Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg of the Orthodox Congregation Rodfei Sholom in San Antonio said the controversy would be a minor issue for Israelis if it weren't for intense pressure from American Jews. A group of Jews who don't live in Israel want to change a system in Israel that Israel wasn't concerned about. But that's not likely to happen. Virtually nobody expects enough non-Orthodox Jews to move to Israel to break the Orthodox monopoly in the foreseeable future. Tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews emigrate to Israel each year, the overwhelming majority from the former Soviet Union.
People give more to designated philanthropies than they used to.
Allen said his agency supports a variety of programs that promote tolerance and diversity among all streams of Judaism in Israel, and more funds would be channeled toward such programs as a result of the controversy. Maxine Cohen, executive director of the Jewish Federation of San Antonio's community relations council, said questions of Jewish identity have always been around and are unlikely to go away soon. Our overriding concern must be our continuity as a people.