Synopsis:
A non-threatening introduction to the dilemmas of the Jewish People and Jewish Peoplehood,enabling participants to reflect individually and address related issues as a group.
Notes:
This activity can be used as to introduce the theme of Jewish Demography, Jewish Peoplehood, or to review the subject after other activities. Conclusions can be tied in with the role and the place of ISRAEL.
Alternative Activity:
- It is possible to do the first exercise and then shorten the activity.
- A different option:
www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/
Eye+on+Israel/Demography/Suggested+Educational+Exercises.htm
Aims:
- To familiarize the participants with the demographic situation of the Jewish People then and now.
- To open up and explore a number of central concepts relating to the Jewish People, its demographics, Jewish Peoplehood and solidarity, in relation to the Soviet Jewry Campaign.
- To promote the development of: Group integration/ connection/ Jewish Peoplehood.
Age: 14 years upwards.
No. of participants: Any number.
Time: 30-90 minutes, depending on the depth. [It is possible to do the first exercise and shorten the rest]
Materials:
Map of the world arranged with Jewish demographic figures [for each participant] or world map and separate Jewish population statistics chart.
Schematic diagram.
Please see end of file for demographic charts, source links, articles.
[Optional: pencils, blackboard/posterboard for seminars, camps]
Procedure
1. In pairs, participants exchange where they were born, where their parents and grandparents were born. In fours, if they know, they should also say where their great-grandparents were born. The entire group then creates a physical representation of where [some of] their ancestors came from, by arranging themselves "geographically" around the room, around the continents.
2. Each pair receives the resource sheets, and should reflect on Jewish demographic figures with a partner [or fill in the blanks by him/herself].
3. The group is divided into four, and each sub-group should come to a conclusion on the population in each area and the problems faced in each area.
For this, the following variables should be considered:
- social, economic and cultural factors
- relationship with Israel, influences
- Judaism and assimilation
- others
4. Each group presents those problems it considers relevant to the other participants. The facilitator sums up the main points [writes them up].
5. The group then adopts an agenda that consists of the main problems in each area in the 20th century and is asked to consider the following questions:
- What characterizes us as a people?
- What identifies me with the different Jewish communities in the world?
- What identified our community with Soviet Jewry?
- Is our fate necessarily bound up with that of other Jews? Why?
- If there are external or internal problems (anti-Semitism, security, cultural support) in your community, who do you turn to for help?
- What happened with Soviet Jewry?
6. The project is taken back into sub-groups, to discuss the solutions adopted in the major issues, taking into account the connection to ISRAEL, and also to examine them in light of the current situation.
7. Each group has two minutes to present a convincing synthesis of possible solutions.
8. Participants are asked consider which were the most interesting and which the most realistic options, ie to make a shortlist. The most favoured solutions are designated by vote or consensus.
Materials
Please print Table #1 © Seen on www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/
Eye+on+Israel/Demography/Population+Tables.htm
|
Year |
World Jewish Population |
Israel Number |
|
1800 |
2,500,000 |
6,000 |
|
1880 |
7,750,000 |
25,000 |
|
1939 |
16,620,000 |
445,000 |
|
1945 |
11,000,000 |
565,000 |
|
1948 |
11,530,000 |
650,000 |
|
1950 |
11,373,000 |
1,203,000 |
|
1955 |
11,800,000 |
1,591,000 |
|
1975 |
12,742,000 |
2,959,000 |
|
1985 |
12,871,000 |
3,517,000 |
|
1990 |
12,869,000 |
3,947,000 |
|
1993 |
12,963,000 |
4,335,000 |
|
1995 |
13,000,000 |
4,550,000 |
|
2001 |
13,254,000 |
4,952,000 |
|
2002 |
Exact numbers not available, est.: 13,296,109 |
5,292,000 |
© Source, reprinted with permission of Professor Sergio della Pergola
Or use this JPPPI Pie chart © [2002]
www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Home/About/Press+Room/
Jewish+Agency+In+The+News/2002/jtadec4.htm+4.htm
© JPPPI
More info and data:
www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/
Eye+on+Israel/Demography/World+Jewish+Population+2002.htm
www.jewishagency.org/JewishAgency/English/Jewish+Education/Compelling+Content/
Eye+on+Israel/Demography/Background.htm