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Last update - 12:28 07/07/2008 Jewish community in former USSR under threat of assimilation By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Israel, aliyah, Russian jewry  The Jewish community in the former Soviet Union could disappear in a generation unless assimilation is curbed there, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday. The government decided to set up a special body to increase immigration from those countries and strengthen Jewish identity there. In the special cabinet discussion, a representative from Nativ - a once-covert agency founded in the Prime Minister's Office in the 1950s to bring Jews to Israel, and to serve as a liaison for Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union - told the ministers that there are some 880,000 p Advertisement eople in its former territories who are eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return. More than half, the representative added, are not Jewish according to religious law. The special government body created to address the problem will act as an inter-ministerial committee, jointly chaired by the Jewish Agency, the Ministry for Immigrant Absorption and Nativ. It will be headed by Cabinet Secretary Oved Yehezkel. The briefing on the state of the Jews in the former Soviet Union revealed that only 10 percent of this population are involved in Jewish activity, with assimilation reaching 80 percent in some communities. Nativ's director, Naomi Ben Ami, told Haaretz that, in light of these figures, "the Jewish Diaspora is going to lose this region's Jewry in one generation." Additionally, the cabinet was told that some 38,000 Jews who came to Israel during the years 1989 and 2007 have returned to their countries of origin. Some 70 percent of the people eligible to immigrate from the former Soviet Union are older than 45; 36 percent of them are older than 65. Immigrant Absorption Minister Jacob Edery called on the government to increase funding for immigrants by 50 percent, to open new absorption channels that will attract young professionals and to expedite the tax reforms necessary for attracting immigrants. The cabinet meanwhile resolved to put extra emphasis on and increase funding for Nativ and Agency activity in the states in question. In addition, it has been agreed that immigration-assistance organizations, including Nativ, will focus on Russian-speaking Jews living in Germany, who constitute a sizable minority there. The initiative to expand Nativ's operations to include Germany has angered Jewish community leaders, who blasted it in talks with Olmert last year. Nonetheless, Nativ is planning to operate cultural centers in Germany, focusing on Russian-speaking young adults and teenagers, in the coming months. Germany has made no official protest, but senior German foreign ministry officials said they supported the Jewish community's position and expected explanations from Israel. The 211,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union currently residing in Germany are also considered "in great danger of assimilation," as one government official involved with Nativ's activity there told Haaretz last year. "There's a window of opportunity of a few years, after which we are liable to lose this community," he added. Related articles: Russian Jews to fight aging population with birth grants Lieberman seeks to encourage aliyah of Russian Jews from Canada More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   History undersea Israeli lifeguard stumbles upon ancient relic during morning swim. Elections, Hebrew style U.S. presidential hopefuls use Hebrew to woo the Jewish community.   1.   Why not start war with Russia? 22:28  |  Andreas 06/07/08   2.   non-halachic Jews 23:16  |  Avi Yerushalmi 06/07/08   3.   So what do they say here: 23:20  |  msh 06/07/08   4.   less than 10% of whom are jews. 23:46  |  A thinking Jew 06/07/08   5.   But NO to Ethiopians??? 23:48  |  Another Jew 06/07/08   6.   #3 msh 00:43  |  leo 07/07/08   7.   are you scared ? 00:55  |  leo 07/07/08   8.   The property in Israel is sky rocket how can they afford? 01:09  |  e.m Jordan is Palse 07/07/08   9.   Invest in education, not annihilation 01:12  |  Jeff 07/07/08   10.   38 000 Jewish immigrants to Israel return to countries of origin! 01:27  |  Maureen Ann 07/07/08   11.   Let`s Hear It For Assimilation!! 01:34  |  Outraged Goy 07/07/08   12.   Maureen Ann, why hosting refugees... 02:51  |  Bruce 07/07/08   13.   #10, Palestine, is artificial, Israel is native 03:14  |  David 07/07/08   14.   Makes sense, aliya and strengthening diaspora 03:18  |  David 07/07/08   15.   #9, Jeff 03:28  |  Bruce 07/07/08   16.   assimilation? 04:21  |  moshe 07/07/08   17.   #8, how do you think? 05:19  |  Gush Shalom supporte 07/07/08   18.   Israel should rething immigration policy 05:31  |  Jewboy 07/07/08   19.   #10 06:12  |  Rab Burns 07/07/08   20.   re#15 06:15  |  Jeff 07/07/08   21.   Great danger of assimilation 06:58  |  Dror 07/07/08   22.   Russian Jews are afraid to go to Israel 07:43  |  Uri 07/07/08   23.   Running out of settlers 07:59  |  Natallie Durson 07/07/08   24.   Dangerous plan ! Not all are Jews, some neo nazis among them. 09:06  |  Aaron 07/07/08   25.   Let then Come, all who are ready to live in Israel..... 09:15  |  Dolly 07/07/08   26.   Russian "Jews"?? 09:32  |  Einat 07/07/08   27.   Boosting Immigration from Russia is better than self-hating Jews 09:46  |  Dagma 07/07/08   28.   Israel cannot offer immigrants affordable housing, nor jobs 09:57  |  Aaron 07/07/08   29.   re David #13 10:02  |  Colin Wright 07/07/08   30.   yeay to Russians, but no us 10:03  |  foreigner of jerusa 07/07/08   31.   #8 10:07  |  JO IS JO PALE IS PAL 07/07/08   32.   Jews in Russia 10:08  |  Sara 07/07/08   33.   Not just in Russia 10:41  |  Chris Linthwaite 07/07/08   34.   Germany? 10:51  |  mick 07/07/08   35.   #10 She was standing counting? 11:38  |  Sorry but... 07/07/08   36.   What?!? 11:44  |  Slibovitz 07/07/08   37.   Diluting the Jewish Character of the State 12:03  |  Slibvotiz 07/07/08   38.   Why there are so few Jews 12:38  |  Yonatan 07/07/08   39.   #38 Yonatan - backwards logic 13:52  |  Reuben 07/07/08   40.   Integration is essential and proper 22:01  |  Nick Ferriman 07/07/08   41.   Oh yes! They are so nice... 23:31  |  Ulf 13/07/08

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