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Language
English (en)
Date of Award
12-1-2006
Author's Department
International and Area Studies
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts (A.B.)
Restricted/Unrestricted
Restricted
Abstract
Population politics spark increasing debate and interest as the world becomes 'smaller' through globalization and the world's population continues to increase. Israel, a Jewish state home to several large minority religions, is a particularly volatile center for population conflict. In this paper I explore the unusual position oflsraeli Jews with regard to fertility. I examine demographic indicators oflsrael's Jewish and minority populations, their change over time and government attempts to control these trends. Religiosity is a central impetus behind the Israeli government's pronatalist policy. This paper reflects the strength of association between religion and fertility by focusing on Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox Jews, or Haredim. By drawing on private interviews within the community, I am able to demonstrate that this religious community is both the primary beneficiary of pronatalist policy as well as an influential force in their implementation. Initially, I explore the beliefs and institutions in the ultra-Orthodox community which encourage and allow high fertility. The ability ofHaredim to maintain this fertile lifestyle is directly correlated with Israel as a welfare state. I use a historical approach to examine the interactions between Israel's secular Zionist founders and the leading religious parties in government. Both groups indicate a shared goal of pronatalism and aversion for decreasing Jewish numbers. Together, they formulate pronatalist policies in the form of welfare legislation, obstacles to family planning and promotion of reproductive technology. Finally, I suggest that Israeli policies of this type might have peaked in Israel's early decades and have begun to decline in recent years. Katz
Recommended Citation
Katz, Sarah, "The Fertility Dynamic of Israel's Ultra-Orthodox Jews and Pronatalist Governmental Policy" (2006). Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses. 125.
https://repository.library.washu.edu/undergrad_etd/125