Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This addendum was necessary to continue accepting those family members of Jews who did
not meet the stricter defi nition.
The problem of defi ning a legitimate conversion to Judaism has given rise to a series of
controversies. In Israel, the Orthodox interpretation of Judaism has usually dominated when
addressing this issue, but there have been individual exceptions and complex cases. Generally
speaking, those who have converted through Reform and Conservative rabbis abroad can meet
the immigration requirements by fi nding a clerk who interprets the law fl exibly. Sometimes,
however, converts do not know how to handle the system, or they ask to have non-Orthodox
conversions recognized. Various plans have been put forward to deal with this. Some cases
have been settled by granting citizenship, but other applicants have been refused, or their cases
have become wrapped in red tape.
The Orthodox Rabbinate is determined to maintain its monopoly on determining who
qualifi es as a Jew. A large majority of Israelis, having no direct experience with other forms of
Judaism, do not care very much about the issues. There is a consensus, though, that so-called
Messianic Jews —Jews who have become Christians or Christians who incorporate aspects
of Jewish terminology and ritual— do not qualify, and a few Western immigrants from this
group have been refused citizenship.
Immigration continues to hold an exalted place in the Israeli national consciousness. The
Hebrew term for Jewish immigration,
aliya
, which literally means “ascension,” symbolizes the
positive connotations of coming to Israel to live. Israeli society has at times experienced ten-
sions between new and veteran and between new and native-born Israelis. Yet given the sac-
rifi ces that Israelis have collectively made on behalf of immigrants — the costs of absorption,
competition for jobs and housing, the privileges accorded to immigrants, and adjustments to
cultural differences — the level of friction, protest, and public criticism has remained remark-
ably low.
Among the institutions created to ease the transition of immigrants is the
ulpan
, an inten-
sive Hebrew language class. Besides learning basic Hebrew, new immigrants are taught about
national identity, mix with others from different countries, and are introduced to important
facets of Israeli culture. In addition to free instruction, immigrants receive other benefi ts from
the government to help them adjust. These have varied greatly over time but often include sub-
sidized housing, tax breaks when they buy items, including automobiles, and cash payments.
By 2005, for the fi rst time, Israel had more Jewish citizens than any other country in the
world: 5.5 million, compared to about 5.3 million in the United States and a total of around
13.2 million Jews worldwide. By 2020, when the worldwide total is projected to be 13.6 million,
Israel will have an estimated 6.3 million Jewish citizens (though not all of them reside in the
country), and not long after that, the majority of the world's Jews will hold Israeli citizenship.
The population increase in Israel is due mainly to higher birthrates there than among Jews
in the Diaspora, who also tend to assimilate into the local population, particularly through
intermarriage.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the population of Israel in 2030 will be an es-
timated 10 million people or so, with a Jewish population of around 7.2 million, or 72 percent
(compared to 76 percent in 2010), and an Arab population of around 2.4 million, or 24 percent
