Sunday will begin the Week of Connection to Diaspora Jewry, a week dedicated to strengthening the ties between Israel and Jews in the diaspora in light of the various challenges and complications currently facing Jewry in Israel and abroad.
According to the Diaspora Affairs Ministry's statistics, there are currently 14.4 million Jews in the world, with 6.3 million in Israel and the rest spread out over the globe.
Over 80% of Jews who do not live in Israel are either loosely affiliated or completely unaffiliated with their Jewish heritage and the State of Israel.
In addition, only 25% of the younger generation in the US feel at all connected to Israel, and Judaism is relevant to only 33% of them. This trend creates a drastic drop in the number of Jews and in the need for the State of Israel to take an active part in reaching out to Diaspora Jews.
The Diaspora Affairs Ministry said, "The purpose of this week is to connect the Jewish nation in the diaspora, by enriching and expanding Israeli citizens' knowledge of Jews in the diaspora, and strengthening the connections between Israel's Jews and Diaspora Jews. We also aim to enhance the identification and recognition of the Diaspora Jews as a strategic resource critical to the continued existence of the State of Israel."
The week's events will include a special government meeting on Sunday on the topic of the Diaspora Jews, during which Diaspora Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) will present important statistics and explain his work in strengthening Jewish identity in Diaspora Jews.
On Tuesday, there will be a virtual meeting of Israeli and Diaspora youth. The meeting will discuss Jewish identity and connection with Israel. Diaspora Minister Bennett, as well as the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, will attend the meeting.
During the rest of the week, additional events will be held in schools, community centers, and youth groups for the purpose of strengthening the ties between Israel's Jews and Diaspora Jews around the world.