MASA (Jewish Agency & Israeli Government) unveils ad comparing Jews who marry outside the religion to 'missing persons'

[Dr. Oza]

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition...ilation-1.8592

An organization that works to strengthen ties between Israel and Diaspora Jews Wednesday launched a scare-tactic campaign that urges Israelis to combat assimilation in North America by working to prevent the "loss" of their own Jewish acquaintances there.

The 10-day Hebrew-language campaign, to be shown on television and online, was prepared by a leading advertising firm at the behest of MASA, a partnership between the Jewish Agency and the Israeli government that helps finance and market semester- and year-length Israel programs for Diaspora Jews.

"More than 50 percent of young Jews assimilate," the filmed commercial informs viewers through the voice of Ayala Hasson, a top reporter for Channel 1. "We are losing them," she adds, as soft, melancholy flute music plays in the background.

The 33-second clip features images of missing-person posters hanging in locales in Europe and North America. The posters, in English, French and Russian, show young people with Jewish-sounding names. One "lost" person can be seen wearing a T-shirt that reads "I love Israel."

The ad then asks anyone who "knows a young Jew living abroad" to call MASA. "Together, we will strengthen his or her bond to Israel, so that we don't lose them," the announcer concludes.

The advertisement is MASA's first appeal to the Israeli public. "So far, MASA has advertised itself only to prospective candidates [for its programs]," said Ayelet Shiloh-Tamir, MASA's CEO, at a press conference held at the offices of Scherff Communication, the advertising agency.

But she stressed that her organization sees itself as a part of the effort to further Israel-Diaspora ties. "Recent studies suggest that with a 0.5 percent growth rate and an 80 percent assimilation rate in places like the former Soviet Union, the Jewish people is on the verge of a downward trend," she said. "Yet this issue has been sidelined in Israel. With this campaign, we sought to reintroduce the topic to the public agenda here as something that is of serious importance for average Israelis."

MASA says in its six years of existence, it has brought 35,000 Jews to study in Israel, injecting an estimated NIS 1.6 billion into Israel's economy.

This just reeks of racism. Imagine if the German government published ads that compared white women marrying blacks or non-germans as "missing persons"

This is disgusting.

[Blaze86420]

Huh, and they accuse us of resisting integration.

[Lord Zhang Ku]

I don't really see how this is comparable to the Nazi's ethnic beliefs. Seems more along the lines of Jews losing their connection to their religion, and losing their spirituality because they have never been to Israel. Nonetheless, I agree whole-heartedly that this is rediculous. However, this is not racial, by the look of things, but a spiritual askance. I admit there are some ethnic undertones, but it's likely more on the line of more Jews turning to Atheism, and losing there Jewish faith. It's also quite possible that some of the article posted in this thread was mistranslated partially. Nonetheless, I am made slightly uncomfortable by your implications.

[Exarch]

geez, what is with the insecurity of some ppl obsessing over who their daughters spread their legs for, or where their sons put their cocks?

[Yersinia]

I like one of the comments on the article: "How about a campaign to change rabbis instead"

The ad then asks anyone who "knows a young Jew living abroad" to call MASA. "Together, we will strengthen his or her bond to Israel, so that we don't lose them," the announcer concludes.

Seriously though, nobody bothered to tell me I was lost . And this whole, "living abroad"? Yes, I lived abroad for a while. Then I packed my belongings and caught a flight back home... To Seattle.

I find this article infuriating.

[s.rwitt]

This campaign is ridiculous, but it's reassuring to note that Sipahizade is still calling everyone racist.

[Blau&Gruen]

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition...ilation-1.8592



This just reeks of racism. Imagine if the German government published ads that compared white women marrying blacks or non-germans as "missing persons"

This is disgusting.

I do not think it is racist nor disgusting. Politicising a religion (a set of traditions and customs) is undermining it which I think is ethical questionable and should annoy you if you are Jewish whether you are traditional or secular or both. Assimilation is a right and I do not see what should be negative about. It can challenge what our internal worlds owe their live from.

The challenge is a mind and mood thing. Mind and mood things mirror the conflicting and contingent relation our subjectivity occupies towards the exterior world of experiences.

[white-wolf]

I do not see any mention at the article about "jews marrying outside of religion" except at the subject line.

If it is "really" about "jews marrying outside", then this shlong really stinks and racists. (no pun intended)

If NOT, then its perfectly normal. A group can try to NOT assimilate. It is their right.

[Blau&Gruen]

If NOT, then its perfectly normal. A group can try to NOT assimilate. It is their right.

Groups don't assimilate, individuals do and that is their right. Group membership is rather uninteresting in non traditional societies. The question is then how many? Soccer club, dog society, Facebook reader, hobby gardener, amazon gold card holder ... What is a group membership and if yes how many?

It's pure racism.

It's pure pre-modernism.

[removeduser_487563287433]

It's pure pre-modernism.

I think it's pretty racist to consider somebody gone forever because they dared to marry outside their ethnic group.

[Blau&Gruen]

I think it's pretty racist to consider somebody gone forever because they dared to marry outside their ethnic group. If I married a Jewish girl and she was targeted by this sort of crap I'd be beyond fury.

There could be said lot's of about from multiple, different, non consumberable perspectives.

[removeduser_487563287433]

There could be said lot's of about from multiple, different, non consumberable perspectives.

Huh?

[white-wolf]

Groups don't assimilate, individuals do and that is their right. Group membership is rather uninteresting in non traditional societies. The question is then how many? Soccer club, dog society, Facebook reader, hobby gardener, amazon gold card holder ... What is a group membership and if yes how many?

Ok, you are right. Correcting myself; individuals have right to assimilate or not assimilate.

[Ludicus]

What is a group membership and if yes how many...Soccer club, dog society, Facebook reader..?

Tribal territory,a group in which everyone knows everyone else.

The ancient tribal hunter lurking inside each citizen finds himself unsatisfied by membership in such a vast conglomeration of individuals, most of whom are totally unknown to him personally. He does his best to feel that he shares a common territorial defense with them all, but the scale of the operation has become inhuman. It is hard to feel a sense of belonging with a tribe of fifty million or more.

His answer is to form sub-groups, nearer to his ancient pattern, smaller and more personally known to him--the local club, the teenage gang, the union, the specialist society, the sports association, the political party, the college fraternity, the social clique, the protest group, and the rest.

Rare indeed is the individual who does not belong to at least one of these splinter groups, and take from it a sense of tribal allegiance and brotherhood. Typical of all these groups is the development of Territorial Signals--badges, costumes, headquarters, banners, slogans, and all the other displays of group identity. This is where the action is, in terms of tribal territorialism, and only when a major war breaks out does the emphasis shift upwards to the higher group level of the nation.

Desmond Morris

[removeduser_487563287433]

It's pure racism.

[Exarch]

if these israeli groups are so concerned about 'racial purity' they could always marry their cousins, as i've heard some arabs do

[hellheaven1987]

So Muslim Hivemind just find another way to fight Israel - to pollute their racial purity!!

[Exarch]

So Muslim Hivemind just find another way to fight Israel - to pollute their racial purity!!

nay, it will enhance and strengthen their racial purity!!

(won't do much for genetic variability, though)

Jewish marriage customs are not really about race but about religion.

granted,
do their cousins not practice judaism but?
problem solved

[Tiberios]

Stupid ad.

[Blau&Gruen]

if these israeli groups are so concerned about 'racial purity' they could always marry their cousins, as i've heard some arabs do

Jewish marriage customs are not really about race but about religion.