Jewish, English-speaking (Israel)

English-speaking Jews, called 'Anglos' by other Israelis, are immigrants from the United States, Britain, Canada, South Africa and Australia and their children, most of whom came by choice out of religious or Zionist conviction rather than to escape persecution. Since 2002 more than 80,000 have arrived on organised charter flights, and whole neighbourhoods of Beit Shemesh, Ra'anana, Modiin and Jerusalem now run on English, with their own synagogues, schools and Thanksgiving dinners. Most are religiously observant, Modern Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox, and many of their children volunteer for combat units as lone soldiers. They also include more Jewish believers in Jesus than any other Jewish community in Israel.