WATCH: New campaign targets Jews 'lost' to assimilation

Most Israeli Jews I know are lost and they live here in Israel. They hate being Jewish, see it only as an oppressive religion and know nothing about the social values of Judaism and Jewish texts. American Jewry can help Israeli Jews find themselves because they know how to live in a diverse Jewish community where people respect eachother...In Israel, that respect is clearly lacking....

My son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren are Jewish and live in Israel. But there is no doubt that if the children of a Jewish father and a mother who not Jewish by birth were accepted as being Jewish, the increase Jewish population in the world would be huge.

"Justice, justice shall thou pursue..." Israel must foster the two-state solution -- with no ifs, ands, or buts!

Does his include ME ? I am Reform and have no intention of changing. It has been made abundantly clear that Israel doesn't want the likes of me. So - case closed - don't bother with me. Reform Jew

It is a terribly painful subject which is rarely if ever discussed. During centuries during which Jewish communities were subject to violence in virtually every community, during the numerous pogroms, Jewish women were raped by their non-Jewish neighbors. The problem was simple, the alternatives limited. Many societies reject innocent women who have been violated. Whether Jews of the period were more compassionate, or whether the numbers were so great that to repudiate the women could not be done without decimating the entire community,the women remained. The resulting children were raised as Jews. The pure blood of the ultra-orthodox is a myth. Their refusal to wed their children to newly religious Jews a sad farce. A good Jew is a decent human being! If the goishe bride or groom is a decent human being, that is infinitely more important to the couple and to the children than whether they wear a cross, star of David,the Shahada, or no symbol at all.

Those who do not have the Jewish foundation will cling on to other religions. We should all remember that both Islam and Christianity are the missionary religions. Their best target is uneducated, unaffiliated Jew. If you want your kids to become Christian or Muslim then marry a non-Jew.

How would you react if the American government paid for a campaign to persuade some Israelis not to marry other Israelis?

Since when is love so bad?

It came as quite a shock to my relatives who talk for hours about aliyah and temple, that my wife and her family don't fit the stereotype of the goy. She does a wonderful job when preparing for all of the holidays and helps with all aspects of an interfaith household.She is the intelligent refined daughter of a family of distinguished scientists who are modest people. Our children are top students and athletes who are most of all, decent people. She earned their respect without trying. Why did she ever need to?

Do you guys know that we all humans have 99% the same DNA?. We should stop thinking like in biblical times.Please

And for those who question whether a Jew is or is not Jewish one only needs examine whether they are supplying their children with a a "good/real" Jewish education. It always has been that way - it always will be.

In a perfect world, all races would interbreed to the extent that the very notion of race is quaint. This is not to suggest that Jewish culture or religion - or any other - should disappear. Given the virtue of and necessity in democracratic societies for freedom of conscience, there will always be some differences and, sadly, discrimination based on religion and culture, but interbreeding could quell the insidious notion that one race is infereior or superior to another. Tribalism and "racial purity" are among the most prolific sources of the greatest evils in this world, along with greed and lust. It is sad to see organizations fighting against intermarriage. One can't help but wonder to what extent notions of racial supremacy are involved.

I have this one Mexican friend, for instance, whom most of you, would not consider Jewish. Now he tells me that he believes that up to 90% of New World Catholics, that are Hispanic People that migrated to the Americas in let's say the years during the Spanish Inquisition were Secret Jews. Now the records for Mexico are very slim concerning any of this activity until the late 1800's when Russian and German Jews began moving there during the time of the Pogrom. But as anybody, who has studied Mexican History can tell you, there is this gap of original record material that is missing for some reason. Perhaps it's the successive revolutions? But anyway, I think my friend may be right. Jews have been scared to talk because of the Inquisition. They burned many Jews that they uncovered in one of the central parks in Mexico City on occasion. See?

...to convert! Then a couple would build a jewish home together rather than one having to mantain the outsider status from chuppah to grave and beyond

All the talkbackers whining, 'my wife is this', 'my school did that' - Will you all look beyond 1 foot of your own lives? This is about the Jewish people not your own personal hurt feeling over reform this or orthodox that. Which part of these statistics are eluding you? because it is black & white. Over 50% assimilating and their own children will 95% likely not be Jewish or have Jewish ties. So an effort is being made to counter that. You are making your own effort, kudos - But it's not always about 'me' or 'you' in life.

I can?t think of a better way to alienate the Jewish families in the diaspora. In today?s heterogeneous world most Jewish families know of one member who has married someone who is not Jewish - some of them are even happy!!

Thanks for the compliment! Interesting that this article has been completely re-written since yesterday. Except for the still provocative headline, the article's now all about strengthening Jewish attachment to Israel rather than preventing intermarriage. Was the intermarriage issue just too hot to handle? Were people offended by the message that the non-Jews they loved were somehow unworthy? Were non-Jews offended by the thought that they weren't special enough to marry Jews?

