The Silent Holocaust

Abstract

Four generations previous to my own, Adolf Hitler was responsible for the death of 64 of the world's Jewish population, (The Number of Jews…”). The National Jewish Population Survey indicates that in another four generations, the Jewish population will decrease by another 85-98 (Will Your Grandchildren Be Jewish?). These findings are startling to the Jewish population, as they indicate a greater mass diminishing of our religion, culture, and race than was experienced in the Holocaust. Jewish officials and Christian and Secular researchers alike have speculated what could cause this heart-breaking dwindling of an already endangered People, and have come up with a plethora of reasons that are all partially responsible for what many are calling “The Silent Holocaust.”

A large part of the crisis stems from personal identity and inter-marrying—that is, marrying outside of the Jewish faith. The statistics can somewhat speak for themselves. 5.6 million of the world's approximate 12.9 million Jews live in America. Of those Jews, 2 million live in “non-Jewish households.” 60 of Jews under 40 years of age, and 20 over 60, identify as being “non-Jewish.” 52 of Jews who marry do so outside of their faith, and 54 of Jewish children are not being raised Jewish.