The future belongs to the Haredim
Think of someone you know who is Jewish. Chances are, he or she looks and acts and dresses very much like a gentile, probably doesn't drink very much and isn't enormously strict on keeping kosher.
As I am forever saying, it isn't a case that 'some of my best friends are Jewish', more a case that 'most of them' are, and the template I have just outlined holds good with the folk I know. And the relevant bit is that a study has found that 3 out of 4 Jewish births are to ultra orthodox or Haredi parents. Projecting those figures, a study by a British academic suggests that the Haredim will grow from around 17% of British Jewry to over half by 2050 or so. Much the same is predicted for the US and Israel. This is due to the Haredim being keen on having large families, and the less orthodox rather less so, and / or marrying out. The latter has been termed, rather unpleasantly, the silent holocaust.
Observance of a religion I do not subscribe to, and the choices folk make as to family size is absolutely no business of mine (not that such a realisation usually stops me), but it does seem a little sad that a very distinct Anglo-Jewish identity is heading for oblivion
As I am forever saying, it isn't a case that 'some of my best friends are Jewish', more a case that 'most of them' are, and the template I have just outlined holds good with the folk I know. And the relevant bit is that a study has found that 3 out of 4 Jewish births are to ultra orthodox or Haredi parents. Projecting those figures, a study by a British academic suggests that the Haredim will grow from around 17% of British Jewry to over half by 2050 or so. Much the same is predicted for the US and Israel. This is due to the Haredim being keen on having large families, and the less orthodox rather less so, and / or marrying out. The latter has been termed, rather unpleasantly, the silent holocaust.
Observance of a religion I do not subscribe to, and the choices folk make as to family size is absolutely no business of mine (not that such a realisation usually stops me), but it does seem a little sad that a very distinct Anglo-Jewish identity is heading for oblivion
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on Thursday, August 02, 2007 at 9:33 am.
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Expect the Conservative vote to grow, then. When I'm in South Tottenham looking at all the Jewish children out and about, I know that we'll be able to win the seat one day.
There is that, yes.
A few days ago whilst idly browsing the blogs I read that Islamic immigrants like to have large families, while the birth rate of native Brits was shrinking rapidly. (Sorry I cannot recall whose blog I saw it on). Now you tell us that Jewish folk also like to produce big families. So, looks to me then that in the not too distant future we shall have a little Gaza-on-Thames all to ourselves. Lucky us! Happily, I shall not be around to enjoy it.
Ah, but what are the relative rates of Aliya?
Sunday
Take South Tottenham for the Tories? Never! Those little Jewish kids will grow up and move out to Radlett!
I think we should limit child benefit to the first 2 kids only _ and not allow any additional income support etc. to recognise/ compensate for larger families. certainly, councils should not be legally obliged (as at present) to provide enormous houses for those selfish people who think they have a right to indulge their fertility at someone else's expense.
Amen David. As I have noted elsewhere, the only people who can afford to have large families are the very poor and the very rich, and it is less than just that the intentionally childless, inter alia, are compelled to support other people's choices through the tax system.
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