Can Judaism Survive?

[Vernon]

Judaism is the religion of the Jews past and present. Jews living today either practise their religion or, having become secular, they have a nostalgic memory for the long history of Judaism.

However, the population of Jews is falling. One day, there could be an insufficient number of Jewish people to make sure that Judaism survives.

What will be left? A nostalgic memory in the minds of those few individual Jews still living!



The European continent has had the largest Jewish population over the centuries. It has also had the severest reduction in numbers than anywhere else in the world. In 1939, there were just under 10 million Jewish people in Europe. In 1946, there were just less than 4 million. These figures are well known but those after 1946, after the Second World War, are also astonishing.

In the 50 years since 1946, there has been a fall of about 2 million in Europe to about 1,750,000! From 1996, the numbers have continued to decline with an estimated population in Europe in 2000 of just over 1 million Jewish people {1}. Since we are now five years further on, the number is probably less than 1 million.

From 10 million to 1 million in 66 years! Astonishing! A person's lifetime!

So, the queston Can Judaism Survive? in Europe is a realistic and awesome question! "The Jews are vanishing from Europe" {2}. "The Jews of Europe...slowly but surely are fading away. Soon nothing will be left save a...memory"{3}. These were written in 1996.

David Harman, director of Jewish education at the interface between Israel and world Jewry, said in 1996, "There will not be any significant Jewish communities in Europe in the early part of the 21st century...In the former USSR, there are 11 Jewish deaths for every one Jewish birth" {4}.




What about the USA? It has been difficult to find a reliable, up-to-date population figure. Perhaps the Jewish population in the USA is about 5 million now. The process of assimilating into the non-Jewish population is occurring in the US like everywhere else.

At the end of the 20th century, about 52% of American Jews were marrying non-Jews and, in 94% of these marriages, the Gentile spouse did not convert to Judaism {4}. There is, therefore, a continuing and influential force on the children not to become Jews.

The Diaspora is the dispersion of the Jews outside Palestine, and its population in the last decade of the 20th century was about 10,000,000 throughout the whole world, according to David Harman of the Jewish Agency {4}. Alarmingly, there were only 1,550,000 children of school age (5-18) in the 10 million Jews of the Diaspora. Just over 15%!

No wonder that Harman says that the Diaspora is a population which is not being replaced {4}. And a population not being replaced is a dying population!




Who is a Jew? A Jew is a person who has, in some way or other, come out publicly as a Jew. This may not require any action on the part of the Jew who, born into a synagogue-attending family, is known by all as belonging to a Jewish mother or father.

However, this definition has the advantage over others of allowing non-Jews to convert to Judaism and to be fully a Jew, even though his or her mother is not a Jew. In other words, someone, who has no Jewish blood in them, can be a Jew if they come out publicly as a Jew.

This "coming out publicly" definition of Judaism is disconnected to blood and to genes, and is surely much to be preferred to the idea that a Jew is a person born to a Jewish mother.

What about the person who has Jewish genes in them, but who now wants to separate from Judaism? Such a person is neither religiously Jewish nor do they have a sufficient nostalgia for the Jewish religion to want to be understood in public as a Jew any longer.

Some biologically Jewish people no longer wish to be known as Jews because, for example, they are secular and are generally anti-religion.




Secularism is reducing the number of adherents to most religions, and Judaism, like them, is losing people to non-religion.

So, Jews are assimilating into the non-Jewish population. They are finding that the non-Jewish world is attractive and welcoming. This kindness of the so-called Gentile world is now the major reason for the falling number of Jews, exceeding the loss of Jews by death.

The kindness of the secular girlfriend or boyfriend results in more and more Jews marrying into the non-Jewish world. And the children will be secular or, if religious, are just as likely to be brought up in a non-Jewish religion. In Europe, up to a half of Jews who marry have non-Jewish spouses {5}.

