According to a report in Mercaz HaInyanim written by Shaul Weiss, the State of Israel now counts 6,180,000 Jewish inhabitants. 120,860 Jewish babies were born in Israel. The world Jewish population in the Diaspora has grown to 7,800,000, according to the usually accepted, very liberal criteria for Jewishness. A similar number was extant in 1882 when Palestine only numbered 24,000 Jews.
An internal division among the various countries indicates that the U.S. has 5,700,000 Jews; France still has 457,000; Canada - 3,850,000, England 290,000 and Russia - 186,000.
16,884 new immigrants arrived in Israel this past year of which 4,026 were from Russia; 2,904 from France; 2,186 from the U.S. and from the Ukraine, 1,917 Jews, a number influenced by the ongoing war there. 1,395 Jews emigrated from Ethiopia.
There are one and a half million Jews in Israel in 5775 who pray, with men, women and children praying regularly in 10,500 shuls throughout Israel.
72% of Jews from 20 and up declared that they attended a shul at least once this past year; 23% of the men attend daily; 25% on Shabbos and Yom Tov; 11% on Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur and only 24% do not attend shul at all.
In addition to batei knesses and prayer-designated places in Zahal camps, hotels and kosher vacation resorts, there are prayers taking place in malls which are closed on Shabbos, including supermarkets, and even in train stations and parking lots on Highway 6.
Who are the most satisfied? Residents of Jerusalem, Bnei Brak and Beer Sheva. And despite the higher income bracket in Tel Aviv-Jaffa and Ramat Gan, the amount of those satisfied with their praying accommodations is much lower.
