Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) reports difficult situation with diminishing Jewish population in Austria. According to Ariel Muzykant, president of Vienna community, it now has only 7 500 members which is under critical level, and a third of other Austrian communities find themselves in such situation.
Forecasts say that in a decade the communities will decrease by half unless some radical measures are taken.
Austrian Jewish leaders see the way out in mass immigration of Russian speaking Jews from CIS which can easily be absorbed here, even better than in Germany.
According to JTA before the fall of the Iron Curtain Germany had a community of 30 thousand, and about 220 thousand with Jewish roots arrived there, out of which 90 thousand joined the community. So now Vienna needs 55 thousand Jewish immigrants to increase its community by 23 thousand.
Today Vienna has four schools, over ten synagogues and lots of various charities, and all this won’t be necessary if the community ceases to exist.
Some community members don’t believe Jews from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia will move to Austria, and the community is wrong in placing hopes on Russian speaking immigration.
Some people believe local communities should concentrate on Jews living in Austria and give to them better service from current community organizations.
Still most Austrian Jewish leaders place their hopes on immigration, and they have to act swiftly.
Based on JTA