Population growth

Sharon Otterman in the New York Times reports that Jewish Population Is Up in the New York Region.

The Jewish population in the New York area grew by 9 percent over the last decade, reversing a longstanding trend of decline, the study found. But the growth did not affect all Jewish neighborhoods equally. Two-thirds of the rise was propelled by two deeply Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn with high birthrates — Williamsburg and Borough Park. Some of the city’s more affluent areas, like Brownstone Brooklyn and the Upper East Side, saw declines in their Jewish population, according to the study.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/18/nyregion/reversing-past-trend-new-yorks-jewish-population-rises.html?_r=0

And it seems like Israel will increase its population by one as an Italian politician has announced her plans to make aliya.

The vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Fiamma Nirenstein, on Thursday announced her decision to make aliya.

Nirenstein said she doesn’t plan to run again in the Italian elections and in addition to making aliya, will return to her career as a professional journalist.

“I am going back to journalism and to Israel,” said Nirenstein, adding that these were “the two best things” in her life Asked by the Italian newspaper Il Giornale about her plans, Nirenstein said: “I want to come back to Israel and also to apply for citizenship.”
http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=300008