Whither tomorrow? - opinion

While this reality in itself is cause for concern, of equal concern is the far too many young Jews who voted for Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s candidate.

A survey by the Pew Research Center – a nonpartisan think tank that conducts social science research and public opinion polling – reveals that young American Jews today are less Jewish and much less interested in identifying with Israel; in fact, there are those who choose to identify with Israel’s enemies.

The support of the United States is of enormous consequence to the one Jewish state. November 7, 2028, is the date when Americans will choose their next president. Today, Israel is blessed with an American president who is supportive of it – of special significance at a time when Jew hatred has reared its ugly head throughout the world. But who knows what will happen in 2028? We read, with trepidation, that one potential presidential hopeful is “Squad” member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

There was a time when the American Israel Public Affairs Committee – a bipartisan pro-Israel lobbying group working to strengthen the relationship between the US and Israel – held sway with both the Republican and Democratic parties. Sadly, however, with the younger generation of US Jews showing diminishing support for Israel, AIPAC’s days could well be numbered.'

Of note is that Taglit relies heavily on the financial contribution of the Adelson Foundation. The 3% contribution from Jewish Federations reveals a lack of Diaspora commitment to its future.

What is painfully clear is that the Diaspora has failed to inject a sense of self-respect in being Jewish among many of today’s younger generation, without which there can be no meaningful connection with Israel.

WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY is it to educate Jewish youngsters about taking pride in identifying with Israel? We could say their parents, but today there are many parents who themselves are lacking in Jewish commitment and Zionist knowledge. Is there an organization capable of filling the gap?

One would think it was the perfect place to discuss the major challenge of ensuring a Jewish and Zionist tomorrow. However, it turned out to be the usual array of participants, too many affiliated with Israel’s political parties, vying for positions on WZO’s executive. Why not? A place on the executive brings with it the same salary as that of a government minister, plus the benefit of a car and other desirables.

As one who participated in WZO gatherings in Israel prior to my aliyah some 27 years ago, I find it disheartening that nothing has changed. It is still an arena for party political infighting – I also recall physical fights – to achieve the most seats on the executive plus the goodies that come with the job.

And what of the younger element at this year’s congress who busied themselves with the need to pass political resolutions that belong to the elected government of this country?

Of course, Diaspora Jewry has the right to its opinion, but it cannot change anything while not being able to vote here. This group included J Street and New Jewish Narrative – both based in the US and both consistently and publicly critical of Israel – who prided themselves on passing resolutions demanding the halting of settlements in the E1 area of the West Bank, debating “occupation,” as well as calling for a full state inquiry on what happened on October 7. While these concerns are shared by many of us in Israel, the WZO has no clout in relation to political decisions which belong to the government, whether we like it or not.

The tragedy of this year’s WZC is that its participants totally ignored the elephant in the room – namely, the increasing number of young Jews who are turning away from Israel and siding with our enemies.

Theodor Herzl founded the WZO in August 1897 in Basel, Switzerland, with the aim of establishing a home in Palestine for the Jewish people. This became a reality on May 14, 1948, when David Ben-Gurion declared the State of Israel. Today we have a democratic state. Our Knesset consists of various parties, which negates the need for a political WZO.

What is urgently required is a WZO prepared to address the biggest challenge facing Diaspora Jewry today, which threatens its demise. The WZO’s enormous budget must not be used for political gain but to imbue young Jews with a love of Israel and pride in being Jewish.

The current budget of the WZO is a staggering $60 million – expected to rise to $100m. within a few years. These funds are supplied primarily by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, which owns 13% of land in Israel.

We can but begin to imagine how productive it would be if these funds – rather than supporting a politicized WZO – were utilized for the benefit of programs such as Taglit. Surely, giving many more young Jews the opportunity of visiting and seeing the real Israel, and being imbued with an understanding and pride in their Jewish heritage, would contribute toward a better tomorrow for the Jewish people.

If the WZO wants to remain relevant to both Israel and the Diaspora, the time is long overdue to invest in securing a more Jewish and Zionist tomorrow that will benefit Jews whether here or there.

Between 1979 and 1982, Shlomo Argov served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. In June 1982 he suffered an assassination attempt on his life, which changed it forever. A few months earlier, the dynamic Argov had given a speech to Newcastle’s Jewish community, its essence being the key interdependence of Jews in the Diaspora and Israel. His concluding words were: “Everything that provides Jews in the Diaspora with opportunities to associate themselves with this enterprise [Israel], which we in Israel continue to look upon not as our exclusive preserve but as belonging to all of us, remains of vital importance. We are in this boat together, and it is a sturdy boat, a fine boat, a swift boat, and it is a boat that, with God’s help – and with everyone’s help – will reach a safe haven in our time.”

Am Yisrael chai. 