Jerusalem Post author proposed that Israel view the Jewish diaspora differently
In Israel, active Jewish communities abroad should be viewed not only through the prism of assimilation and population decline, but also as communities that consciously choose to preserve Jewish identity. This view was expressed in a column for the Jerusalem Post by David Zalik, co-founder of the Zalik Foundation.
The author agreed that diaspora Jews should have a voice in issues concerning the Jewish people, but, in his view, they should not make decisions on Israel's sovereign policy. He explained this by saying that Israelis are the ones who vote in the country, serve in the military, and bear the consequences of such decisions.
Egypt and Babylon
Zalik believes that in Israeli society, the diaspora is often assessed through the biblical image of Jews who remained in Egypt and later disappeared. Instead, he proposes turning to the example of Babylon, where the Jewish community became an important center of religious and intellectual life. According to the author, the Talmud was created in Babylon — without its own state, sovereignty, or expectation of return.
At the same time, Zalik mentions the traditional assertion that only one-fifth of the Israelites left Egypt. In his view, this image shows that the future of Jewish civilization depended not on the number of supporters, but on a committed minority. Likewise, modern diaspora communities can endure and develop thanks to people who consciously maintain a connection with Judaism and Israel.
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A conscious choice
Zalik notes that in Israel, Jewish identity is supported by language, the calendar, culture, geography, and the state itself. In the United States, in his view, Jews independently decide whether to observe religious traditions, give their children a Jewish education, study history, publicly support Israel, and maintain a connection with the Jewish people.
The author writes that part of the Jewish community in the diaspora assimilates, but at the same time, the circle of people devoted to God, the Torah, and the idea of Jewish community is growing. Among them are also those who do not belong to Orthodox Judaism but study with Orthodox mentors and seek a deeper connection with tradition.
In Zalik's view, Israel restored the Jewish people's capacity for self-government and self-defense, while American Jews developed the experience of consciously choosing Jewish life and engaging with wider society. He proposed viewing these capacities as complementary contributions to the future of the Jewish people.
