News
US Jews veto anti-assimilation ad campaign
Yitzhak Benhorin
Published: 02.12.11, 10:33
Comment Comment
Print comment Print comment
Back to article
94 Talkbacks for this article
1. A reflection from a Goy.
Arn. ,   Sweden.   (12.02.11)
I am amazed to the Ignorance the US Jews has against the intent of Israel to bring them home to the Promised Land. Has the Jews in the US no Knowledge about the History of the Jewish People according to the Bible, and the Intention of HASHEM Regarding them ? Must something realy bad happen to them, before they will live as Jews in Israel, as this link and Talkbacks says - http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4154100,00.html Anyway, the Evil One and His people knows whom the Jews are, and He and His people could remind them in a very unpleasent way about it, as in former times. May HASHEM grant the US Jews HIS Mercy as to understand HIS Ways and Intention, otherwise it could be vey severe I think. Arn.Sweden.
2. Sometimes the truth hurts. (end)
Jack Feld ,   Yerushaliym, Israel   (12.02.11)
3. the truth hurts. (still true)
Golan ,   modiin   (12.02.11)
And Israel needs to do its part to help good Israelis return. 1. lower taxes for everyone 2. laszeffaire economy 3. get rid of socialist/communist parties and MKs 4. Kibbutzim, Haredim, Aravim should all be responsible for their financial mess 5. better quality construction of (way way way overpriced homes) Because even there many of us remember Yom Hazikaron, celebrate yom haatzmaut, and do not celebrate christmas... of course many of us also came back home.
4. Waste of money.
JML ,   Tel Aviv   (12.02.11)
How about you use our 16.5% rate of tax and spend it to fix this dump instead of wasting the money to guilt the people who want a better life to return to the swamp.
5. The Truth
Moshe ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (12.02.11)
Why is it that people HATE hearing and seeing the truth so much. Maybe it's something to do with the fact that it gives them a guilty conscience of the wrong they are doing...? Maybe..{:-)
6. aba and ama are the popular words in Egypt
observer ,   Egypt   (12.02.11)
Egyptians proceeded Jews existence in Palestine.
7. what is it that bothers them?
yoni ,   tel aviv   (12.02.11)
is it the fact that its true that assimilation is rampant? is it the fact that they dont want to be reminded of the how terrible it is? is it the fact that they think its ok to assimilate ? what is bothering them about this?
8. I hate it!
Abraham Nachmias ,   Petach Tikva IL   (12.02.11)
I hate to say it, but, as an ole chadash I can tell you that I never understood a guy back home that was proud of 25 years of active Zionism (just that outside Israel) The place for a Jew is Israel!
9. The ads debate
David ,   Karkom   (12.02.11)
To my American Jewish brethren, face it the truth hurts. These clips depict real life situations that we should all try to correct/avoid.
10. Listen to Ezekiel - Beware assimilation
Neil Turner ,   Watford, UK   (12.02.11)
Ezekiel warned the children of Israel to beware assimilation. Ez 20.32 "what you have in your mind will never be, when you say 'we will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries', serving wood and stone. As I live saya the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with FURY POURED OUT, I will rule over you". It might shock some here, but imagine these videos were being viewed by Jews in Germany in 1935. Would they have tried to put a stop to these videos ?
11. Someone doth protest too much
Leila   (12.02.11)
Jeffrey Goldberg is a fairweather friend of Israel. I wouldn't take him too seriously. Having grown up and lived in chul, now living in Israel 10 years - these ads are spot on
12. Leave the Galut
David ,   Israel   (12.02.11)
Go. For you.
13. Yeah, come to Israel & never have your Jewishness questioned
Charles   (12.02.11)
It seems to me the problem highlighted in the videos is not assimilation but rather it's the hypercritical superior Israeli attitude toward everyone and everything everywhere that doesn't meet their approval. Why should anyone live their lives to try to please these narrow minded people??
14. Where is the problem
Yael Schlichting ,   Raubling - Germany   (12.02.11)
One of the biggest gains I made on my way, when I became adult and more and more mature, was, that I learned to distinguish my problems from the problems of others! Whenever I have a problem, I cannot blame others for them! So, we have a few facts: What is modern Judaism? Can secular Jews still be viewed as followers of Judaism? You can give the answers on your own! Modern Jews live different lives than traditional Jews. The gap is widening! Even I become irked, when Hareidim rabbis give interpretations of the Torah and the Halakhah as if we lived 500 years ago. But I also become irked, when I see modern Jews having the attitude that electricity comes out of the socket and that's it. Diaspora Jews! We need you to be Jews! Jews at home! We need you to be modern enough! We cannot go on running in opposite directions! We must develop our Jewish way! So what's the problem, if we sometimes do not understand each other? The problem is, that we blame the opposite for being responsible, closing the eyes before the actual problems.
15. What is here insulting ?All very realistic.
olim hadashim ,   tel aviv/israel   (12.02.11)
16. wrong approach
Naftali ,   Maalot , Israel   (12.02.11)
I moved back to Israel a few months ago and I have been asked many times by many different people why I moved back. The question usually is what were you thinking why would you want to live here. Forget the people that moved out of Israel focus on those that are still here for now. Make Israel a place that people want to stay so that you don't loose more. They need to work with the motto" if you build it they will come". Trying to scare people into coming back to Israel is just not going to work. Fix the reasons they had for leaving and they will come back, and more importantly less will leave.
