Comments on: Israel’s Jewish population: 1900+ years in the making http://www.yourish.com/2006/05/01/1169 Cutting straight to the point Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:14:34 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Sabba Hillel http://www.yourish.com/2006/05/01/1169/comment-page-1#comment-5019 Sabba Hillel Wed, 03 May 2006 14:09:03 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2006/05/01/1169#comment-5019 There is a possibility that in between the exile of Yehoyakim and the final destruction, the population of Bavel <strong>may</strong> have passed that of Eretz Yisroel. Thus, the crossover point could have been as much as a decade before the destruction. There is a possibility that in between the exile of Yehoyakim and the final destruction, the population of Bavel may have passed that of Eretz Yisroel. Thus, the crossover point could have been as much as a decade before the destruction.

]]> By: Russ http://www.yourish.com/2006/05/01/1169/comment-page-1#comment-4939 Russ Mon, 01 May 2006 22:35:05 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2006/05/01/1169#comment-4939 Actually, I believe it has been longer than that. IIRC, from the Babylonian exile onward, the Jewish population in Babylon was higher than in Eretz Yisrael. So this would be the first time <em>since the destruction of the First Temple</em> that more Jews have lived in Israel than anywhere else. Actually, I believe it has been longer than that. IIRC, from the Babylonian exile onward, the Jewish population in Babylon was higher than in Eretz Yisrael. So this would be the first time since the destruction of the First Temple that more Jews have lived in Israel than anywhere else.

]]> By: Sabba Hillel http://www.yourish.com/2006/05/01/1169/comment-page-1#comment-4936 Sabba Hillel Mon, 01 May 2006 19:09:13 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2006/05/01/1169#comment-4936 But consider that we have lost so mucha in the past decades. While we can be happy that the Jewish polpulation of Israel is increasing, we cannot rejoice fully in that the reason that the population of Israel is greater than elsewhere is <strong>not</strong> because Jews have gone on Aliyah, <b>nor</b> is it because of the full population growth in Israel (the Israeli abortion rate is horrifying), but it is because of the destruction of Diaspora Jewry. <strong>That</strong> is a matter for sorrow. While we are told that we will be <i>the smallest of the nations</i> and while we remember the medrash that 80% of the Bani Yisroel never made it out of Egypt, we still feel the pain of the loss of so many or our people. Let us be happy for all the births, but let us mourn for all those not born that should have been Consider the statistics at <a href="http://http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/ab-israel.html" rel="nofollow">Historical abortion statistics, Israel</a> compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston last updated 9 April 2005. Consider all the children that were not born because of assimilation and intermarriage. Let us pray that we can reverse the trend of destruction. But consider that we have lost so mucha in the past decades. While we can be happy that the Jewish polpulation of Israel is increasing, we cannot rejoice fully in that the reason that the population of Israel is greater than elsewhere is not because Jews have gone on Aliyah, nor is it because of the full population growth in Israel (the Israeli abortion rate is horrifying), but it is because of the destruction of Diaspora Jewry. That is a matter for sorrow. While we are told that we will be the smallest of the nations and while we remember the medrash that 80% of the Bani Yisroel never made it out of Egypt, we still feel the pain of the loss of so many or our people.

Let us be happy for all the births, but let us mourn for all those not born that should have been

Consider the statistics at Historical abortion statistics, Israel compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston last updated 9 April 2005. Consider all the children that were not born because of assimilation and intermarriage. Let us pray that we can reverse the trend of destruction.

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