Israel not focus for younger Jews

Young generation of U.S. Jews uninterested in prime minister's health, tries to create Jewish identity separate from Israel Associated Press

As Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's health deteriorated, a debate erupted thousands of miles away at a meeting of IKAR, a Los Angeles group trying to reinvent synagogue life for Jews in their 20s and 30s.

A few argued that IKAR was not doing enough advocacy for Israel, especially as the nation faced a major shift in leadership. But the

"They said part of what they love about IKAR is that we're not forcing people to make the claim that Israel is absolutely and fundamentally central to themselves as Jews," said Rabbi Sharon Brous, 32, leader of the community. "People are forming Jewish identities either without Israel at all or ambivalence toward Israel. It's not that they don't care. They're confused."

For many Jews under age 40, the health crisis of an Israeli prime minister means far less to them than it does to their parents and grandparents. Researchers who measure Jewish attitudes and practices say younger Jews are less engaged with Israel than previous generations have been.

"The younger generation isn't as attached to Israel because they didn't grow up in that era of the '60s, when Israel was going through its early development," said Eileen Gress, executive director of The Curriculum Initiative, which brings classes on Jewish life to private schools. "I find that many of these young folks lack information and history, so they enter the debate about Israel in a confused manner."

Older Jews lived through Israel's founding in 1948 and attacks on the country by Arab nations. American Jews who felt the full brunt of anti-Semitism in the United States looked to Israel as a much needed refuge.

But younger U.S. Jews have a vastly different worldview. They face virtually no barriers in American society and many are products of interfaith parents who gave them little or no Jewish education. They grew up as Israel's reputation was changing following the country's 1982 invasion of Lebanon directed by Sharon and the massacre that year of Palestinians in Lebanon's Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps.

Public debate intensified over the morality of Israeli policies as the latest Palestinian uprising began in the territories in 2000.

"There have been 20 years of a lot more negative press," said Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, president of the Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation, which has paid for nearly 100,000 young people to visit Israel under its Birthright Israel program. "Israel is seen as the Goliath and the Palestinians as the David."

Greenberg said Sharon's role in Lebanon added "an extra element of distance" for younger generations of Jews.

Amy Tobin, a 31-year-old Jewish musician from Oakland, Calif., said she had been "very angry" at Sharon, then "recently a little more hopeful" after the prime minister's decision to pull settlers out of the Gaza Strip.

Tobin said she follows news about Israel because she views it as part of exploring her Jewish identity. However, she said many of her Jewish friends who are not religiously observant feel no tie to the country and are upset by Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.

Marcy Guttman, a 25-year-old fundraiser for the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, said Israel is much more important to her than it is to many of her friends because her grandparents were Holocaust survivors.

"It's always just been part of me that Israel is our homeland and we should give money to Israel," said Guttman, who has visited three times.

Guttman said many young Jews she knows are afraid to travel to Israel because of the suicide bombings during the last few years. She said others are swayed by campus debates about the Mideast that condemn Israeli policy in the territories and highlight Palestinian suffering.

Larry Weinberg, executive vice president of Israel21C, an advocacy organization based in California, said he hoped that the intensive news coverage of Sharon's fight for survival would reignite interest among young people.

"Each generation of Jews is fashioned by a series of events," Weinberg said. "I think Ariel Sharon's health crisis is such a crisis. … It's events like these that cause Jews in America who don't think about Israel every day … to think about it."

Israel not focus for younger ( assimilated secular liberal )Jews.

Israel a major focus for younger Orhtodox traditional Jews

Not surprising considering the usual Jewish liberal these days.

I mean, Cindy Sheehan was about as blatently clear as you can be and they (the Jewish liberal democrats) STILL LOVED her.

2 posted on 01/09/2006 10:01:09 AM PST by FreedomNeocon (I'm in no Al-Samood for this Shi'ite.)

my financial consultant told me increasing number of israelis are applying for german citizenship. many russian jews who have free immigration and citizenship status in germany are staying and not moving on to israel. Sharon was POed about this.

if i were a Jew, i would have been in israel by now, if only to serve in that great army and get the training and experience.

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