09-25-2006, 10:20 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-Bharatvarsh+Sep 25 2006, 06:11 PM-->QUOTE(Bharatvarsh @ Sep 25 2006, 06:11 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->the solution is not to tie up Hindu kids with other Hindus, they should be self confident enough to mix with non Hindus and even then retain their religion, after all if Jews could keep their identity intact then why can't we?
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Bharatvarsh,
Actually, <b>not all Jews</b> have been doing a good job keeping their identity in the US. Remember, there are at least 2 different types of Judaism practised in the US.
One is the orthodox/ultra-orthodox variety. These Jews do limit their interactions with the non-Jewish (actually non-orthodox Jewish) world. They run their own schools for the Orthodox, where their children are <b>immersed</b> in their religion, its history and its rituals. And, because they have drawn a sharp line between themselves and the "Other", their religion, Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is more likely to survive in the future. That <b>sharp line</b> will keep their religion alive and thriving. They also have the highest population growth in the US,along with the mennonites, in accordance with the dictates of their religion.
The rest of the Jews are basically reform Jews. This larger section of the community regularly loses large numbers of adherents to Christianity by marriage and subsequent conversion. Many of the other Jews are atheists, or even Jews only in name, basically "ethnic" Jews.
Here are some links about what is happening with the Jews:
Will Your Grandchildren Be Jews?
Extract from the above link:
In summary, the most recent analyses of Jewish population indicate two distinct trends in American Jewry. During the period from 1945-2000 -- and particularly from 1960 to 2000 -- the Orthodox have steadily increased the duration and intensity of their children's education, their birth rate, and the percentage of those raised Orthodox and remaining Orthodox. At the same time, their intermarriage rate has been reduced (see above). Also, for the first time in American history, significant number of Jews who were not raised Orthodox are becoming so. During the same period (1960-2000), intermarriage among other denominations of Judaism has evidenced different trends. The level of education among Secular, Reform and Conservative Jews has (with a few notable exceptions), remained about the same; their birth rate has declined, and their rate of intermarriage has multiplied. <b>Once a Jew intermarries, he or she as an individual remains Jewish, of course, but the likelihood of that person having any Jewish descendants is close to nil.</b>
Jews and the Jewish birth-rate
Extract:
In the meantime, the outlook of the organized Jewish community has been characterized mostly by denial. <b>Faced with irrefutable evidence of demographic decline, communal leaders have worked to <i>âreframeâ </i>the discussion.</b> The reframing goes like this: the Jewish population should be seen not as hemorrhaging, but rather as evolving new forms of expression. Yes, todayâs Jews are choosing to behave differently from Jews in the past, but, if treated with dignity and respect, they will surely return to play a positive role within the community. Yes, Jews are intermarrying at high rates, but if intermarried couples are offered a more welcoming environment, they will participate gladly in Jewish activities and both they and their offspring will come to identify strongly with Jewish life. Yes, Jews are producing fewer children, but what counts is quality, not quantity. Yes, fewer Jews are affiliating with synagogues and other communal institutions, but eliminating exclusionary and inhospitable attitudes will cause the situation to reverse itself.
The challenge of demographic decline, then, is to be met by inclusiveness, pluralism, and a welcoming atmosphere. The worse the decline has grown, the more fervently has this mantra been invokedâand not just invoked, but acted upon.
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Bharatvarsh,
Actually, <b>not all Jews</b> have been doing a good job keeping their identity in the US. Remember, there are at least 2 different types of Judaism practised in the US.
One is the orthodox/ultra-orthodox variety. These Jews do limit their interactions with the non-Jewish (actually non-orthodox Jewish) world. They run their own schools for the Orthodox, where their children are <b>immersed</b> in their religion, its history and its rituals. And, because they have drawn a sharp line between themselves and the "Other", their religion, Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Judaism is more likely to survive in the future. That <b>sharp line</b> will keep their religion alive and thriving. They also have the highest population growth in the US,along with the mennonites, in accordance with the dictates of their religion.
The rest of the Jews are basically reform Jews. This larger section of the community regularly loses large numbers of adherents to Christianity by marriage and subsequent conversion. Many of the other Jews are atheists, or even Jews only in name, basically "ethnic" Jews.
Here are some links about what is happening with the Jews:
Will Your Grandchildren Be Jews?
Extract from the above link:
In summary, the most recent analyses of Jewish population indicate two distinct trends in American Jewry. During the period from 1945-2000 -- and particularly from 1960 to 2000 -- the Orthodox have steadily increased the duration and intensity of their children's education, their birth rate, and the percentage of those raised Orthodox and remaining Orthodox. At the same time, their intermarriage rate has been reduced (see above). Also, for the first time in American history, significant number of Jews who were not raised Orthodox are becoming so. During the same period (1960-2000), intermarriage among other denominations of Judaism has evidenced different trends. The level of education among Secular, Reform and Conservative Jews has (with a few notable exceptions), remained about the same; their birth rate has declined, and their rate of intermarriage has multiplied. <b>Once a Jew intermarries, he or she as an individual remains Jewish, of course, but the likelihood of that person having any Jewish descendants is close to nil.</b>
Jews and the Jewish birth-rate
Extract:
In the meantime, the outlook of the organized Jewish community has been characterized mostly by denial. <b>Faced with irrefutable evidence of demographic decline, communal leaders have worked to <i>âreframeâ </i>the discussion.</b> The reframing goes like this: the Jewish population should be seen not as hemorrhaging, but rather as evolving new forms of expression. Yes, todayâs Jews are choosing to behave differently from Jews in the past, but, if treated with dignity and respect, they will surely return to play a positive role within the community. Yes, Jews are intermarrying at high rates, but if intermarried couples are offered a more welcoming environment, they will participate gladly in Jewish activities and both they and their offspring will come to identify strongly with Jewish life. Yes, Jews are producing fewer children, but what counts is quality, not quantity. Yes, fewer Jews are affiliating with synagogues and other communal institutions, but eliminating exclusionary and inhospitable attitudes will cause the situation to reverse itself.
The challenge of demographic decline, then, is to be met by inclusiveness, pluralism, and a welcoming atmosphere. The worse the decline has grown, the more fervently has this mantra been invokedâand not just invoked, but acted upon.