Briefs

Global population of Jews short of pre-World War II

The worldwide population of Jews stands at 14.7 million, still short of the pre-World War II numbers, according to a report by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.

The figures, which are similar to the population of world Jewry in 1925, were released earlier this month. The numbers are current to the end of 2018.

World Jewry reached a population of 16.6 million right before the start of World War II in 1939.

Israel’s 6.7 million Jews make up 45 percent of the world total.

The United States has the second-largest Jewish population with 5.7 million, followed by France at about 450,000 and Canada at some 392,000. Next is the United Kingdom (292,000), Argentina (180,000), Russia (165,000), Germany (118,000) and Australia (116,000).

In 1948, on the eve of the establishment of the State of Israel, the number of Jews in the world was 5.11 million, including 650,000 in pre-state Palestine.

Also on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel’s Ministry of Finance reported that there are about 189,500 Holocaust survivors living in Israel, with some 31,000 over the age of 90 and more than 800 over 100 years old. In the past year, some 15,170 survivors have died. (JTA)

Israeli donates $1 million to mitig ate US suspension of WHO funding

Israeli author and historian Yuval Noah Harari has pledged $1 million to the World Health Organization, or WHO, to mitigate the suspension of U.S. funding.

“Unfortunately, the US president has chosen this moment to halt funding to the WHO,” Harari and Itzik Yahav, his husband, wrote in a statement bearing the letterhead of Sapienship, the nonprofit they established in 2019. “Luckily, there are more than 7 billion other humans on this earth, and we can do better.

“Our biggest enemy is not coronavirus, but the inner demons of humankind: hatred and greed.”

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump suspended funding to WHO, reportedly for at least 60 days, saying the organization “failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable.” The United States has an outstanding balance of $99 million in fees and contributions to WHO.

Some Trump critics said he was deflecting blame for the damage that COVID -19, which has killed more than 40,000 people in the U.S., is causing to the country’s society and economy.

Other world leaders have accused WHO of bowing to China, where authorities initially concealed the outbreak that grew into the pandemic.

“Early on, if the WHO had not insisted to the world that China had no pneumonia epidemic, then everybody would’ve taken precautions,” Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Aso Taro said last month.

In mid-January, Chinese officials said there was no evidence the virus could be transmitted between humans on a broad scale. WHO endorsed the claims. (JTA)

Violent anti-Semitic crimes worldwide reached 5-year record in 2019

The number of anti-Semitic violent crimes documented worldwide last year rose to 456 cases, an 18% increase over 2018 and the highest tally since 2014, the European Jewish Congress said.

EJC and the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry presented the data this month in the Annual Report on Antisemitism Worldwide 2019.

More than a quarter of the cases that are classified in the report as violent were threats. The rest involved actual physical violence, including 242 cases of vandalism, 21 cases of arson and 62 assaults on people, with about a quarter of them involving a weapon.

The data were not aggregated according to country, though the report does include many Western countries and countries with large Jewish populations.

“Not only have the numbers increased substantially but the worst types of attacks grew, which should be extremely disturbing for leaders and authorities around the world,” EJC President Moshe Kantor wrote.

He added that the coronavirus pandemic is changing the way in which anti-Semitism is being expressed.

“Since the beginning of the COVID -19 pandemic, there has been a significant rise in accusations that Jews, as individuals and as a collective, are behind the spread of the virus or are directly profiting from it,” Kantor said. “The language and imagery used clearly identifies a revival of the medieval ‘blood libels’ when Jews were accused of spreading disease, poisoning wells or controlling economies.” (JTA)

Israel’s population nearly 9.2 million

Israel’s population stands at nearly 9.2 million, growing by some 171,000 people, or 1.9 percent according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Some 74 percent of the population is Jewish and 21 percent is Arab, according to the report.

The population of Israel was 806,000 at the time of the establishment of the state in 1948.

Since last year, some 180,000 babies were born and 44,000 people died. In addition, 32,000 immigrants have arrived in the country.

By 2040, Israel’s population is estimated to reach 13.2 million, and by Israel’s 100th Independence Day in 2048, it is estimated at 15.2 million.

According to the data, there are nearly 950,000 children under the age of 4 living in Israel and 50,000 people aged 90 and over. Children up to age 14 make up 28 percent of the population. (Jta )

Dramatic protests ag ainst Israel’s g overnment deal continue

At least 2,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv for a socially distanced demonstration Saturday, April 25 to protest the coalition deal to form an emergency unity government.

The so-called “black flag” demonstration in Rabin Square adhered to social distancing regulations, with the demonstrators standing in orderly lines some 6 feet apart. Aerial photos from a similar demonstration the previous week generated international coverage.

Waving black flags alongside Israeli flags, demonstrators protested the agreement that leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in power even though he will go on trial next month on corruption charges in three different cases. They believe the deal gives Netanyahu too much control over judicial appointments.

Protest organizer Shikma Schwartzman accused Blue and White leader Benny Gantz for “trampling over Israel’s Basic Laws” in joining Netanyahu in what protesters see as a lopsided deal. (JTA)

Jewish g roups launch $10 million interest-free loan fund

Three Jewish groups have teamed to launch a $10 million fund to provide no-interest loans to Jewish communities around the world that are struggling due to the coronavirus crisis.

Jewish Federations of North America, the Jewish Agency for Israel and Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal) started the COVID -19 Loan Fund for Communities in Crisis after Jewish communities and communal organizations in several countries sought assistance to ensure survival.

The communities and organizations— including in Italy, Spain, South Africa, and countries in South America—were financially stable before the onslaught of the pandemic but are now unable to finance basic communal services, according to the Jewish Agency. Essential welfare services are in danger of being closed, the group said.

The fund will provide immediate working capital loans to communities in danger outside of North America.

In its initial phase, the fund will provide loans of up to $350,000 to each community or organization to help them continue functioning throughout the COVID -19 crisis. The loans will be provided for up to four years.

The fund also will include an advisory committee comprised of financial experts from across Europe and South America, along with professionals from the various communities to help assess needs and design the appropriate response.

“We are dealing with an unprecedented crisis that is impacting every aspect of life, including the Jewish world,” Isaac Herzog, Jewish Agency chairman of the executive said. (JTA)

Israel’s Independence Day gets first celebration at the Dutch royal concert hall—without a crowd

Cnaan Liphshiz

AMSTERDAM (JTA)—This year was supposed to be the first time that Israel’s Independence Day was celebrated in a public concert at the main royal concert hall in the Netherlands.

Planned for April 28 at the main hall of the 134-year-old Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the concert was to feature well-known artists including Shuly Nathan playing her iconic Jerusalem of Gold before an expected sellout crowd of 2,000 spectators.

The event was canceled because of the coronavirus, yet Israel’s 72nd birthday was still celebrated at the Concertgebouw thanks to the determination of the concert’s producer, Barry Mehler, who also produces the annual Hanukkah concert at the hall.

Mehler, a U.S.-born professional singer and cantor who has been living in Amsterdam since 1989, in recent days recorded five tracks in Israel’s honor with a group of musicians from the Jewish Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble. They played in an empty hall while observing social distancing protocols.

The setup used the empty hall as back ground to haunting effect: The musicians are facing the camera with their backs to the red velvet-upholstered seats.

The tracks, which Mehler has shared online, include an instrumental rendition of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem, and the melancholic song Mishehu, or Someone, written by Matti Caspi, for Israel’s Memorial Day, which symbolically precedes the nation’s Independence Day.

“Performing in the main hall of the Concertgebouw is an honor reserved to few professional musicians, and more so, that they have allowed us to record parts of our canceled concert,” Mehler, 54, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency .

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