First of all, a jew that assimilates is still a jew (whatever that racist term means) and it's not like they die or go to hell and eternal damnation (lol) for marrying a gentile.\ secondly, couldn't they make something more positive and uplifting. after seeing that, i wouldn't even come to visit this country of ours. what a downer!

This is a fact - if Jews marry non-Jews, Jewish people outside Israel are doomed.

Encouraging those intermarried in Judaism is far better than presenting scare tactics, these have the opposite effect. An awful idea

that doesn't get taken down by the Kosher Police or the Iranian Jews. When that happens, you know it's the Rabbis that are driving the Jews away in droves. You want to bring the Jews back to Israel and Judaism? Pay attention to the stuff I talk about. I know where our people are at. If you keep covering me up, you're not going to get to them. Jews aren't necessarily abducted. Just think of us as diversified for right now!

This campaign is very backward and self-defeating. I married a non-Jewish woman and I'm very happy with a boy and another child on the way. We will send them to Reform Hebrew school. There is nothing wrong with this! We are part of the 21st century.

In days of mass population mobility, Judaism has to move beyond the tribal idea that only people born to Jewish mothers can be properly Jewish. There's no real religious reason for it. It didn't apply in the days of the old Jewish kingdoms, so why now? Make Judaism a straightforward religion, where anybody who wants to, can be a Jew. At the moment, it's somewhere between a religion and a strange tribal ethnic cult. That may suit the rabbis, but it doesn't suit the large number of Jews who want to live their lives as they see fit, and love who they want.

Sounds all too much like the same sort of view that lead to the anti-miscegination laws in the US and Australia in days gone by to me! It is time Israel started thinking about itself as a nation, rather than a religious or racial enclave, and that its supporters in the US did the same!

Without any hint of Judaism , what is the meaning of this ridiculous capaign? Is it just to have a relationship with Israel , many christians also have a love to Israel ? Intermarriage has no negative repercussions to Israel. He is lost to the Jewish faith , and only religion can return him. So, what has the irreligous Ayala Hasson to preach about , if she herself is a lost soul ? How many lost jews live in Israel and intermarry with Arabs? Aren't they also lost to the Jewish Nation ?

Imagine if any organisation in America ran ads like that. Do you think Abe Foxman and the ADL might have something to say about that? Let people live and love with who they want.

And provide an intelligent--21st century--answer.

Besides the racist and chauvinist tones of the ad, it also ignores the fact that many of these "lost" children do in fact live Jewish lives, and send their kids to Jewish schools (i know several) except they are reform or conservative Jewish schools. I guess that doesn't count enough for the Muffitis at Shas....

Say what? Israelis see this commercial, and then they do what? Bizarre beyond belief. Israeli Jews and U.S.Jews must come from different planets.

They continue pointing fingers. Solutions? You can dream of. To the machers in the agency, open you eyes! You do not represent me. Jewish education in the US is expensive; most of us cannot afford it. When my children were little I wanted to enroll them in a Jewish day school. As mid income earner I did not qualify for scholarships but the height tuition was impossible. I have am idea for the executives in the agency, you can volunteer for a pay reduction and that money can be used as scholarships to enable Jewish children to attend Jewish day schools. This will be more productive then finger pointing.

It's ballsy but their job is to promote Jewish identity and I think this makes a blunt statement in that vein. I also think it's important for Jews to marry one another although I don't hold anything against those who marry outside the tribe. But why not make an effort to make people conscious that marrying other Jews is important. Great campaign! My only problem is it's now showing in the diaspora, only Israel, which is kindof preaching to the choir maybe.

And Shimon shouldn't try comparing one abducted soldier and thousands of diaspora Jewish youngsters. What a repulsive idea... Gil'ad Shalit is living in some Gazan basement under an unending death threat. It takes a monstrous fantasy to come up with terminology ("missing") which erases the difference between life and death.

If these people are labeled in such a negative way, it will make it even more discouraging for them to try to establish ties with Judaism or Israel.

I would marry a non-Jewish woman in a heart beat...Jewish women in Israel are materialistic, unavailable and do men a favor by talking to them.

I saw this commercial on TV last night. I thought it clever, well done and effective. Israelis indeed should be concerned about the melting away of millions of our brethren.

We'll see the outcome, and learn accordingly.

Beautiful siksot, which marry to Jews, are our major asset and more often than not are better Jews/Zionists than ourselves. My gentile wife lits shabbat candles and forbids me from saying "these stinking religious crooks." She brought me two beautiful kids who belong to two great peoples and who will never become narrow minded racists.

They should focus on one person who has been abducted and still held against his will by the Hamas. To bring him back is more worth than 35000 Jews to study and their 1.6 billion.

MASA should be careful with their idea of "missing" people. In my opinion it is repulsive. What is the percentage of intermarried couples who choose to send their children to Jewish Sunday schools and day schools? Unfortunately only Reform congregations admit children of non-Jewish mothers to their schools. I wish Judaism would be more inclusive, and provide positive messages, role models, and ideas.