Daily Alert Archives

Seeking Closer Ties to Hispanic Groups, U.S. Jews Bring Their Leaders to Israel

(Ha'aretz) Sarah Bronson - Led by the president of New York City's Bronx borough, 15 Latino religious leaders were in Israel this week to visit Christian holy sites and talk with political and security officials. Funded by Jewish organizations in the U.S., the trip is part of a larger plan among American Jewish leaders to establish closer relations with American Hispanics. "The Latino community is the fastest-growing ethnic population in New York City," said Michael Miller, executive vice president of the Jewish Community Relations Council. "It's to the advantage of the Jewish community to build close ties with the leadership of the Hispanic groups, particularly through their religious leaders. [Latinos] have a high identification with their churches, whether they are Catholic or Protestant." Demographics in the U.S. are changing to such an extent that the Israeli consulates in New York and Los Angeles have appointed community relations officers whose sole assignment is to reach out to the Hispanic and African-American populations on behalf of the State of Israel.
2004-05-28 00:00:00
Full Article