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DECEMBER 30, 2021 | The Jewish Home
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OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
Israel Today
A New Knesset Lobby By Yochanan Sternberg
I
n a first for the Knesset, the Eretz Hakodesh Party of the WZO, which represents the Jews of chutz laaretz, started a Knesset lobby last week to strengthen Israel’s bond with the Jews of the Diaspora. At a special gathering held by MK Pindrus (Yahadut HaTorah) together with Rabbi Pesach Lerner, chairman of Eretz Hakodesh, the new lobby was announced with the goal of strengthening and appreciating the efforts of organizations that work to protect our mesorah and true Jewish identity in the Diaspora, as well as strengthening the Jewish connection felt by the younger generation around the world in order to fight the terrible assimilation that is destroying Jewish communities. Despite recent tensions bet ween the government and the opposition, the gathering was attended by members of both groups. They all expressed their support for this new lobby and announced their participation for the purpose of continuing their work with representatives of the organizations in order to strengthen the Jewish identity of those living in the Diaspora. The MKs and organization representatives thanked Rabbi Lerner, who traveled to Israel in order to participate in the event, for the vital work that his organization is doing to strengthen the bonds between the State of Israel and the Jews of the Diaspora, which is being done in cooperation with the Orthodox organizations. They also expressed their appreciation for his organization’s important achievements within the World Zionist Organization and in the Mosdot Haleumim, Israel’s National Organizations (the WZO, Jewish Agency and KKL-JNF). Among the participants in the gathering were Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai (Labor), MKs Michal Shir and Tzvi Hauser of Tikvah Chadashah, MK Sharon Rofeh-Ofir of Yisrael Beiteinu, MK Nira Shpak of Yesh Atid, MK Betzalel Smotrich and Michal Waldiger of Hatziyonut Hadatit, MK David Bitan of the Likud, MKs Uriel Buso and Michael Malkieli of Shas, and MKs Moshe Gafni and Uri Maklev of Yahadut HaTorah. Also participating was Mr. Yaakov Hagoel, who is the chairman of the WZO and acting chairman of the Sochnut (Jewish Agency). Also attending were leaders of organizations
that work to strengthen Yiddishkeit among the Jews of chutz laaretz, including Rabbi Avi Berman, director of the OU in Israel; Rabbi Yehuda Weinberg and Rachel Moore of Aish HaTorah; Rabbi Yosef Friedman of Project Inspire; Rabbi René Gutman of the Conference of European Rabbis; Rabbi Eli Naiditch of Chabad; Rabbi Zecharya Greenwald of The Yeshiva and Seminary Coalition for Bnai Chul, Mrs. Stephanie Strauss of Yeshiva University Israel, Rabbi Paysach Freedman of Chaim V’Chesed, and Mrs. Leah Aharoni of Am Echad. There were also members of Eretz Hakodesh in attendance, including Rabbi Nechemya Malinowitz, Israel director of Eretz Hakodesh and director of Diaspora-engagement at the WZO; Mr. Steve Rosedale, a member of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors on behalf of Eretz Hakodesh; and Rabbi Binyamin Aizenstark of Nefesh B’Nefesh. MK Pindrus began the proceedings, noting, “The goal of this gathering is to show who is truly working to save the Jewish nation and who can truly represent the Jews of the Diaspora. That is why we have invited the central organizations that work for the Jewish nation.” During the course of the gathering, a number of people spoke about the challenges that are on the agenda. One of the speakers who stood out was Mrs. Aharoni of Am Echad, which was founded by Rabbi Moshe Sherer, z”l. She thanked the members of the lobby for giving her the opportunity, for the very first time, to present significant data trends among Jewish youth in the diaspora to members of the Knesset. She said that in recent years there have been two major trends: A reduction among the Reform and Conservative movements, and an increase and connection to authentic Jewish identity. “This is reflected,” she said, “in intergenerational gaps. While 70% of Jews who are 65 or older identified as Reform or Conservative, only 37% of the younger generation – ages 18 to 30 – identified with those movements. We see the opposite of this when it comes to the strengthening of the Orthodox, with three percent of the over-65s identifying as such, versus 17% of the younger generation. “Alongside this welcome statistic, however, there is also the worrying growth among those
L-R Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Chairman, Eretz Hakodesh , Rabbi Nechemya Malinowitz, Israel Director, Eretz Hakodesh, MK Moshe Gafni, and MK Yitzchok Pindrus
Minister Nachman Shai and MK Yitzchok Pindrus
MK Yitzchok Pindrus
Rabbi Nechemya Malinowitz and Rabbi Pesach Lerner
