concerned jewish people sometimes refer to assimilation as a type of holocaust. this is because assimilation is the leading cause for the shrinkage of almost all jewish populations in western countries since world war ii. this shrinkage has been called the "silent holocaust" (in comparison to the genocide against jews during world war ii) by communal leaders such as rabbi ephraim buchwald of the national jewish outreach program. buchwald said in 1992 that the jewish community would not be recognizable in 25 to 30 years. according to the 2000—2001 national jewish population survey, from 1996, 47% of american jews married a non-jew. the njps survey said that higher levels of education are associated with lower levels of intermarriage.