With each new generation being more and more secular than the older ones, the process of assimilation should accelerate over generational time. And where there is assimilation coupled with marriage, then it can be asked, along with the Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, "Will we have Jewish grandchildren?" {4}.



Jews are not protected from the trend to falling fertility, which is affecting the nations of the developed world more and more. And this is, arguably, a part of assimilation in that Jewish and non-Jewish women are increasingly preferring material consumption to child-rearing. They are both influenced by female emancipation, which is something that tends to bypass the orthodox Jewish woman, who has eight to ten children on average.

So, the Jews of Europe face being brought to an end as a result of assimilation, low fertility and deaths exceeding births.

Is there any reason why these factors are not also operating in the USA and elsewhere? Maybe there is a lagging behind European Jewry, which suffered so cruelly at the hands of the Nazis, but the trend is the same.



What about Israel? Can the State of Israel ensure the survival of Judaism, not only now, but on and on into the decades, into the long centuries ahead?

The Jewish population is falling with respect to the Arabs and others, but this could still be occurring with a rising overall population in Israel. In 1990, the Jewish population was 81.9% of the total, but was 76.5% in 2003 standing at about 5 million {6}.

What might suggest that there will shortly be a fall in the actual numbers of Jews living in Israel? Firstly the fertility rate of Israeli Jewish women is falling. In the 1950s, the rate was 4.0 babies per Jewish woman compared to between 2.6-2.9 babies born per woman in 2003 {7}. How much does this fall matter? Well, it is getting closer and closer over time to the 2.1 babies per Israeli Jewish woman required to maintain the population, let alone to increase it {7}.

Secondly, a smaller number of immigrants entered Israel between 1990-2003 than in previous years {6}.

Thirdly, emigration out of Israel is increasing mainly because of the growing kindness of non-Jews compared to the latter's previous behaviour in the 20th century. Rabbi Berl Lazar, one of Russia's two chief rabbis, has said, "Today, being Jewish here is like anywhere else in the world" {8}.

But why leave Israel then? "I just realised that there were so many more opportunities in Russia than in Israel. It's like the difference between New York and Arizona", said Arsen Revazov, who runs his own advertising business and lives openly a Jewish life. "Almost all my friends in Israel have come back", he added {8}.

An estimated 100,000 Jews have returned to Russia in the past few years {8}. This is an exasperatingly vague statement but, with falling fertility amongst Israel's Jews, a rising non-Jewish population in Israel due to a greater fertility rate, and falling immigration into Israel, any suggestion of a succesful and increasing emigration from Israel provokes the question again, Can Judaism Survive?




The USA supports the State of Israel politically and financially. How would Israel get on if this support was significantly reduced?

What might reduce US support for Israel? If American Evangelical enthusiasm for Israel lessened.

There are many more Evangelicals in America than there are Jews, and they are currently as enthusiastic and as zealous for the continuance and growth of the State of Israel as Jewish people are in America. These Evangelicals are a significant proportion of the US electorate, and what they think and what they believe is influential with any US administration.

So, could US Evangelicalism change its mind, so to speak, regarding Israel? Probably not!

If, however, US Evangelicalism began to re-define a Jew, then there might be a change in attitude towards Israel.

If US Evangelicalism understood that "a person is not a Jew as a result of public acceptance" {9};

If US Evangelicalism started to believe that "circumcision cannot be seen in the flesh" of the body {9};

If US Evangelicalism believed that "the Jew is hidden from the public, and that it is the heart which is circumcised in spirit, and not in the letter of the Law. This Jew receives praise, not from men and women, but from God {10};

If! Then there might be a change!




"By calling this covenant 'new', God has made the first covenant 'old'. And as it gets older and older, it will be getting nearer to its disappearance" (Hebrews 13:8).




So, do you think that Judaism Can Survive?

I suggest that, given an abundance of years into the long-distance future, into century after century, Judaism Cannot Survive.

[G. Adams]

Considering my religion was considered largely dead for a thousand years, I'd suggest it can survive, just not as a major world religion.

