A correction and clarification from my email on Monday. I apologize for stating Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated in Minnesota, was Jewish. She was not, but indeed was a friend to the Jewish community. I also want to clarify that the investigation into motive is still ongoing and linking it with antisemitism was not my intent. Thank you to those who wrote to me.

There is much I could write about the ongoing Israel-Iran war. Operation Rising Lion represents a pivotal moment in Israel’s history, as she fights to ensure a nuclear-free Iran, an existential threat to Israel’s very survival and a concern for the entire world. In this extremely difficult and stressful time -- including a strike on the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva, a place of healing, not of war -- we continue to work with our networks and partner agencies on the ground providing support and assistance to those impacted. Our Israel Emergency Fund remains open for those who wish to meet the urgent needs of today.

Throughout, I have been getting reports from friends in Israel, including several Portlanders who were there and now on their way home. I thought these comments by Ani Wilcenski, Tablet’s Deputy Editor who happened to be in Israel when the war broke out, were quite poignant:

“As for me, I wish I could transmit this experience to average Americans: the people in cul-de-sacs with minivans and vague opinions on the Middle East from snippets on the news, who are incredibly blessed not to have their lives disrupted by air-raid sirens and daily missile barrages on their homes and neighborhoods. I don’t want this life for them at all, just a dose of perspective, especially for my generation, which didn’t experience 9/11. Meanwhile, people here run into shelters and eat dinner under rocket interceptions as if it’s normal—because, for them, it is normal. What makes Israelis so remarkable is not only their ability to survive threat after threat, but also their ability to continue living fully despite them. When home is fragile and security is a privilege, every act of normalcy is an act of defiance, and sometimes even an act of faith.

A friend and colleague, Noam Schlanger from Dror Israel, shared this moving personal note. In it he writes, "On a very personal level, this war touches both ends of my life. My partner of the past eight years is a Persian Jew, with family still living in Tehran. There’s something especially painful about fearing for your loved ones in Jerusalem while also fearing for your loved ones in Tehran. That tension - caring for people on both sides of a missile barrage - it not a new thing for us Jews. But it’s still a powerful reminder about the humanity lost on all sides of wars."

One unintended consequence of this war is that approximately 1,000 Israeli staff members who were expected to work at Jewish summer camps across North America (including our local camps) are still in Israel, and it remains unclear when - or if - they will be able to travel.

Jewish day and overnight camps are now urgently looking for staff to help fill these roles. Working as a counselor, specialist, educator, or unit head at camp is a meaningful (and fun!) way to be in community and create a sense of belonging and pride in Jewish young people.

Please fill out this short interest form if you or someone you know is available this summer -- even just for a week or two (anywhere in the country). Our partners at the Foundation for Jewish Camp will connect you with a camp in need.

On to other topics...

A new poll by the Pew Research Center found that the global Jewish population increased by 1 million between 2010-2020, to 15 million; Pew noted that the total number of Jews in the world is still less than the pre-World War II number of 16.6 million in 1939.

You may recall that in 2020, the Pew Research Center estimated there were about 7.5 million Jews in the United States. But this new study puts the figure closer to 5.7 million. That drop reflects Pew’s decision to count only those who self-identify with Judaism as a religion, excluding those who see their Jewishness as primarily ethnic, cultural or familial. (Using this definition, our Jewish Portland population study would have reduced the number of Jewish adults by 9,800.)

What happened to 1.8 million American Jews who see their Jewishness as ethnic, cultural, or familial, especially since that segment is the fastest-growing segment of American Jews? For its latest report, Pew only focused on “global religious population.” The metric was used because the goal of the project was to “report which religion, if any, people around the world identify with,” according to Conrad Hackett, senior demographer and associate director of religion research at Pew. To generate a number that could be comparable to, say, the number of Catholics, researchers needed to use a metric that could apply across communities.

The analysis, focused on population change, found that the population of Jews by religion in the United States grew by just 30,000 between 2010 and 2020 (despite the rapid growth of the Orthodox community). In contrast, it found that the Jewish population of Israel — as measured by the Israeli government — increased by 1 million, to 6.8 million, during that time.

In multiple other regions, Africa and Europe, the Jewish population fell substantially, largely reflecting widespread emigration. The European Jewish population fell by an estimated 8%; the Latin America-Caribbean region decreased by 12%; and the sub-Saharan African Jewish population dropped 37%, to just 50,000 in 2020, according to the report.

The overall growth in the world’s Jewish population did not increase their proportion of the world’s religious adherents because of the much faster growth in other populations. Jews make up only 0.2% of the world’s population. The study found that Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group, up 21% since 2010 with a total population of two billion.

A message from our Jewish Community Relations Council, whose membership is made up of area synagogues and Jewish agencies:

The JCRC is deeply disappointed by Wednesday's Supreme Court decision to uphold U.S. v. Skrmetti, allowing Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors to stand. We believe in and support legislation that protects the civil rights of all individuals, including those based on gender identity and expression.

Although this decision does not currently impact laws here in Oregon, we recognize that we are part of a broader American community. We stand with those harmed by this ruling.

Shabbat shalom and let us continue to stand with the people of Israel.