Report: Number of Jews worldwide increasing
Jewish Agency report published on eve of High Holidays indicates increase in number of Jews choosing to live in Israel, decrease in number of Diaspora Jews. Reports attributes latter to troubling rise in assimilation
The Jewish Agency published its annual report numbering Jewish communities around the world on Thursday, indicating an increase in the numbers of Jews worldwide.
The report, based on research performed by Prof. Sergio Della Pergola of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, noted that Rosh Hashana 2008 sees 13.3 million Jews living around the world, as opposed to 13.2 million on the eve 2007's Jewish New Year.
The report's count included all those listed or declaring themselves to be of the Jewish faith and holding no other religious denomination.
According to the data, 2008 saw a rise in the number of Jews living in Israel, as 70,000 new Israeli's were inducted in the state. The situation in the Diaspora indicated the opposite trend, as 2008 saw the number of Diaspora Jews decrease from 7.8 million to 7.75 million.
Israel, naturally, is the largest Jewish community, followed by the US, where 5.3 million Jews currently reside. The US is followed by France (490,000 Jews), Canada (375, 000), the UK (295,000), Russia (215,000), Argentina (183,000), Germany (120,000), Australia (107,000) and Brazil, where the Jewish community numbers 96,000 people.
The smallest Jewish community was found to be in Afghanistan, numbering just one man.
The Jewish Agency's report further noted that one of the reasons less Jews are found in Diaspora is the fact that assimilation is on the rise. Jewish Agency Chairman Zeev Bielski warned the situation poses "a clear danger to the Jewish people."
