If your parents aren't strictly kosher, you can't eat at their house. Lately savvy groups that actively recruit returnees in the U.S. have developed unique strategies. According to Aish HaTorah, a Jerusalem based outreach group with branches in New York and elsewhere in the U.S., three years ago about 3,000 people were attending its programs. Other outreach groups claim similar growth figures. New York City, home to more Jews than Jerusalem, is brimming with organizations fighting the demise of the Jewish community, and these outreach groups say they are succeeding.
Most organizations attract returnees through classes, holiday dinners and socials, and seminars.