[Athena]

My most immediate concern regarding your question, is how well can the environment of Israel support a growing population? I think the planet in general is loosing the ability to support population growth. I think we might witness massive die off in a generation or two, and it might be interesting to see what this does to the population of all religions. But specifically thinking of Isael, it must be very careful to not destroy its water supply and it will have to deal with neighbors competing for water. If Palestinians become more competitive for land and water, this will decrease what the Jews have to use. I sure would not want to live as many Palestinians are living, so short on water that there is a high of risk of uninary dysfunction. As populations increase, so will this problem.

It is hard to imagine a world without Jews, because this would pull the foundation out of under both Christianity and Islam. How could God allow his chosen people to no longer live among us?

[Inquisitor]

Rabbi Berl Lazar, one of Russia's two chief rabbis, has said, "Today, being Jewish here is like anywhere else in the world"

Indeed, Russia is a country under the jewish yoke. Entire government apparatus is concerned with protecting jews. Concidering that there are no countries that suffered more because of jews than Russia this protection is needed.

I suggest that, given an abundance of years into the long-distance future, into century after century, Judaism Cannot Survive.

I wish it was true. I wish religion focused on human hatred, religion that worships satan, religion that includes ritual murders disappeared of the face of this planet. Unfortunately, judaism will become stronger and when jewish messiah (The Anti-Christ) will take power it will become the worlds major religion. Of course the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ will sent jews and their master where they rightly belong - hell.

How could God allow his chosen people to no longer live among us?

Clearly you are a victim of identity fraud here. Jews WERE God's Choosen people in ancient times. However in the very moment when they shouted :
Mt 27:25 His blood be on us, and on our children.

they become cursed people and choosen not by God but by his adversary satan.

The God's choosen people ever sinse are Christians.

[Athena]

Oh dear, are you being humorous when you say Christians are God's choosen people?
If you are serious, how do you come to this conclusion?

[tman_ndsu08]

Hopefully the number of christians will fall as well.

The only religion I'm worried about is Islam. Muslims seem convinced that the world should go back to the 7th century.

[Athena]

Quote by: tman_ndsu08 Hopefully the number of christians will fall as well. The only religion I'm worried about is Islam. Muslims seem convinced that the world should go back to the 7th century.

Well consdering we are past peak oil production and things will decline from here, it meant not be all bad to look to the past for a way to live in the future. What values do the Muslims wish to preserve?

Considering the subject is the survival of Jews, perhaps someone can explain who the Muslim values are different from the Jews? How do Christian values differ from who Jews or Muslims would have us live?

[G. Adams]

Quote by: tman_ndsu08 Hopefully the number of christians will fall as well. The only religion I'm worried about is Islam. Muslims seem convinced that the world should go back to the 7th century.

No, a section of Muslims believe this. There are as many bible thumpers about who believe that we should go backwards culturally.

[tman_ndsu08]

Quote by: Athena Well consdering we are past peak oil production and things will decline from here, it meant not be all bad to look to the past for a way to live in the future. What values do the Muslims wish to preserve?

This hardly means that non oil based energy production can't increase to fill the void.

[Athena]

Quote by: tman_ndsu08 This hardly means that non oil based energy production can't increase to fill the void.

And do you also believe in Santa Claus? I think you do not have a good understanding of the importance of oil to all industrial economies. This understanding is important for several reasons. Carter was right when he said we have to conserve, and Reagan lied to us when he said we do not need to conserve. Our economy was built on mass ignorance since a 1920's newspaper printed, "Given our known oil supply and rate of consumption, we are headed for economic disaster and possibly war." Sure enough all industrial economies collapse and the world went to war. Later technology increased our ability to access oil and increased the use of every barrel 100 times, but we only extended our good fortune, we did not change reality in a positive way. In fact, by increasing our populaton and dependency on oil, and increasing the economies and populations, and miltary might of oil rich nations, we may have made the mass die off much worse.

