The American Jewry demographic is only growing and becoming more diverse

By UZI REBHUN

MAY 23, 2021 17:31

Updated: MAY 23, 2021 17:32

American and Israeli Jews [Illustrative] (photo credit: REUTERS) — American and Israeli Jews [Illustrative]

(photo credit: REUTERS)

We need to confront them truthfully and acknowledge the opportunities and challenges that they present to Jewish vitality in 21-century America.

Behind the Pew Research Center survey’s estimate of the number of Jews are far-reaching demographic and cultural trends in American society in general and particularly in American-Jewish society.

We need to confront them truthfully and acknowledge the opportunities and challenges that they present to Jewish vitality in 21-century America.

The study found 7.3 million people in the US who define themselves (or, if children, defined by their parents) as Jewish. Three-quarters of them view their Jewishness through the lenses of Judaism as a religion; another quarter consider themselves Jewish by ethnicity, culture or family background. These people see their Jewish identity in no uncertain terms and claim no other group affiliation.

This definition of Jewish identity mirrors that adopted by the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey, which resonated widely due to its having found an unprecedentedly high rate of Jewish intermarriage, and estimated the country’s Jewish population to be at 5.5 million.

The substantial increase since then – nearly 2 million within three decades – traces to a rare coincidence of natural growth, immigration and, especially, changes in group identity.

First, the proportion of Orthodox Jews, the majority of whom are haredi (ultra-Orthodox), is on the rise, especially among the young, whose fertility rates are two or three times higher than the intergenerational replacement level.

Second, a relatively large cohort of grandchildren of “boomers” is now entering the critical stage of family formation, bringing a large number of children into the world.

Third, in the past three decades, the US has received several hundred thousand Jewish immigrants, chiefly from the former Soviet Union, Israel, South Africa and Latin America. Not only have they joined American Jewry; so have their American-born children.

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I also speculate that some former Soviet immigrants of Jewish background who had not identified as Jews upon arrival received material and social support from local Jewish communities and now, ensconced in America’s comfortable and secure society, declare their Jewishness without hesitation.

Fourth, intermarriage is plainly not synonymous with demographic shrinkage. On the contrary: in the long run it delivers a gain to the Jewish side. Contrary to past evidence that most mixed-parentage offspring were raised outside the Jewish faith, today’s youngsters of mixed parentage overwhelmingly choose to identify as Jews as they mature, leaving their non-Jewish parents’ religion behind.

In the context of identitarian politics, these young people wish to belong as Jews and make this choice because it best fits their social status and values. Thus, they act for social justice and equality and fight antisemitism, but may at times be very critical of Israel. Others may have been attracted to Jewishness after participating in informal education programs such as Birthright.

Fifth, many Americans today have embraced Jewishness despite having no Jewish background. Their reasons for doing so vary. Marriage to someone who is Jewish is only one. Largely on this account, approximately 8% of American Jews today are of color: Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Native American or of other races/multi-racial.

American Jewry is larger today than ever before. It is also becoming more diverse. Both the local and national Jewish community should embrace its followers but should maintain a consensus around principles of Jewish practices and beliefs – an imperative for ensuring a coherent group identity throughout the United States and vis-à-vis world Jewry.

The writer is head of the Division of Jewish Demography & Statistics at the A. Harman Research Institute of Contemporary Jewry, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.