One of my faithful readers asked me about what was happening to me with regard to Judaism. Israel is not like the Diaspora. Many basic practices are taken for granted, whereas in the US they would require a special effort. Many other practices are also really easy to keep and require minimal effort here. So, in many ways, I am more observant than I was in the US. Lifestyle aside, Israel is spiritually an uplifting place. If you have the right philosophy, it's easy to have a strong belief in G-d here. Combine that with the uniqueness of the Land itself and you have a pretty potent mix.

In the US, being Jewish is an aspect of one's identity. In most US Jews, it's not a well-developed aspect and being Jewish is almost accidental. Like being Irish-American. Yes, I have a background, so what? Let's just move on with my standard, mainstream American life. Most American Jews are on the way out of the fold and there are very few forces pulling them back in. The 70% intermarriage rate, and rising, among the non-Orthodox American Jews pretty much spells out the end of the overwhelming majority of Jews in the US. For most Jews, now is the opportunity to decide. Having been part of an ongoing chain for 3,800 years, does he now break that chain and assimilate or reinforce and strengthen his identity? Pretty much all of the non-Orthodox will not even ask themselves such a question. They will just assimilate without giving their Judaism much thought at all.

However, if Jews never assimilated, there would be 300,000,000 of us in the world, according to Jewish population experts. So, together with genocides, assimilation has been an ever-present aspect in Jewish life everywhere. The herd must be thinned. Those that have the weakest Jewish identity and who are not interested in the incredible wealth of tradition and knowledge that their ancestors have kept going for thousands of years, will leave the tribe. Those that remain are therefore the most committed and the future of Judaism is ensured. The current process underway in the US is a perfect example of what happens with an almost complete lack of anti-Semitism and declining observance levels. The herd is thinning and it's a good thing. Also, with the Diaspora communities becoming smaller, and with the Israeli Jewish community becoming bigger (net positive immigration balance, high birthrate, almost 0% intermarriage), it's just a matter of time before the inevitable occurs. Israel is home to 43% of the world's Jews, and 60% of all Jewish children aged 15 and under. That means that in 20 years Israel will have the critical mass to be the absolute epicenter of Jewish life, with Diaspora communities surviving only by associating with Israel. By 2050, the Diaspora will become just a bunch of scattered sattelites of the State of Israel. All these numbers come from sociological studies by the likes of Sergio della Pergola, the number one Jewish demographer around. Ya'll can read up population statistics to your heart's content. Just make sure you mind the date they were published - The Israeli Jewish population is adding over 50,000 per year.

As important as the Diaspora was during the past 2,000 years, the present and the future of the Jewish people are once again in Israel. The third Galut is ending, the third Beit Ha'Mikdash will be built, and, as everyone knows, third time's the charm...