17. they see themselves as more american than jewish
zionist forever   (12.02.11)
The objectors probably see America as the greatest country on earth and encouraging somebody to leave is like committing a terrible sin even if the people being encouraged to are not American by birth. I have a feeling that if the roles were reversed these Jews would have no objections to telling American olim Americans belong in the good old USA and not Israel. This sounds to me like these people see themselves as Americans first Jews second and they don't like the Israeli government telling Israelis America is no place for them and they belong back home in Israel. The Israeli government should say screw them just the way it would if it was non Jews objecting to this attempt to bring Israel's back to Israel.
18. Instread ask....
fred lapides ,   orange, ct, USA   (12.02.11)
Why is it that so many Israeli Jews LEAVE Israel to come live and work, in the US? It seems Israelis are Israelds's biggest exp[ort
19. The ads tell the truth
(12.02.11)
Statistics show that at least 80% of secular young American Jews today marry out. In Israel, though, the vast majority of secular Jews marry other Jews. If these American Jews are upset with the ads, let them prove otherwise.
20. You must all go back home
Amos ,   Africa   (12.02.11)
21. Facts are Facts
Norbus ,   Jerusalem   (12.02.11)
Jews ignorant of their rich heritage do sometimes blindly see the other side of the hill as greener.
22. THIS IS BAZARRE
Graham ,   Border, WI   (12.02.11)
Youtube is a great way to change people's lives and brainwash them (sarcastic). In fact, I just became a talking Orange thanks to youtube.
23. Pff...
Jewish Patriot ,   Galut   (12.02.11)
Pff..."wonderful" it seems the American Jews are like the German and Hungarian Jews were in the beginning of the 20th... it seems a new holocaust should warn them about their roots? I'm really pissed off now!!!!!!!!!! :@
24. brass tacks
E. G. Marsch ,   Nahariya   (12.02.11)
1. In Israel religious Jews lead richly Jewish lives. So do secular Jews, with more emphasis on nationality and culture than on religion. 2. In America religious Jews lead richly Jewish lives. Most secular Jews (includes Conservative/Reform) don't, because their nationality is American and their culture is predominantly American. If you're not strong on the religious domain of Jewishness, don't have the national domain of it at all, and are not strong (often very weak) on the cultural domain, so you're not too strong of a Jew. So the ads are completely reasonable, accurate, and justified. For an "American Jewish" idea of what it is to be Jewish, see Woody Allen's films--a sensitivity about the Holocaust plus some gobbledy-gook about being more "neurotic" than non-Jews. Based on almost total ignorance, and distorted, half-baked notions.
25. The problem is not just with US culture
Nic ,   UK   (12.02.11)
From my experience the problem seems to be that Jewish life in the diaspora, is still by and large centered around the synagogue acting as a cultural centre. For none orthodox Israelis who grew up with the clear devision between orthodox & secular the idea of religious institutions playing a bigger part in their lives just doesn't compute. For example I know Israelis living in the UK who still won't venture into Golders Green because of the Orthodox element. This is one case where a progressive movement in Israel could help, progressive Judaism can be pro tradition, but also free thinking.
26. From America now Israeli
Kevin ,   Israel   (12.02.11)
As someone born and raised in America and now living 3 years in israel I can tell you American Jews have no idea what goes on here or what it means to be Israeli. I got final confermation of this on the day gelad shalit was released. The only people I knew opposed to it were the new American imagrents I knew. They can never know what it means to be Israeli
27. It's true, but ...
Antonio ,   Spharad   (12.02.11)
one of the best behaviors of Jewish people is the accomodation and respect for the local customs where they live. In fact, it's a "commandment". The line between accomodation and assimilation is too thin, and only very deep inside every Jew is the distinction. The use of kids in the ad is, anyway, not a good idea.
28. 7
zionist forever   (12.02.11)
You need proof how rampant assimilation is in the US then look no further than Obama's presidential seder. All presidents hold a seder but what was different about this one was the meal was not kosher, not a mistake its just the organizers rightly felt that kashrut is not something that concerns most American Jews. If previous generations hadn't been served kosher they would have refused to eat and there would have been an article in the Washington Post next day about how the president insulted his Jewish guests by serving non kosher food. If it were not for assimilation so they can be more Americans than the Americans and intermarriage then things would be very different. I can't see a Muslim being served non halel food at an event for Muslims because most of them take their religion very seriously and see themselves as Muslims first.
29. @ Zionist forever
Sheik rattle & roll ,   USA   (12.02.11)
Let me make something clear to you. American Jews love America because no one questions there religion. You can do what ever you want and how you want. If I want to worship a frog that is my right. Also the cost of living in Israel is outrageous and the salaries are almost third world. Now that's why Israeli's leave Israel. Your government screws you left and right. 100% tax on cars and gasoline and not to mention little houses that cost 2-3 times the price as a house in the states with no garage and no swimming pool.
30. You cant handle the truth...move on!
Al   (12.02.11)
Americas Jews are melting into nothingness. That is the bloody truth. The only connection they may have is to the LUbavitch form of 'lets be happy' religion where a dead Rabbi is their JC. The future of the Jews is in Israel inspite of the fact that the Jews there cant get it together.
Next talkbacks
Back to article