions of Jewish identity, Jewish culture has traditionally been the most legitimate and the most celebrated in post-Enlightenment Europe. Since their political emancipation at the end of the 18th century, Jews have endeavored to contribute their part to the broader society by focusing on the elements of their identity that fit the secular and liberal ethos. In…

Originally posted in The Times of Israel, by Dr. Shlomo Fischer, November 18 Since its publication on October 1, 2013, the Pew report, A Portrait of Jewish Americans, has generated copious commentary and debate, mainly around its findings concerning the more than one million “Jews of no religion.” I suggest that much of the commentary reflects a misunderstanding about the meaning of…