Jewish Life Rating Agency

Jnews will rate Jewish Well Being

by Alexander Zanzer

According to a study by Professor Sergio DellaPergola of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the global Jewish population grew by more than 88,000 people over the past year and reached 13.75 million. This means that out of every 514 people on earth, 1 is Jewish. Jews represent less than 0,2% of mankind, but the well being of this population is not only of interest to themselves, but reflect to great extent the tolerance of the environment they are living in and the state of mind of humanity as a whole.

ating agencies judge in general the economic well being of a country. Credit Rating Agencies base their results on debt obligations. The economic crisis has shown that their ratings not only express, but also influence the wellbeing of the citizens of the country. The higher the rating, the more developed the country and the more secure -in many aspects- the feeling of its inhabitants. The question can be asked if the well being of Jewish citizens can also be measured and expressed in one simple rating. Life is not simple to rate and Jewish life is influenced by even more factors and centuries of persecution. But yet, there is an urging necessity not only to rate Jewish Life, but also to reflect on the future of Jewish Communities as well as individuals following any type of events which can affect the wellbeing as comprehensive indication or even an alarm sign.

Which elements can influence such a rating? The term Self-Actualisation comes closest to our intentions as a basis of what we want to rate. Self-actualisation is a term that has been used in various psychology theories. The term was originally introduced by the Kurt Goldstein for the motive to realize one's full potential. Expressing one's creativity, quest for spiritual enlightenment, pursuit of knowledge, and the desire to give to society are examples of self-actualization. Goldstien's view can be summarised as follows: "the tendency to actualise itself as fully as possible is the basic drive...the drive of self-actualisation." My intention is not to develop a new psychological or even sociological theory, but to provide a simple, even imperfect, rating of the quality of Jewish life in countries or regions, where differences are obvious and difficult to ignore.

Jewish Life Rating Agency

The rating will be expressed by the number of lights on a menorah. The menorah has been THE symbol of Judaism since ancient time and reflect both the religious as well as the social belonging to the Jewish Nation. In judging the well being of Jews in the region they live in, we should consider the following aspects: Religious well being: reflected by number and quality of synagogues and other religious institutions. Social Well Being : here we must consider both positive integration as well as negative assimilation. Also must be considered the presence of Jewish citizens in cultural and political life of the country. Economic Well Being : reflects the economic status and financial well being. Communal Life: number and quality of Communal Jewish organisations, including old age homes, representative organs, social organisations and others. Freedom of speech and availability of Jewish press. Education: quantity and quality of Jewish schools and other educational institutions. Security and antisemitism: both qualitative as quantitative security concerns. It has to reflect the feeling of safety based on empirical data (terrorism, number antisemitic attacks) as well as the state of mind of the Jewish population. It has to reflect the feeling of safety based on empirical data (terrorism, number antisemitic attacks) as well as the state of mind of the Jewish population.

"Radical Islamism, the economic crisis and the rise of the radical 5 star movement of Grillo puts a strong negative outlook on Jewish life in Italy."

Position towards Israel: the position of the political decision makers and the society towards Israel. Seven lights to reflects the seven aspects of Jewish Life we want to rate. A totally unlit Menorah means that there is practically no Jewish life in the said country. A fully lit menorah is the best possible rating. It represents the mythical place where Jewish life is characterised by the potential for full self-actualisation. In the following weeks, I will publish the first ratings reports and make them available for the international press and scrutiny in the hope that decision makers as well as simple Jewish citizens can reflect on their position, make comparisons and most importantly try to improve their rating. Like in the case of credit rating agencies, the lit menorahs will be accompanied by a negative or positive outlook. A clear example of this can be given by the situation in Italy. Radical Islamism, the economic crisis and the rise of the radical 5 star movement of Grillo puts a strong negative outlook on Jewish life in Italy.