European Jewish communal leaders: Apathy and internal alienation a greater threat to our future here than antisemitism

A survey of European Jewish leaders has found that they see the alienation of Jews from communal life and lack of engagement by communal members as a bigger threat to Jewish life rather than antisemitism.

The survey, which was conducted by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s International Centre for Community Developments, was conducted online in 10 languages and polled 893 respondents in 29 countries.

Questioned as to “which of the following are the most serious threats to the future of Jewish life in your country”, 66 per cent of respondents selected “alienation of Jews from the Jewish community life” and 65 percent picked “demographic decline”.

Three other choices, “lack of engagement by members of the community”, “Weakness of Jewish Organisations/Lack of renewal” and “Ignorance/declining knowledge about Judaism”, received 62 percent, 60 percent and 56 percent respectively.

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