Columnist Isi Leibler recently penned an article in which he lamented that young Jews in the United States are becoming less pro-Israel. While I agree that the situation is concerning, Israel should not turn its back on 90% of American Jews. Focusing on the Orthodox communities would be misguided.
According to a 2013 Pew Research Institute survey, some 49% of U.S. Jews who identified as Jewish by religion said caring about Israel was essential to their Jewish identity. Some 42% of Jews by religion said caring about Israel was "important but not essential." Only 8% said caring for Israel was "not an important part of being Jewish."
Are we supposed to give up on roughly half of our people who live in the United States and not even try to bolster their affinity to Israel, making it essential to their identity?
Indeed Diaspora Jews who have been born into a world that has a strong Israel find it hard to identify with a government whose policies undermine their Jewish identity or a government that legislates laws that they consider racist and that doesn't do enough to advance the peace process (as far as they are concerned).
But to say that liberal Jews are fed up with Israel and are leaving their Jewish identity behind is a great distortion. Many Jewish communities, despite their disagreement over Israeli policy, still believe it is important to foster ties with the Jewish state. Conservative Jews in the United States, like American Jews from other denominations, are extremely Zionist. They are also pro-Israel and support it in a variety of ways.
When President Donald Trump decided to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the Conservative movement welcomed the move despite internal disagreements. Conservative Jews have continued to stand by Israel and its leaders have risen to prominent roles in Zionist organizations in North America. It is Israel, in its conduct, that has undermined the support of liberal Jews.
The Israeli government's about-face about expanding the Western Wall egalitarian prayer area, the backing of the Chief Rabbinate's discriminatory policies, and the scarcity of state funding for non-Orthodox streams – all these actions have sent the message that liberal Jews are not welcome here.
But these communities are crucial to the state's future. According to the Pew survey, 52% of Jewish Americans who are 65 and up who were raised as Orthodox Jews have left Orthodox Judaism in favor of Conservative or Reform Judaism. Less than 5% have moved in the other direction. Thus, liberal Jews are the future of American Jewry. As is the case in North America, most Israeli Jews do not consider themselves Orthodox, even though the state has continually supported that stream.
A diverse and strong Diaspora needs a flourishing and inclusive Judaism in Israel. To bolster our Jewish identity in Israel, we need a strong bond with our brothers and sisters abroad, who serve as a bridge for a balanced Judaism that espouses pluralism and a modern lifestyle.
