The Future of European Jewry: Thriving or in Decline?

In June 2011, the Chief Rabbi participated in the panel discussion at the Israeli Presidential Conference.

The conversation tackled key questions such as, what are the external and inter-communal challenges that the Jews of Europe face? (assimilation, identity crisis and erosion of internal solidarity, the growing Muslim population, anti-Semitism, political power, the young generation, affinity to Israel, and more). How do these communities deal with these challenges today and what challenges will they face in the future? Can we relate to the European Jewry as a whole or must each community be approached separately? Are the small European communities destined to vanish? What is Israel’s role with respect to the challenges that stand before the Jews in Europe?

Moderator: Ambassador Daniel Shek, Israel Former Ambassador to France; Former Spokesman.

Israeli Foreign Ministry Participants:

• Rabbi Shmuel Riccardo Di Segni MD, Italy Chief Rabbi of Rome Mr. Anton Nossik, Russian Federation Founder, OOO Gnostic; Founder, Pomogi.Org Charity Foundation
• Dr. Diana Pinto, France Ph.D. in Contemporary European History; Senior Fellow, Institute for Jewish Policy Research; Director, IJPR’s Voices for The Res Publica: Re-discovering the Common Good project
• Dr. Richard Prasquier, France President, Council of Jewish Institutions (CRIF), France; President, French Committee, Yad Vashem; Received Honour Award For Memory Zakhor (2006)

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Watch the keynote speech Rabbi Sacks delivered that same day, entitled Looking Towards Tomorrow: Trends, Challenges, and Decisions