Jewish Population Approaches Pre-WWII Levels

JERUSALEM, Israel -- There are nearly as many Jewish people in the world now as there were before the Holocaust. That's according to the annual assessment of the Jerusalem-based Jewish People Policy Institute.

The JPPI said Jewish population has increased steadily and now numbers 14.2 million.

But if those who have one Jewish parent or are partially Jewish and identify themselves as such are included that number approaches the 16.5 million Jews who were alive before World War II. About six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust.

The report said the increase is due in part to natural growth mainly in Israel. But it's also because more people who are the offspring of mixed marriages in the United States are identifying themselves as Jewish.

According to Israeli law, being "Jewish" is defined as having a Jewish mother. But the Law of Return permits immigration to all who have at least one Jewish grandparent.

Contrary to popular belief, young Jews in the United States are becoming more pro-Israel mostly because of a growth in politically conservative Orthodox Jewish community, the JPPI said.

Israel has the largest Jewish population in the world, followed by the United States, France, and Canada.