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Last update - 22:34 02/09/2009
WATCH: New ad campaign targets Jews 'abducted' by intermarriage
By Dana Weiler-Polak, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Jewish Agency, Israel News 

The Prime Minister's Office and the Jewish Agency unveiled an aggressive advertisement campaign for the Masa project which is designed to strengthen Jewish identity among youths in the Diaspora and their bonds to Israel.

One video clip likens Jews who marry outside of the religion to missing persons, with fake notices and pictures which drive home the point.

As part of the campaign, similar "missing person" notices will be plastered on walls around the country.



Masa hopes the campaign will spur the public to commit to the cause of preventing marriage to non-Jews, which Jewish Agency officials believe is tantamount to a "strategic national threat."

According to figures compiled by the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, over 50 percent of Jews in the Diaspora marry a non-Jewish partner.

Studies show that Jews who participate in extensive programs in Israel deepen their Jewish identity and strengthen their bond to the country. Most of them marry Jews and send their children to Jewish schools and become politically and socially active on behalf of Israel-related causes. Some of them even immigrate to Israel.

The head of the campaign, Motti Scharf, compared assimilation to the critical water shortage. "Even though this is an existential problem, the public in Israel is displaying apathy towards it because the process is slow and not dramatic, out of sight," he said. "The time has come to put the issue on the table."

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      1.   what a sorry, paranoid bunch of squidbrains! 22:31  |  Goy 02/09/09
      2.   paranoia 22:59  |  peter rouget 02/09/09
      3.   I am a Jew, a Cohen, who married a nonJew 23:04  |  Bob Cohen 02/09/09
      4.   intermarriage 23:06  |  arieh zimmerman 02/09/09
      5.   Good Luck With That... 23:11  |  Yosemite 02/09/09
      6.   bob cohen 23:55  |  glen 02/09/09
      7.   @Bob Cohen you are so wrong 00:07  |  Yoav 03/09/09
      8.   miscegenation is healthy 00:08  |  fully jewish 03/09/09
      9.   #3 Well, you may not be a Cohen 00:09  |  Noam D. Blume 03/09/09
      10.   My wife 00:53  |  Bear 03/09/09
      11.   Missing Jews 00:57  |  Carlos 03/09/09
      12.   dear bob and you shall pass this to our children from generation 01:05  |  Steve-Morristown, NJ 03/09/09
      13.   it`s about time, that this dirty little secret is out .Most of us 01:14  |  Jack-miami 03/09/09
      14.   The head of the campaign, Motti Scharf 01:27  |  Igor 03/09/09
      15.   Bob Cohen 01:35  |  Archie 03/09/09
      16.   this proovesthat... 01:40  |  stranger 03/09/09
      17.   SENDING OUR CHILDREN TO CHURCH 01:42  |  TOBIA 03/09/09
      18.   Offensive & a waste of money 01:58  |  Josh 03/09/09
      19.   Someone has really lost the plot 01:58  |  CJ 03/09/09
      20.   posts 1-5 typical blah blah 02:13  |  rich 03/09/09
      21.   a disaster 02:33  |  Fayez 03/09/09
      22.   Jewish demographic future 02:35  |  MR 03/09/09
      23.   Great way to strengthen ties to the Diaspora, not! 02:44  |  L.A. Reader 03/09/09
      24.   They oppose assimilation 02:48  |  Basil 03/09/09
      25.   And this relates to Israel and Racism how...? 03:07  |  Susan 03/09/09
      26.   response to Mr Cohen 03:21  |  Simon 03/09/09
      27.   #2 what Jewish values are u spreading? 03:23  |  Tom 03/09/09
      28.   Conversion process needs to be reformed! 03:27  |  Dan 03/09/09
      29.   abducted jews 03:29  |  ben gershon 03/09/09
      30.   Bob Cohen 03:34  |  NYC Jew 03/09/09
      31.   #8- agreed 03:42  |  jenn 03/09/09
      32.   Children of Intermarriage Protest Video 03:51  |  Robin Margolis 03/09/09
      33.   This campaign is ... 04:18  |  Israel Amchai 03/09/09
      34.   This is ok! 04:20  |  Mike 03/09/09
      35.   I think they`d catch more `flies` with honey 04:21  |  newageblues 03/09/09
      36.   What if KKK Had a Commercial Against InterMarriage? 05:02  |  Kevin 03/09/09
      37.   Let`s not get all riled up 05:04  |  Gil 03/09/09
      38.   #26 - Bravo! 07:26  |  Bess 03/09/09
      39.   So what if Jewishness is diluted 12:10  |  Gopal 03/09/09
      40.   from a convert 14:17  |  anna 03/09/09
      41.   The essence of the discussion 14:27  |  Avi Marranazo 03/09/09
      42.   Can`t have it all 18:55  |  Mark 03/09/09
      43.   interfaith marriages 20:07  |  No Name 03/09/09
      44.   Intermariage 20:21  |  N 03/09/09
      45.   Wow 04:45  |  JO 04/09/09
      46.   What about those with Jewish roots? 05:01  |  Miriam 04/09/09
      47.   Thankfully... 08:08  |  Rachel 06/09/09
      48.   #18 I wholeheartedly agree 18:40  |  Harry 10/09/09
      49.   #41 Avi - Shame on You! 19:01  |  Anonymous 10/09/09
      50.   I shed my Christianity already,your turn 04:41  |  Dan 11/09/09
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