tel aviv | For many Jews, the results of a new report on world Jewry represent a case of good news and bad news.
On the one hand, the number of Jews in the diaspora is on the decline, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is emboldening anti-Semites worldwide, and Jewish and Israeli morale is down.
On the other, Jews worldwide are relatively affluent, educated and politically involved.
The findings are among many in a report on the state of the Jewish people in Israel and abroad, which was presented to the Israeli government June 27 by the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute.
The institute is a think tank chaired by former U.S. Middle East peace envoy Dennis Ross and funded in part by the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Worldwide Jewish population is approaching zero growth at 13 million people, according to the report. The report found that between 1970 and 2003, the world’s total population increased by more than 70 percent; in contrast, the total Jewish population increased by 2 percent.
The bulk of Jewish growth is in Israel.
“The survival of the Jewish people is not assured, though there are great opportunities for a thriving future,” the report states. “Therefore, determined and large-scale efforts are needed to maximize the opportunities and ward off the dangers.’
Jewish population figures in the diaspora are declining because of low birth rates, a rise in interfaith marriages and an aging population, according to the 60-page report, which was coordinated by well-known demographer Sergio DellaPergola.
The report recommended that Jews take a long-term approach to the future, improving Jewish institutions, leadership and decision-making processes on issues affecting world Jewry.
It also said that improving the security and Jewish uniqueness of Israel should be done in part by encouraging immigration to Israel, spending money on long-term projects aimed at building Jewish identity, and demanding that Israel step up religious pluralism by normalizing the status of non-Orthodox movements in the country.
To counteract the demographic decline in the diaspora, the study recommended making Jewish education more financially accessible.