Hagai Segal, a veteran journalist and former editor of Makor Rishon, recently ignited a firestorm with a sharply worded critique of American Jewry. In an article published in that very newspaper, he addressed them in stark terms:

“Dear brothers, you are traitors. You are betraying us, and you are betraying yourselves. When you pray three times a day, ‘Sound the great shofar for our freedom and raise a banner to gather our exiles,’ you do not truly mean it—for the shofar has already sounded, and there is no longer any technical or political obstacle to the ingathering of our exiles—only a selfish obstacle on your part.”

Segal’s argument is clear: American Jews have been praying daily for the ingathering of the exiles, and with the establishment of the State of Israel their prayers have been answered, the shofar has sounded, and God is now waiting for them to come home. If, nevertheless, they remain in America it can only be a function of selfishness. Were American Jews to make Aliyah en masse, they could help address Israel’s demographic challenges and contribute to its security. Their failure to do so, he contends, constitutes an act of betrayal—of Israel, and of themselves.

Unsurprisingly, this critique provoked a wide range of responses—many of them forceful and indignant. I would like to offer a more measured rejoinder.

Before evaluating the charge, we must first clarify its target. Segal addresses “American Jewry” as a whole, yet his argument rests on a specific premise: that American Jews pray regularly for the ingathering of the exiles, and do so insincerely.

But this premise is deeply flawed. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center study, only about 22% of American Jews report praying on a daily basis. Of those, not all adhere to the traditional liturgy that includes petitions for the ingathering of the exiles. In effect, Segal’s accusation applies—at most—to a small minority.

Even within that minority, the picture is more complex. Many of those who do recite these prayers belong to the ultra-Orthodox community. Yet for them, the ingathering of the exiles is not understood as a human-driven return to a modern, secular state, but as a........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)