CATEGORY: Social Culture
15.04.2012
Israel 2030: A hard look at the hard numbers
If demographic trends remain the same, the percentage of Israelis participating in the workforce is expected to decline by 6 percent in the next 20 years, according to a new report titled “Changes in the structure and composition of the Israeli population according to cultural – religious sectors in the coming twenty years and their consequences on the labor market.”
The report, dated November 2011, was issued this week [April 9] by the Research & Economics Administration of the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, and predicts Israel’s demographic composition for the next 20 years and its expected impact on the workforce.
The findings were based on new demographic statistics compiled by Dr. Eliyahu Ben Moshe for the Research & Economics Administration.
The report shows that:
•Israel’s population growth is expected to decline in the coming 20 years, but will remain high relative to many other countries in the world.
•By 2030 Israel is projected to have 11 million people, and the population density will increase to 450 souls per km, the highest ratio for any developed nation in the world. [This obviously shows the imperative of planning building and zoning new land for housing, as well as long-term planning for transportation and services - AM].
•There will be a steady decrease in the number of people of working-age [15-64] from its current 62% [in 2010] to 59% in 2030.
•This decrease will bring with it serious ramifications for the dependency ratio. Increasingly, every working person will have to support more people through his/her labors.
•The number of Israelis of the primary working age [25-54] is currently at 38%. That’s just over one-third of Israelis who are ‘eligible’ to work by dint of their being within this age group.
•Of the overall percentage of general working age Israelis [15-64], the Haredim currently represent 8.5% and are projected to make up 15.1% of working-age Israelis in 2030.
•Only a drastic decline in the fertility rate can stop this trend.
•The secular sector’s percentage of working age people will drop from its current 36% to 29% in 2030. In 2030, there will be an increase of 1.8 million people in the 15-64 age group, from its current 4.8 million, up to 6.6 million.
•In the primary working age group of [25 - 54], another 900,000 souls will be added – obviously in an unequal proportion between the various religious-cultural sectors of Israeli society. A full one-third of these 900,000 people of working age will come from the Haredi sector, and 38% will come from the Arab sector.
Therefore, if current workforce participation trends continue [especially amongst Haredi men and Arab women] there will be significant consequences for the Israeli economy and the welfare of all of its citizens.
CATEGORIES: English Social Culture Thoughts
08.04.2012
The Kaufman Critique: Keeping Passover real at McDonald’s
It’s been over a year since the last Kaufman Critique was published. It’s not that I haven’t been to restaurants lately, more of a time issue.
And certainly, writing about McDonald’s isn’t the best comeback post, but hey – maybe it’ll get me back into the food-groove.
Anyway, it’s Pesach. The holiday I hate the most. Because of that whole bread thing. Pointless.
McDonald’s, though, doesn’t agree. And McDonald’s would know. They know a thing or two about… money. So, what do they do during Pesach, when it comes to buns? Well, as you may or may not know – McDonald’s is divided into Kosher and non-Kosher brancיes in Israel. But most of them offer Kosher buns. In fact, they limit the menu to meals with kosher buns. So, you can’t get a Big Mac, for example. You can only get a Royal (Quarter pounder in the States).
But — you can get it with cheese.
So you can keep Kosher, but not really Kosher.
I always find this little ritual that McDonald’s does every year to be very telling of Israeli society. And corporate capitalism, too.
Nonetheless, critique-wise this bun is actually pretty good for a Kosher for Pesach bun. One usually expects something chewy that doesn’t digest well, but here, the McDonald’s scientists have done it again. Light, fluffy – and none of that Pesach smell and aftertaste of the usual dodgy buns. Bravo and Chag Sameach!
As originally posted on: +972
CATEGORIES: English Short Story Social Culture WTF
04.04.2012
NACHDENKEN ÜBER AHASVER (3)
ANTWORTMASCHINE AHASVER
1.
Die Fragen sind verbraucht wie die Tage,
nur Antworten wandern noch hin und her.
Diese Spuren verwehen: ich trage
jede Last der Erde nur allzu schwer.
Sie drückt die Füße in den weissen Staub,
der Nacken krumm geht unter diesem Joch,
die Stürme der Wut machen mich halb taub,
Flehen und Beten hält die Sinne hoch.
2.
Aus Jerusalem sollte ich kommen,
verflucht bis an das Ende jeder Zeit.
Die Wahrheit ist, ich bin aus Überall,
geboren im Zorn, gewachsen im Hass.
Sie sahen mich in allem und jedem,
in jedem Flehen um die Erlösung,
sie glaubten, ich bäte nur noch darum,
und Furcht stand ihnen in dem kleinen Geist.
3.
Ich wurde geschmäht, geplündert und
geprügelt, gescholten und verjagt,
wie einen verdreckten und lahmen Hund
ließen sie mich sterben, wie vorausgesagt.
Doch es brachte ihnen keinen Frieden,
mir nicht mehr, denn das Sterben ist zu leicht,
bei ‘Asche zu Asche’ ist es geblieben,
mehr haben sie niemals wieder erreicht.
4.
Und so gehe ich noch immer auf der Welt,
bin in jedem von uns wach und stark und schön.
Kämpf nicht mit mir, Schwester, nimm mich an,
Bruder, leg mich in dich wie einen Schatz.
Solange dein Atem geht von einem Ende
zum nächsten, solange dein Blick
sich nicht trübt, solange halte mich
in dir und ich lege dich in meine Hände.
CATEGORIES: Religion Social Culture
03.04.2012
Jewish by the way of thinking. Mikhail Zhvanetsky about the “Lost generation”.
“Every time when I recall that the Lord is fair, I tremble for my country.” M.M. Zhvanetsky.
Nowadays only few artists master the skill of talking allegorically. So that to be profound and amusing at the same time. However Michael Zhvanetskiy manages to be even humorous. You laugh, and simultaneously can’t but think over the sense of the joke.
M.M. Zhvanetsky is a person of unique talents and tremendous mind. A thinker, a philosopher, a satirist, a writer, a Jew. Zhvanetsky is one of the few representatives left of so-called artistic Russian-speaking elite; and is well-known by his lively satiric prose. His works are full of deep feelings towards the society he is addressing; his words are energetic and precisely targeted. Talking in simple language about complicates things, he skillfully penetrates into the readers’ hears.
Mikhail was born in the FSU in a vivacious and characteristic Jewish shtetl Odessa, which is in Ukraine. His life wasn’t apparently easy: Mikhail happened to overcome the Second World War, the famine, anti-Semitism… His parents Emmanuil Moiseevich and Raisa Jakovlevna were doctors. In his interviews Zhvanetsky describes the terror they were living under during that period of life.
However listening to him, you won’t hear a word of complaining. Probably because of his simple and at the same time deeply philosophical approach to life.
CATEGORIES: Art Reading Social Culture
27.03.2012
spread the word: Martin Luther King Jr. – 1967
CATEGORIES: Documentation English Film Jews-News Politics Press Skills Social Culture
24.03.2012
No matter how tight things get – there are always good people out there!
CATEGORIES: English Politics Social Culture Video