I feel badly about drifting off the subject of Jewish survival, so I will add- oil rich, better armed Muslims, and the hostility between Jews and Arabs, could become an even worse problem when these nations cross peak production, because they are one resource countries and will not passively return to poverty.

[tman_ndsu08]

You've obviously never heard of nuclear power. Or solar. Or wind. Or geo thermal. Or fuel cells. ETC.

You are completely clueless.

[Inquisitor]

Athena Oh dear, are you being humorous when you say Christians are God's choosen people? If you are serious, how do you come to this conclusion?

This is not my fantasy. This is Dogma of The Holy Orthodox Church. Certainly I am refering to Orthodox Christians not members of countless heretical sects.

Suggestion that jews remained God's choosen after they murdered God and deny Him to this day and try to destroy His Holy Church is ridiculous. Holy Fathers and Saints agree that jews are demons in human form as "children of the devil" suppose to be.

Jews successfully fool the world because most of the world is not Christians and don't know The Truth.

[Sean]

Please stop with the anti-Semitic comments Inquisitor. It is discrimination, and such extremely racist treatment of any group of people is not tolerated on the site. DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS WARNING WITHIN THE POST (pm or email us if you have questions)

[Vernon]

REFERENCES TO CAN JUDAISM SURVIVE?


1 Vanishing Diaspora: The Jews in Europe since 1945, Wasserstein B, Penguin History, 1996 p284

2 Van.Dias. pvii

3 Van.Dias. p290

4 Dwindling Diaspora Fails to Keep the Faith, Silver E, The Independent (A UK Newspaper) 20 May 1996 p10

5 Van.Dias. p282

6 Central Bureau Statistics Israel, www.cbs.gov.il

7 Worldwide Community Demography, Bassok M, www.jafi.org.il/education

8 Once Desperate to Leave, Now Jews are Returning to Russia, Land of Opportunity Page J, The Times (A UK Newspaper) 28 April 2005 p44

9 Romans 2:28, New Testament

10 Romans 2:29, New Testament

[Athena]

Why is it important that Jews survive?

[belverron]

Good question. I'm not really concerned if any particular group survives.... If I were, it would be intelligent people, because we don't tend to breed that much. Honestly, though, we don't need smart people. It doesn't matter after I'm dead, anyway.

That Inquisitor's a frightful one, isn't he?

[James]

The Jewish faith will survive. It's predicted in Revelations. There WILL be AT LEAST 144,000 Jews left in the tribulation.

[G. Adams]

Quote by: belverron Good question. I'm not really concerned if any particular group survives.... If I were, it would be intelligent people, because we don't tend to breed that much. Honestly, though, we don't need smart people. It doesn't matter after I'm dead, anyway. That Inquisitor's a frightful one, isn't he?

"because we don't tend to breed...." We? You include yourself? The truely wise understand that they know almost nothing.

[Vernon]

A RESPONSE TO JAMES' POST OF 6 JUNE 05 (No 17)

James has told us in his post that "the Jewish faith will survive. It's predicted in Revelations. There will be at least 144,000 Jews left in the tribulation".

This is pretty technical stuff: "the tribulation" and "144,000"!

However, since he has brouight Revelation into this thread, it seems reasonable to me to say something about his view, based on details in this particular book of the New Testament.

Firstly, Revelation is about and for Christians, and not about and for Jews.

Revelation is a book of the New Testament, which came into being after Christ had been crucified and raised from the dead, and after the destruction of the Jewish temple and the major dispersion of the Jews from Palestine in 70AD.

Judaism is, quite rightly, not interested in the New Testament since Judaism belongs to the Old Covenant, the Old Testament. It is, therefore, unlikely that James's reference to "144,000 Jews" in Revelation is correct, because Revelation is a book of the New Covenant, the New Testament.

Secondly, the person speaking to John, who in turn wrote Revelation down, is generally accepted as being Christ, whom Judaism does not recognise as being divine or the Messiah.

