TORONTO — Jerusalem’s Jewish population has shrunk from 70 per cent to 65 per cent over the past 15 years, and the city will lose its Jewish majority by 2035 if the trend continues, according to the city’s mayor, Nir Barkat.
Nir Barkat, Julia Koschitzky and the musicians of Hassadna. [Systems 4 Productions Inc photo]
Its Arab residents should be treated “as the Bible says – honestly and fairly,” but Jerusalem must remain “the united eternal capital of the Jewish people,” the high tech entrepreneur-turned-politician said last week, adding that “there’s not one city in the world that works split.”
Barkat, who was elected mayor in November 2008, spoke to some 400 people at a Jerusalem Foundation of Canada gala dinner Nov. 8 at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel, where he was introduced by Israel’s consul general to Toronto and Western Canada, Amir Gissin.
The event was hosted by Leslie Roberts of Global News and honoured five “modern builders of Jerusalem:” the Azrieli Foundation, the Asper family, Leslie and Anna Dan, Henry and Julia Koschitzky, and Isadore and Rosalie Sharp.
Julia Koschitzky, president of the Jerusalem Foundation of Canada, said the honorees “have transformed their love for Jerusalem into tangible terms.” Among other projects, she referred to “efforts to preserve Jerusalem’s 3,000-year-old history.”
As well, attendees were treated to a musical performance by four youngsters studying at the Jerusalem Conservatory Hassadna under a program for children at risk sponsored by the Jerusalem Foundation.
Jerusalem faces “tremendous” challenges including the need to find a common denominator among Jerusalemites, and creating more space for business and tourism while preserving old buildings and creating affordable housing at the same time, Barkat said.
“We have to return Jerusalem to the role it played 2,000 or 3,000 years ago, as the centre of the world, a place where Jews and non-Jews alike used to come and practise their faith, worship God, spiritualize, and go back home as ambassadors of peace.”
Barkat said that last year, Jerusalem had a net negative migration of 6,000 Jewish citizens.
The reason, he explained, is the economy – specifically, the city’s average income relative to the rest of the country.
In west Jerusalem, the average income among Jews is about $16,000 a year, but in the centre of Israel, it’s about $24,000, said Barkat, who also visited Montreal last week.
Among the Arab population, the average income is $4,000 a year in Jerusalem, but in the West Bank, it’s about $800.
Barkat said he is “deeply committed to understanding and proposing solutions [for] how to turn this around.”
Barkat also noted that Jerusalem had just over two million tourists in 2008, while New York, Paris, Rome and London had “at least 40 to 50 million” each.
The challenge, Barkat said, is to increase the numbers of tourists and pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem, and also to enrich their experience there.
Cultural institutions are geared to locals, he said. “We’re working very hard to help [them] think globally.”
His goal, a decade from now, is to attract 10 million tourists a year. “We need to work very aggressively.”
He lauded the Jerusalem Foundation as “a strategic partner” in investments.
The city has a lot to offer, Barkat said, citing “top-notch new ideas” in life sciences and biotechnology. He added that steps are already being taken to create jobs and affordable housing, and empower youth.
Lewis Mitz, vice-president of the Jerusalem Foundation of Canada, announced that, among its other projects, the organization will be working on empowering youth through a sports program in Jerusalem for 18- to 28-year-olds.
