AHC: More Widespread Judaism

Here is a challenge for you. Wikipedia currently states that Judaism has 13.4 million adherents as of 2010, and the only nation where it is a state religion/major religion is Israel.

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to have Judaism have at least 65 million adherents (5 times its current number) by 2010. In addition, more than three nations should have Jews make up at least 40% of their population.

Additional Conditions: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Chinese Folk Religion must all still be major religions. You can reduce their adherents to increase the number of Jews, but you can't get rid of them entirely. Simply put, the general religious status of the world must be unchanged.

Any thoughts? The best idea I can come up with is having the Khazars last a lot longer, and a lot stronger, than they did historically. Have the conversion of the aristocracy filter down into the lower classes. Beyond there, I don't know - maybe have it travel up the Volga into the Rus?
 
that could work but are the khazars alone enough?,
maybe if other khanates in central asia also converted, following its example.
maybe that could lead to a jewish mongolia?
 
A revision of both Catholic and Jewish tradition might do the trick. A more tolerant Cathplic church and less rigorous Jewish orthodoxy.

Alternatively, an exclusively Jewish exodus to the New world resulting in a majority Jewish colony, consequently becoming a large and powerful nation, might do it.
 
that could work but are the khazars alone enough?,
maybe if other khanates in central asia also converted, following its example.
maybe that could lead to a jewish mongolia?

If the Khazars can last to form a more stable state in the long term, and spread their religious beliefs down to the lower classes, then there is a real likelihood that the former Khazaria would be Jewish majority. If the population is majority Jewish, even if a later power conquers the area, it is likely that at least a significant minority of the population will remain Jewish, especially if the conquerors are not Christian.

Another possible PoD could be a longer-lasting Muslim Iberian presence. If a tolerant Muslim power can continue to control the southern half of Iberia until state secularism (or at least tolerance of religious minorities) comes about in Christian Europe, then there will be a significant Jewish presence in modern Spain and Portugal, reaching 40-50% in some areas, and even more if European and Arab Jews flee persecution for tolerant Andalusia.
 
Ethiopia goes Jewish rather than Christian? Of course, what with isolation this might lead an African version European Jews don't recognize as Jewish...

Bruce
 
I think that Judaism simply doesn't have enough of a proselytizing base to gain that many adherents. I was thinking stronger Black plagues and lower overall population, Christianity loses a lot of support and thus Judaism takes over, but it makes no sense. I have no idea. :D
 
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