Yad L'Achim publicizes its success stories for their public relations and fundraising, like the recent one about the halachikly Jewish boy's Bar Mitzvah.
They need to do this, and they need to do their work, but the rescued families don't always live "happily ever after," and they don't always end up to live as Jews. I certainly have nothing against Yad L'Achim and their amazing, daring and important work, but it's never enough to just rescue and then try to deprogram and help the Jewish women and their children. They are not always able to adjust to Jewish lives. That sad, tragic fact must be recognized.
My sources have told me that the percentage of women and their children who actually remain Jewish after their dramatic rescues is terribly small. You won't find that on any of the sites of organizations that help these women and their children. A less well-known organization is Daughters of Israel, which claims an 85% success rate, but I've heard that in general the statistics are the opposite.
L'havdil, to differentiate, just think of the return to chu"l abroad rate of olim, immigrants to Israel and the need for many immigrants to live and socialize near people of their own sort of background. For the rescued women and their children, living as Jews, Jewish Israelis after, years, a lifetime as a Muslim Arab may be pretty much impossible.
Who are we to judge, when a child, or young adult who is born and raised as a Muslim Arab in a strong society can't transform him/herself into an Israeli Jew? Think of the Jewish children during the Holocaust who were given for safekeeping to non-Jews and then found it impossible to accept that they are really Jewish afterwards. It's a terrible tragedy for the Jewish People! Understanding these difficulties doesn't mean that I accept their giving up on their Judaism.
Which types of women are most vulnerable? I have some thoughts about that, too, but they will have to wait for another post.
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My sources have told me that the percentage of women and their children who actually remain Jewish after their dramatic rescues is terribly small. You won't find that on any of the sites of organizations that help these women and their children. A less well-known organization is Daughters of Israel, which claims an 85% success rate, but I've heard that in general the statistics are the opposite.
L'havdil, to differentiate, just think of the return to chu"l abroad rate of olim, immigrants to Israel and the need for many immigrants to live and socialize near people of their own sort of background. For the rescued women and their children, living as Jews, Jewish Israelis after, years, a lifetime as a Muslim Arab may be pretty much impossible.
Who are we to judge, when a child, or young adult who is born and raised as a Muslim Arab in a strong society can't transform him/herself into an Israeli Jew? Think of the Jewish children during the Holocaust who were given for safekeeping to non-Jews and then found it impossible to accept that they are really Jewish afterwards. It's a terrible tragedy for the Jewish People! Understanding these difficulties doesn't mean that I accept their giving up on their Judaism.
Which types of women are most vulnerable? I have some thoughts about that, too, but they will have to wait for another post.
