This girl has no idea what she's talking about. She's generalizing the entire young American Jewish community because they don't all agree with her ideas. Birthright has been incredibly successful in promoting zionism and the majority of college campuses are overwhelmingly pro-Israel. Did this girl do any research?

I'm a young American Jew (with Israeli parents) and I have tons of Jewish pride. I like the idea behind a citizen of the world but, unfortunately with so many seeking to destroy us, far more than any other race or ethnic group, we have to abandon that attitude in favor of nationalism.

Whoever came up with that name must really miss the good old USSR.

Foxman needs to take a course in European history to discover whether or not Jews actually had the option to assimilate or convert (the answer's no, by the way.) What needs to be done, though it won't be, is a much broader investment by the Jewish community in Jewish schools. News flash: when it costs $25,000 or more per child in NYC and $10,000 per child in less affluent places to send a child to a Jewish day school, most children won't go to Jewish day schools. Find a way to subsidize Jewish day schools and you'll find a way to keep Jews Jewish.

It is all because of the sick conservo/reform movements. You cant change Torah to what you see fit.

It's ridiculous. This girl is into telling people what they "have to do." Sorry honey, no-one has to do what you say. Will the JPPPI send dissenters to the gulag? Anyway, it's Jewish nationalism that's precisely what turns off young American Jews.

Dear Jordan, I wish I had your optimistic outlook or experience. I encourage you to read "Uncivil Universities": http://www.jewishresearch.org/Book-Uncivil_University.htm American universities are generally not pro-Jewish and many are extremely anti-Israel. Jews, by default, pick up messages in their lectures, readings and peer conversations. What is scary, is that the US is mild compared to Europe and other Commonwealth countries.

What does that mean to be a Jewish nationalist? Does it mean to agree with Israeli policy, or merely to wish for Israel's continued existence? Does it mean to have mostly Jewish friends? Does it mean to be religiously observant? Before we take any action, we need to discuss what exactly it means to try to reestablish (or maintain) "Jewish nationalism."

Ask, what is more important. Keeping your children Jewish or giving them expensive gifts and 20 vacations? The Ashkenazi must learn from the Sefardis on how to educate their children on Judaism. There are NO divisions in Sefardi - no conservo, no reform, no orthodox, just Jewish.

Then its pointless

Part of the collective Children of Israel. Ugh

Your first point is interesting because, as it happens, Mr. Foxman survived the Holocaust as a young child having been sheltered by his nanny and raised as a Catholic. In fact, it wasn't until a number of years later that he was reunited with his parents, after having spent his formative years in the Catholic church.

1. I don't think that the girl opposes birthright, it's simply not enough. We need birthright and more. 2. Of my friends, I'm the only one who married Jewish, and it was a decision made on my part to only date Jewish, so I'd only fall in love Jewish. Latter, when raising children and working to keep the relationship alive, the friends understand that the more they had in common to start with, the more likely they are to succeed. That however is the selfish reason to marry Jewish. An even more important is that we are dieing. Isn't it amazing that the 'right' choice for the group is also the 'best' choice for the individual. 3. I don't think she, "wants to tell people what to do." I think she sees a true problem and wants to help. The start is talk and she has begun just that. Good on her! 4. It's time for change as what we are doing isn't enough. Perhaps it's time to work more from the offensive line...not only the defensive...

Don't try to distort things to further your political agenda. Nationalism is a political movement that is not synonymous with Judaism or being proud to be Jewish.

You either are or you aren't. It is what you do with that identity that is important. Elvis Presley - halachically - was a Jew. He didn't do too much with it aside from wearing a 'chai' necklace sometimes.

Foxman was quoted as saying: "One third of all those who return from Birthright will always be active Zionists. " Even the birthright people who paid Brandeis university big bucks to say nice things about birthright don't make such a claim. Everyone will agree that birthright is a nice program but is it worth $60 million a year? I guess compared to supporting ADL, it's a fantastic investment.

If someone born Jewish truly comes to beloeve in another faith-say he is baptised a Christian and accepts Jesus as his Messiah(which btw I dont) then that person is NOT Jewish and IS Christian,At such a point your "halacha" is completely irrelevant and of no consequence.A persons faith is between him and his God,To claim that any faith lays eternal claim to a person's souli s the height of arrogance and evil,Jewish "law" applies only to those who accept it. To all others ot is void and of utterly no consequence,

Even if a Jew converts and becomes a Pope, in the eyes of the Almighty and every Jew - HE IS STILL A JEW. You can NEVER LEAVE THE JEWISH RELIGION, you may try to hide it in every way possible, but in the end YOU ARE STILL JEWISH even if you become the Pope, a Muslim, or anything else you are still a JEW. So you're statements a INCORRECT!!!! LOL

Most children of intermarried couples marry non-Jews and that's why the American Jewish population is disappearing. The Reform Movement is at fault because of it's liberal views on intermarriage. They are to blame for the crisis in American Jewish community.

