(NEWS) Jewish Agency Makes It Official: New Focus Is On Identity Building

"As expected, the board of governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel approved a plan to overhaul the agency’s focus.

The new strategic vision, which is outlined in an 11-page document, calls for turning the agency’s attention more squarely toward building global Jewish identity, and away from its traditional mission of bringing in and settling new immigrants to Israel.

The plan, according to a statement released by the agency last week, passed 119-1 in a June 25 vote at the board's meetings in Jerusalem.

'The main danger facing the Jewish world today is a weakening of the connection of young Jews to their people and to the State of Israel,' said the agency’s chairman, Natan Sharansky, who led the new strategic planning process along with the organization’s top lay leader, Richard Pearlstone. 'Our new plan deals directly with this issue.'"