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Israeli 'Lost Jews' Ad Sparks Outrage

Portrays those assimilated outside Israel as missing

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 9, 2009 12:23 PM CDT

(Newser) – An Israeli outreach group has dumped an ad campaign that sparked controversy by portraying assimilated Diaspora Jews as “lost,” the Jerusalem Post reports. Prominent American Jewish voices slammed the campaign, which many took as a slight to intermarried Jews. An intermarried Israeli critic called it “racist,” pointing out that his children would be deemed “lost” even after serving in Israel’s army.

The North American director of Masa, the group behind the campaign—which included a video composed of headshots of young people pasted on fliers that read "Missing" and "Lost" in English, Russian, and Spanish— cited “misinterpretation,” acknowledging that it “touched many raw nerves.” The campaign shows the ignorance of many Israelis “about the wealth of Jewish life lived abroad,” and “also shows that the brains behind the video have never been to Hebrew school or a Jewish youth organization meeting in the United States,” writes Benjamin L. Hartman in Haaretz.

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 9 comments

Are_you--Nobody--Too

Sep 10, 2009 1:26 AM CDT

Yes, edtastic. The irony is that the Jews have had a much publicized history of being mistreated by racism and segregation. And here we see a group of Jews demonstrating a racism and segregation against those that they have defined as not Jewish. You would think that this "reverse racism" wouldn't happen. It's strange.

Sphinx

Sep 9, 2009 8:20 AM CDT

The most reasonable solution would be to kickstart talks on achieving a Palestinian state, not begging the Jews to reproduce.

Sphinx

Sep 9, 2009 8:18 AM CDT

Oh yay, more generalistations about religious people! Ok, my turn: ALL atheists and/or agnostics write snarky comments about religious people online because they like to feel superior to strangers :) I know bagging on religion is in right now, but it would be really nice if we could all just respect everyone's right to worship the way they please without making swooping generalisation everytime religion is mentioned.

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Jerusalem Post (Israel) (Source Grid »)
Haaretz (Israel) (Source Grid »)

World • Lifestyle

Israel • Jews • Jewish • advertising campaign • assimilation • intermarriage

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Israeli 'Lost Jews' Ad Sparks Outrage