Comments on: Critics of MASA Go Viral http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/critics-of-masa-go-viral-and-masa-folds/ Connect. Educate. Innovate. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:56:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: MASA Officially Pulls the Plug on ‘Lost’ Campaign | eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/critics-of-masa-go-viral-and-masa-folds/comment-page-1/#comment-36153 MASA Officially Pulls the Plug on ‘Lost’ Campaign | eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:00:38 +0000 http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/?p=2553#comment-36153 [...] we first reported yesterday, MASA has officially dropped the ads for their ‘Lost’ [...] [...] we first reported yesterday, MASA has officially dropped the ads for their ‘Lost’ [...]

]]> By: ck http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/critics-of-masa-go-viral-and-masa-folds/comment-page-1/#comment-36092 ck Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:36:04 +0000 http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/?p=2553#comment-36092 What a crock of bull. Those opposed to the campaign speak in generalities - Ed Case at interfaithfamily.com states that "many intermarried couples, and the adult children of intermarried parents, are actively engaging in Jewish life." JJ Goldberg at the JPost says "Huge numbers of these children - we used to call them half-Jews - grow up to become active, identifying Jews. They make up an increasingly prominent proportion of new, innovative Jewish organizations, projects and Web sites." So what are they saying? They are using terms like "many." They cite "huge numbers." What's the reality? Only 15% of children of mixed marriages whose fathers are Jewish identify as Jews. If the mother is Jewish, only 38% identify as Jews. Given that 50% of Jewish marriages are mixed, those numbers do involve a lot of Jews. And some are indeed actively Jewish. BUT MOST ARE NOT. There's this notion that by ignoring these numbers we can somehow bring many of these non-identifying Jews back to the fold as it were. But we can't even keep most of the children of Reform and Conservative Jews interested in Judaism enough to make them want to live an actively Jewish life. Ignoring this massive problem isn't going to make it go away either. Haviv retting Gur's JPost oped <a href="http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/rosner/entry/masa_s_utterly_counter_productive" rel="nofollow">said it best</a>: "Friends, we have two Jewish peoples today for whom even the word "Jewish" sounds and means different things. Let's talk about it." The stats I cited are linked to at Jewlicious: http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/09/masa-video-freaks-out-the-jews-2/ as is the video with English subtitles. Jewlicious.ru has it with Russian subtitles. What a crock of bull. Those opposed to the campaign speak in generalities – Ed Case at interfaithfamily.com states that “many intermarried couples, and the adult children of intermarried parents, are actively engaging in Jewish life.” JJ Goldberg at the JPost says “Huge numbers of these children – we used to call them half-Jews – grow up to become active, identifying Jews. They make up an increasingly prominent proportion of new, innovative Jewish organizations, projects and Web sites.” So what are they saying? They are using terms like “many.” They cite “huge numbers.” What’s the reality?

Only 15% of children of mixed marriages whose fathers are Jewish identify as Jews. If the mother is Jewish, only 38% identify as Jews. Given that 50% of Jewish marriages are mixed, those numbers do involve a lot of Jews. And some are indeed actively Jewish. BUT MOST ARE NOT.

There’s this notion that by ignoring these numbers we can somehow bring many of these non-identifying Jews back to the fold as it were. But we can’t even keep most of the children of Reform and Conservative Jews interested in Judaism enough to make them want to live an actively Jewish life. Ignoring this massive problem isn’t going to make it go away either.

Haviv retting Gur’s JPost oped said it best:

“Friends, we have two Jewish peoples today for whom even the word “Jewish” sounds and means different things. Let’s talk about it.”

The stats I cited are linked to at Jewlicious: http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/09/masa-video-freaks-out-the-jews-2/ as is the video with English subtitles. Jewlicious.ru has it with Russian subtitles.

]]> By: Joel Katz http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/critics-of-masa-go-viral-and-masa-folds/comment-page-1/#comment-36078 Joel Katz Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:15:24 +0000 http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/?p=2553#comment-36078 Did anyone find it strange that one of the "Lost" is wearing a "I Love Israel" t-shirt? Did anyone find it strange that one of the “Lost” is wearing a “I Love Israel” t-shirt?

]]> By: MC Plumm http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/critics-of-masa-go-viral-and-masa-folds/comment-page-1/#comment-36074 MC Plumm Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:48:35 +0000 http://ejewishphilanthropy.com/?p=2553#comment-36074 I think calling this a campaign is presumptuous. A campaign is a series of ads (3 or more), a well- executed presentation that is the result of coordinated planning and account exec/creative collaboration. One bad ad does not a campaign make. And this is one bad ad. I think calling this a campaign is presumptuous. A campaign is a series of ads (3 or more), a well- executed presentation that is the result of coordinated planning and account exec/creative collaboration.

One bad ad does not a campaign make. And this is one bad ad.

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