Every individual has free will.EVERY individual can determine his own fauth and believe what he wants,You are of course free to believe such delusions but that doesnt make it so,Of course that was the position of the Nazis but they have been discredited.As I said once a Jewish person sincerley believes in another faith your halacha and your viewpoint are utterly null and void. And there is NOTHING you can do to change that fact except cling to your delusions.

So your'e saying you "canadian" can change what the Torah says. That ISNT JUDAISM than "Jewish CanadianISM" You are not speaking for Hashem nor Rashi nor Rambam nor Moshe. You ONLY SPEAK FOR YOURSELF And your vain delusions. I and every Jew outthere will look at every Jew as forever a Jew no matter how far he or she falters even if he becomes the Pope, he will be the first Jewish Pope :) You cannot change the Almighty's Law, so your'e opinion is worthless on this matter.

Yes, yes, yes to Rabbi Yval Cherlow: "Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of a yeshiva in Petach Tikva, admitted that the vast "majority of Israelis don't think about Jews in the Diaspora. I think this institution (the JPPPI) should teach Israelis in order to make them interested, to make them involved with Diaspora Jews." If we are to have contined strong sense of klal Yisrael and untity, Israelis must develop more understanding of, and respect and compassion for, Diaspora experience (current, not just past) other than just a source of foreign aid funding. It's not just that Diaspora Jews don't relate to or care about Israel, but also that Israelis don't really care a whole lot about Diaspora Jews, except so far as they are a source of olim, a sorce of philanthropy, or a source of jobs on suppoedly gold-lined silcon streets. This must change. Greater attention needs to be paid to cultivating Israel-Diaspora undestanding and respect, especially among those 45 and under - the next Leaders. And not just for Israel's sake, but also for the sake of Jews in other countries, and for Jewish culture and peoplehood and, yes, for our safety and well-being as well. Why don't the major Diaspora Jewish Orgs and the major Israeli NGOs and Ms. Livni's Foreign Ministry cooperate and create a multi-national organization dedicated to these needs and concerns - not just a conference.

Lots of Israelis here, and most say they feel much more "Israeli" than "Jewish" and they don't really understand what it's like to grow up as a member of a social minority. Simply put, they don't understand what it's like to face anti-Semitism and they seem to take Israel for granted. They identify with their national identity but not so much with their link to other Jews. Other Israelis, yes. Other Jews, no. And it's not just those who move here. There's a saying I heard visiting the Holy Land: In America you're a Jew; in Israel, you're an American (or an "Anglo" - which in the US means "White-Christain" and so is offensive to us). It's not just up to US Jews to change, but also up to our Israeli brothers and sisters.

As younger Americans, our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents fought mightily for Israel. They labored to secure international support for the State, financial, diplomatic, and otherwise. They sweated and toiled and denied time and money to their families in order to donate large sums to build many of the major Israeli institutions and organizations. Some of them joined their Israeli brothers and sisters in risking life and limb, in Israel or in other places, in order to help or defend Israel and Israelis. Now we see an Israel divided, largely, into religious extremists who look down their peyot at non-Orthodox Jews (the majority of US Jews) and deny us even basic rights in the "Homeland" on the one hand, and Israelis so secular that they look down their pierced noses at those of us who actually feel a spiritual connection with Ha Aretz and still hold a Zionist dream. Now we see an Israel that is dominated by Middle-eastern machismo that talks about women in the army but is marked by institutionalised and socially accepted sexism. Now we see an Israel that spawns MKs, former MKs and young up-and-coming activists who denounce the Law of Return and have no problem denying citizenship to Diaspora Jews in the future. And you want us to maintain warm feelings? You want us to care about and go on the line for and Israel that increasingly seems to reject not only our values (and the original values upon which we ALL built the nation), but also our very selves? Ha!

Yaakov, I lost your email--if I had it I'd tell you that JPPPI has nothing on the PresenTense Institute for Creative Zionism ( creativezionism.com ) where young innovators from around the world come together to produce projects for the benefit of the Jewish People.

It's Jewish nationalism that turns off American Jews. The idea that a "full Jewish life" could only be lived in Israel, and that Jews living outside the Jewish state, in the Diaspora are in exile, is a condescension and somewhat demeaning to Jews in the US who know better.

Check out this link for how young American Jews in San Francisco responded to this article: http://oybay.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/jewish-to-be-or-not-to-be/ Also, in the interest of full disclosure, Ariel Beery and Rachel Fish worked together on the David Project, and I've worked with both of them. :-)