WHILE RASMUSSEN (POLLS) REPORTS THAT ONLY 17% OF AMERICANS THINK FATHERS DAY IS IMPORTANT,TO ME IT RENEWS IN MY MIND THE ROLE OF THE JEWISH FAMILY.
OF COURSE HOLIDAYS IN AMERICA ARE DRIVEN BY THE COMMERCIAL FORCES ie MACYS NORDSTRAM ETC.X-MAS,CHANUKKAH AND SO ON HAVE LOST THEIR ORIGINAL RELIGIOUS MEANING IN MANY HOUSEHOLDS.
THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED JEWISH POPULATION STUDY OF NYC JEWS IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN ON ONE HAND AND OPTIMISM ON THE OTHER.
I HAVE PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN THAT WE LIVE IN A LARGE APT HOUSE,PROBABLY 60-70 % JEWISH.WE ARE APPROACHING 11-12 SHOMER SHABBAT FAMILIES.THE REST WHILE JEWISH IN NAME,ARE THE LOST GENERATION.
TO HEAR THEM SPEAK OF THEIR CHILDREN IS TO WITNESS NO FUTURE FOR OUR PEOPLE.
NO JEWISH EDUCATION, VALUES OR TRADITION-BEACAUSE THESE PEOPLE HAVE NONE.
IN RELIGIOUS TERMS THEY ARE A "TINOK SHENISHBAH"-A CHILD KIDNAPPED AT AN EARLY AGE AND THUS NEVER EXPOSED TO JEWISH LIFE.
SOME OF THESE MAY BE PART OF THE DISAPPEARING CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT OR PART OF THE REFORM WHICH NOW HAS 50% INTERMARRIAGE.
UNLESS A FEW OF THEIR GRANDCHILDREN WILL HOOK UP TO CHABAD OR NCSY OR THE ISRAEL PROGRAM,THEY ARE LOST.
THE BRIGHT PART SHOWS THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE MODERN ORTHODOX CHAREDI SECTOR. 64% OF CHILDREN IN NYC BELONG TOP THIS GROUP.
SADLY THE CHAREDI-YESHIVISH ELEMENT ARE NOT CONNECTED TO THE KLAL OF THE TOTAL JEWISH COMMUNITY.THEY FOR THE MOST PART DO NOT ATTEND COLLEGE,AND ARE POORER.
WITH THEIR HUGE GROWTH RATE, THERE MAY AND WILL COME A TIPPING POINT WHERE RICH GRANDPARENTS,OR THE COMMUNITY OR THE GOVT., WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM UNLESS THEY HELP THEMSELVES MORE BY EDUCATION AND JOINING THE WORKFORCE.
I DO NOT MEAN TO REFER TO ALL IN THIS GROUP,FOR MANY DO EXACTLY THAT.HOWEVEVER THOSE WHO SIT IN A KOLLEL FOREVER AND GET MARRIED, HAVE CHILDREN AND EXPECT OTHERS TO SUPPORT THEM ABOVE THAT WHICH THEIR WIVES CAN BRING IN-WHEN THEY ARE NOT PREGNANT -REPRESENT A LONG TERM PROBLEM.
SIMILARLY SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL IS ABSENT IN THESE COMMUNITIES-A REAL PROBLEM.
