Israel: Assimilation

Intermarriage Dept: The ads struck a nerve in a community that has long debated the nature of the Jewish identity and struggled with issues of assimilation, intermarriage and tensions between religious and secular Jews, according to Vancouver Sun. A narrator intoned: "They will always remain Israelis. Their partners won't always understand what that means. Help them return to Israel." The Israeli government withdrew an ad campaign Friday after a rare backlash from major U.S. Jewish groups for appearing to urge expatriates not to marry American Jews or raise children in the United States. The first ad showed a young Israeli woman wincing after her American boyfriend mistakes candles and music marking Israel's solemn memorial day for a romantic night in. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.