Alarmed by reports of declining numbers of diaspora Jews, delegates said they were intent on strengthening their communities and committed to what Bronfman called "a Jewish renaissance."

On the final day of the conference, Jan. 25, Israel's Youth Aliya Department head Yehiel Leket criticized writer A.B. Yehoshua, who earlier told the WJC that Israel no longer needs the money or the political support of world Jewry.

Leket said that only wealthier Israelis are prepared to give up the assistance from world Jewry. In Israel, however, there are more than 650,000 people living below the poverty line, the majority of them children, he said.