What Christ says to two of the seven churches in Revelation further supports the view that Revelation was written for Christians and not for Jews. Christ says, "These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and who came to life again {1}. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan {2}. These are the words of him who is holy and true {3}. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars - I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you" {4}. These are all direct quotes from the New International Version of the Bible.

Thirdly, Revelation talks about how the Christian faith, as opposed to Judaism, began.

There is a problem in heaven in that there is a tightly sealed up scroll to be opened, but no one can be found to open it. Then the Lamb of God is seen opening the seals of the scroll. "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed and, with your blood you purchased men and women for God from every tribe and language and people and nation" {5}.

Revelation is about the Christian faith because the blood of its Founder purchases people, not just those who have come from Judaism, but also from every tribe and language and people and nation.





And so, when we come to the "144,000" people, we must be very careful about assuming automatically that they are Jewish people, even though they are described as coming from every tribe of Israel {6}.

After listing these 12 tribes and the "144,000" people sealed, Revelation goes on immediately to say, "After this, I, John, looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb {6}. This is not about Jews only, but about Jews and all the other peoples in the world.

So, I suggest that the "144,000" are not Jews but are Christians, though some are undoubtedly converted from Judaism.

Consequently, there does not seem to be much support for James' assertion that "the Jewish faith will continue because there will be at least 144,000 Jews left in the tribulation".






Now, James might be reasonably say that if the "144,000" people, who are from all the tribes of Israel, are, in fact, Christians, then why does Revelation not call them Christians? Why call them "tribes of Israel"?

Part of the answer is that Revelation is full of descriptions, which do not actually mean what they appear to mean on the surface. What I am saying is that there are many, many symbols, each of which represents something else.

But this is not a sufficient answer because James will rightly come back and say, "OK, clever clogs, what is the underlying meaning of 'tribes of Israel'?"

Well! Let's have a go!

The tribes of Israel are the sons of Israel because each son started a tribe. The sons are sons of Israel, whose other name was Jacob.

Jacob was born because of genetic material fertilizing a woman's egg. Of course! However, the genetic material in the sperm, which brought Jacob, Israel, into being, came from genetic material which had been in the body of Abraham.

Abraham! Jacob came from Abraham; the twelve sons of Israel came from Abraham; the tribes of Israel came from Abraham.







In the New Testament, Abraham is described as "the father of all who believe" {7}. Those, who believe, are those who have put their faith in Christ as their Messiah, their Lord and their Saviour. They are Christians. So Abraham is the father of Christians.

Christians are described as being "Abraham's offspring, those who are of the faith of Abraham" {8}. Abraham is told by God, "I have made you father of many nations" {9}.

And so, "Abraham is our father in the sight of God, in whom he put his faith" {9}. "Abraham believed and so he became the father of many nations" {10}.







So, those who have faith in Christ are descendants of Abraham, his offspring. How? By what mechanism?

I suggest that the genetic material, which makes up the being of the Christian, the person who has faith in Christ, has come from genetic material which was, at one time, within Abraham's body. His genetic material passed through his grandson, Israel, into the tribes of Israel, which have been dispersed throughout all the nations of the world over the centuries.

In this way, the "144,000 from all the tribes of Israel" {6} can be understood as being Christians and not Jews or Israelites.

It is as if a gene with Abraham written on it has left Abraham's body, and multiplied itself millions of times to find its way into the bodies of all Christians in the course of time.

Because Abraham himself had faith in the God and Father of Jesus Christ, so he is the father of all others who have faith in the same God and Father of Jesus Christ.

So, the symbolic number of "144,000" is not referring to Jews. And "144,000" does not indicate that the "Jewish faith will survive".



1 Revelation 2:8
2 Revelation 2:9
3 Revelation 3:7
4 Revelation 3:9
5 Revelation 5:9
6 Revelation 7:4-8
7 Romans 4:11
8 Romans 4:16
9 Romans 4:17
10 Romans 4:18