Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on April 20, 2022

The Pew Research Center this week released a deep analysis of its 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study, which was based on telephone interviews with more than 35,000 Americans from all 50 states. In the study, Jews rated as the largest non-Christian community 1.9%, leading Muslims-0.9%; Buddhists-0.7%; Hindu-0.7%; and other faiths 1.5%.

Incidentally, the U.S. continues to be the most religious Western country, with 3.1% atheists and 4% agnostics.

The recently released data analysis treated Jews as a whole compared to Adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish. They did this with every religious group, but we will focus on Jews, for obvious reasons (hint: look up the name of our publication).

So, lets get started:

Age distribution among Jews: 18-29 22%; 30-49 27%; 50-64 26%; 65+ 26%.

Age distribution among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: 18-29 23%; 30-49 30%; 50-64 27%; 65+ 20%.

This is very encouraging, right off the bat, showing that younger people are more likely than older ones to attach a high value to their Jewish religion. This is, as it turns out, a theme.

It gets a little trickier with the division of the Generational cohort among Jews.

Generational cohort among Jews: Younger Millennial 13%; Older Millennial 13%; Generation X 23%; Baby Boomer 33%; Silent 15%; Greatest 3%.

Generational cohort among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Younger Millennial 11%; Older Millennial 15%; Generation X 27%; Baby Boomer 32%; Silent 11%; Greatest 3%.

Next: gender composition among Americans who identify as Jews.

Gender composition among Jews: Men 52%; Women 48%.

Gender composition among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Men 51%; Women 49%.

Its a minute difference, but Im sure it expresses itself in meaningful ways on an anecdotal basis, as in how hard is it for a committed American Jew to find a committed Jew of the opposite sex.

Racial and ethnic composition among Jews also yield more than minute differences which are likely extremely meaningful.

Racial and ethnic composition among Jews: White 90%; Black 2%; Asian 2%; Latino 4%; Other/Mixed 2%.

Racial and ethnic composition among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: White 85%; Black 5%; Asian 2%; Latino 6%; Other/Mixed 2%.

How long your family has spent in the US is also vital to your level of commitment to your Jewish heritage. It turns out the longer youre here, the less committed you become.

Immigrant status among Jews: Immigrants 12%; Second generation 22%; Third generation or higher 67%.

Immigrant status among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Immigrants 15%; Second generation 22%; Third generation or higher 63%.

OK, this one is for the occasional antisemite reading our paper: how much money do American Jews make.

Income distribution among Jews: Less than $30,000 16%; $30,000-$49,999 15%; $50,000-$99,999 24%; $100,000 or more 44%.

Income distribution among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Less than $30,000 24%; $30,000-$49,999 14%; $50,000-$99,999 22%; $100,000 or more 40%.

In other words, the less money US Jews have, the more likely they are to adhere to their religious faith.

Good to know.

Now, this one should be interesting: level of education.

Educational distribution among Jews: High school or less 19%; Some college 22%; College 29%; Post-graduate degree 31% (look at all these smart Jews!).

Educational distribution among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: High school or less 24%; Some college 23%; College 24%; Post-graduate degree 30%.

It looks like formal education plays a role in Jewish Americans devotion although when it comes to the really smart ones, the Jews with Masters and Ph.D., its about the same.

Lets do marital status. You probably guessed already big advantage to the religiously committed team.

Marital status among Jews: Married 56%; Living with a partner 6%; Divorced/separated 9%; Widowed 6%; Never married 23%.

Marital status among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Married 65%; Living with a partner 2%; Divorced/separated 7%; Widowed 7%; Never married 19%.

That was quite predictable, except for the curious discrepancy in widowed spouses it seems non-committed US Jews may live a little longer

Heres another one you could probably guess on your own parenting.

Parent of children under 18 among Jews: Parent 26%; Non-parent 74%.

Parent of children under 18 among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Parent 38%; Non-parent 62%.

Clearly, religiously-committed US Jews are more likely to procreate, which sets a statistical trend whereby the future of American Jewry belongs to religious Jews. Get on this train early, I would say.

Now we get to the faith segment of the data, which, obviously, trends in favor of religiously-committed US Jews. Lets do a couple. How much do they believe in God?

Belief in God among Jews: Absolutely certain 37%; Fairy certain 27%; Not too/Not at all certain 14%; Dont know 1%; Dont believe in God 17%; Other/Dont know if they believe in God 4%.

Belief in God among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Absolutely certain 75%; Fairy certain 18%; Not too/Not at all certain 4%; Dont know 1%; Dont believe in God 1%; Other/Dont know if they believe in God 2%.

Like I said, a whopping difference.

Which introduces the next obvious item shul attendance.

Attendance at religious services among Jews: At least once a week 19%; Once or twice a month / a few times a year 49%; Seldom / Never 31%; Dont know 1%.

Attendance at religious services among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: At least once a week 47%; Once or twice a month / a few times a year 41%; Seldom / Never 12%; Dont know 1%.

OK, two more, which are a little obscure but at the same time very telling.

First, what US Jews are filled with awe about Creation? Here goes:

Frequency of feeling wonder about the universe among Jews: At least once a week 42%; Once or twice a month 18%; several times a year 15%; seldom / never 23%; Dont know 1%.

Frequency of feeling wonder about the universe among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: At least once a week 53%; Once or twice a month 16%; several times a year 10%; seldom / never 21%; Dont know 1%.

I dont have anything clever to say about the above score, other than to confess that I probably get my feelings of wonder about the universe once a month, always on a Monday, at 9 AM.

Finally, and this should be good, morality.

Belief in absolute standards for right and wrong among Jews: There are clear standards for what is right and wrong 21%; Right or wrong depends on the situation 76%; neither/both equally 2%; Dont know 1%.

And the winner is, although with a disappointing score for people who believe in the Ten Commandments and all that:

Belief in absolute standards for right and wrong among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: There are clear standards for what is right and wrong 29%; Right or wrong depends on the situation 66%; neither / both equally 4%; Dont know 1%.

Yes, dear reader, religiously-committed US Jews are almost as morally relativistic as their non-religious brothers and sisters, and if I were their teacher, I would have failed the whole bunch of them. The recognition of Right and Wrong should be a fundamental value for religious Jews: whatever the Torah says to do is Right, what it says not to do is Wrong. There are, obviously, methods of mitigating the harshness this may introduce into our lives (such as selling your storage of a thousand tons of wheat rather than destroying them), but moral relativism is simply not acceptable.

Let me conclude with another zinger: do Jews believe in Hell? Here you go:

Belief in Hell among Jews: Believe 22%; Dont believe 70%; Other / dont know 7%.

Belief in Hell among adults who say religion is very important who are Jewish: Believe 40%; Dont believe 51%; Other / dont know 9%.

Have a wonderful intermediary Passover week and a fantastic last holiday.

Original post:

Pew's Religious Landscape Study Shows There Are US Jews and Then There Are Committed Jewish Americans - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

Category: Jewish Heritage Month
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