In his comments to Arutz-7 News in English, Rabbi Chaim Wasserman, who serves as President of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis expresses his concerns over what he calls “A Jewish Diaspora alienation”.

He feels young American and Canadian Jews are more concerned about being good citizens in their own countries than having “An emotional gut connection to Eretz Yisrael”, adding this is a new phenomenon, one that has not existed since Yehuda Halevy.

The rabbi praises the efforts by the Jewish Agency and Chabad for trying to keep the young Jews affiliated. He feels a good start would be to get them to Israel, and once this is done, efforts must be made to bring them to a point they can feel the connection.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)