In Memory And In Hope

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In memory of the six-million martyrs who perished during the Holocaust.

We hope and pray that JewishAmerica helps to inspire Mankind with an appreciation for the contribution and significance of Judaism and the Jewish people.

Is It Happening To Us?

A Question For American Jewry: Will Our Grandchildren Be Jewish?

"The Generational Chart" appeared in the culmination of an in-depth sociological and demographic research report by A. Gordon and R. Horowitz. The work was carried out over three years, based largely on information from the National Jewish Population Study (1990), the New York Jewish Population Survey (1991), many data runs by the North American Jewish Data Bank compiled by Dr. Ariela Keysar, as well as an independent study (Gordon & Horowitz, 1994)

Based on existing trends for intermarriage and family size, the authors projected four generations of Jewish identity for several segments of our population.

In Memory And In Hope

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Since the establishment of the State Of Israel in 1948, the population in the Holy Land has increased seven-fold. May G-d continue to bestow His blessings of growth and prosperity.

Sadly, due to assimilation, during this same period world Jewish population remained flat at twelve million, when it should have at least doubled. In physical terms alone, this loss is twice that of the Holocaust.

We hope and pray that JewishAmerica helps to inspire the Jewish people with an appreciation for their Torah, tradition, and ancestors.

May G-d give us all health, strength, foresight, resources, and peace.

May our generation help usher in the era for which all of Mankind has been waiting for near six-thousand years.

As A Jew, What Can You Do About It?

• Intensify your knowledge about Torah Judaism.

• Intensify your practice of Torah Judaism.

• Support Traditional Jewish Educational institutions.

• Send your kids to a full-time Traditional Jewish Day School. Encourage others to do the same.

• Speak to others who have already intensified their knowledge and practice. Check it out for yourself. You owe it to yourself and your family.

JewishAmerica - Dedicated to Jewish Continuity

NOTE: The following reactions were posted on JewishAmerica's Feedback page:

>It breaks my heart when I see other Jews
>comparing intermarriage to the Holocaust.
>
>The Holocaust was about the slaughter of millions
>of Jews simply because they were
>what the Nazis defined as "Jews".
>
>No Nazi cared how many times you went to
>synagogue.
>
>Their only care was whether 1 of your 4 grandparents
was of "jewish blood."
>
>Intermarriage is the result of one person
>loving another person and wanting
>to share their lives with each other.
>
>Why do you look at this like a "silent
>holocaust?"

>I refuse to live my life by what a census tells me?

Our response:

We view both as great tragedies of immense proportion.

The Nazis perpetrated a physical Holocaust. The descendents of their victims are lost to the Jewish people. The victims themselves lost their lives as we know life in this world.

From the perspective of traditional Judaism, anyone who is killed because he/she is a Jew is provided with the afterlife of a martyr. We certainly do not wish any type of death this upon anyone. We wish upon people that they earn their afterlife by the way they live, not by the way they die. Nevertheless and after the fact, their eternal reward is somewhat of a consolation to us now, their survivors. G-d certainly makes it a great consolation to the unfortunate victims. We are taught that we will see their full consolation when we pass on to the next world.

The participants in an intermarriage maintain their physical existence. They certainly can have descendents. Their children may or may not be Jewish, depending on the parent.

We live within a wonderful culture. I'm sure that you will agree that it is very dominant and it deeply affects how we behave. Our culture is not intended, nor is it designed, to promote Jewish values and identity. Life experience tells me that over time, Jewish identity will most probably decline in the descendents of intermarried families, to the point that it will cease altogether.

We would be most grateful if you could provide me with evidence to the contrary. Until shown otherwise, we feel compelled to view intermarriage as the loss of a potentially great number to the Jewish people. We refer to this loss as a "silent holocaust."

You may take exception to the association with the Nazi Holocaust. Nevertheless, both are great tragedies to the Jewish people.

We don't see the relevance of the infamous Nazi criteria for killing Jews.

Neither do we deny that people who intermarry are experiencing love. Nevertheless, we can not accept the use of this love as a rationale for intermarriage. Like any emotion, love must be recognized and either managed or channeled towards a positive goal.

All the best from JewishAmerica.

>Responding to your "In Memory and Hope"
>article, I was greatly saddened.
>
>I was born to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father.
>I have been studying Jewish theology.
>I find it to be a wonderful religion full of life,
>love, and hope. Referring to interfaith
>marriages as "the silent holocaust"
>is not only downplaying the severity of the
>actual Holocaust, but making the children of
>interfaith marriages feel as if they are the
>product of something negative.
>
>I was brought up to choose which faith was
>right for me. The focus should not be on the
>loss of Jewish people due to interfaith marriages,
>but the number of children who have the
>ability to actually CHOOSE to be Jewish,
>instead of having their parents beliefs simply
>passed. Thank you for your time.

Dear Rachel,

Thank you for your feedback.

Your words about Judaism are very true and encouraging.

Given that your mother is Jewish, you are also a full Jew with a share in the great destiny of the Jewish people.

G-d gives everyone free-will and I sincerely hope that you choose to adopt and maintain our heritage. Please let me know if you would like additional resources on learning and experiencing Judaism. Would you like someone to contact you? If yes, please drop a line with your name, address, and phone.

I certainly do not want to give an impression that children of an intermarriage such as that of your family are already lost.

Rachel, a lot of people are getting lost and a lot of people getting found.

We're loosing a lot of kids to assimilation whose both parents are Jewish.

Children of an intermarriage do have more to overcome, but they are certainly not lost and you do not have to be, either.

From your perspective and background you can rise up to be a star in our destiny.

"And you shall choose life. (Deut 30:19)"

All the best from JewishAmerica.