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Shalom:
In a recently released Pew Forum report on ''Religion and Public Life'', the statistical conclusions of which are published below, we can see that Jews are fairing well in the USA. We are fairing well by the standards set by our capitalistic secular society.
Let us see where we stand.
We still, 100 years after the Ellis Island explosion of immigration, still have our mass population in the North East. Approximately a quarter of us live in the West and the South and a sprinkling of us in the Mid West, mostly in the major cities. We are evenly spread out over all age groups with almost as many young Jews and elderly. And we are almost evenly split between genders.
Unlike Catholics and other faiths, we are 95% white. We are the most Caucasian of all the USA religions.
We are the wealthiest of all the USA religious groups, with 46% of us earning more than US $ 100,000 per year, with Hindus following in a close second place with 43% in this earning group. Only 21% percent of main line Protestants earn US $100,000 or more, destroying the late University of Pennsylvania Professor and my teacher and friend, E. Digby Baltzell's 1960's notion that WASP's were as a group the highest earners in the USA.E. Digby Baltzell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
However the myth of the educated Jew is now failing in the USA. 74% of Hindus complete college and go on to a post graduate degree, compared to 59% of Jews, coming in at a poor second place. So called 'born again Christians' rank score 16% is this category.
57% of Jews are married and 19% of Jewish adults never have been. We are doing the same as Catholics, but worse than Mormans and Hindus in family unity. We score the highest (72%) of those families having no children in our homes.
We make up 1.7% of the USA population, with 0.7% Reform, 0.5% Conservative, 0.2% Orthodox, and 0.3 unaffiliated or ''other.''
Of the 1.9% of Americans who said they were Jewish in their childhood, 1.7% admit to Judaism today, showing a lost of 0.2% Jews. However, 0.3% admit to converting into Judaism, while 0.5% admit to converting away from Judaism, leaving the overall 1.7% statistic. Catholics have lost 7.5% but to other Christian sects.
85% of Americans who were raised Jewish consider themselves Jews today. The retention of 76% of childhood Jews has 9% actually converting to another religion, with 15% calling themselves atheist, but with 60% of those still in someway identifying with Jews as a people but not as a religion. Hence there is a match with the 76% and the 85% childhood retention rate.
69% of all Jews who marry, marry outside of the faith, with no concern on how the children are to be raised, or with false promises made to get rabbis to marry them.
Read the full Pew report here:http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf and a summary below.
Baltzell dedicated one of his books to :all my undergraduate friends ... many of them grandsons of immigrants to the urban frontier, who, in spite of their possessing too many Jaguars and mink-coated mothers, have constantly been renewed by faith in the American Dream of unlimited opportunity." Any reader of Phillip Roth, also a Penn Professor, and the author of "Goodbye Columbus" and "Portnoy's Complaint" and someone I had many an opportunity to chat with, would recognize the type of person described immediately.
What have we gained and what have we lost from the this American Dream of unlimited opportunity? We have reached parity and far more with those that kept us, [dogs and others] out of their elite clubs and hotels. What have we lost? Our families have dissolved. Most of us do not have Jewish children in our home to teach them Jewish ethics and education. In secular education, when 35 years ago, our Ivy league schools were 50% Jewish, Jews are now content to be mediocre in secular education. And in Jewish education, where 35 years ago, a minimum of 6 hours per week was the norm, an hour or two on a Sunday is considered too much. And for most Jewish children, this so-called education stops, at their b'nai mitzvah.
We are loosing 24% of our children away from the religion of Judaism. Some may still want their great grand Bubbie's recipe for brisket, but they have no clue why they should not be eating it with sour cream rolled in a fajita on Pesach. Of the ones that remain, 69% are marrying out of the faith, producing children who if they are Jewish, are many times confused of their religion, having Hanukah bushes in their homes with tinsel.
Of our gerem, converts, coming into the faith, many are being denied a full education process, and are being given a ''quickee'' conversion. Hence their Jewish education is minimal and what they pass on to their children is many times misinformation.
While the various sects argue about 'who is a Jew?' the sage who answered, 'One who has Jewish grandchildren,' was indeed correct.
In one week I have heard of two college kids, both of Jewish mothers, wonderful parents, with wonderful loving non-Jewish fathers, whose children, off at college, meet their Christian room mates who tell them of their God of love , mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, and all they know about G!D, is the Hebrew God who smote anyone who got in His way, even flooding the whole earth, save for Noah and his family and animals in an ark.
Yet these two Jewish children, wonderful bright kids, were not schooled in Judaism. They were schooled in Hebrewism. But they had no Talmud education, and when Bar and Bat Mitzvah were over, so was their Jewish education when compared to the secular or to sports. They were never taught of the Jewish G!d equally being loving, merciful, compassionate, and forgiving, in which Christianity is based, and in which we Jews are to try to emulate, and not the vengeful G!d of the Chumash.
In another case effecting elderly Jews at a new rabbi-less synagogue, unschooled, who meet from Simchat Torah in October to January, to decide 'how' to have a Torah class, decided to have one, once a month, and to limit the number of adults to 18, and to those they want in their clique, ignoring the Talmudic edict that says (Tractate Sanhedrin 91b) that whoever refuses to teach Torah to another Jew, for what ever reason, is stealing his inheritance from him. The Torah says, "The Torah that Moses taught us is an inheritance of the Congregation of Jacob" (Deut. 33:4). Therefore, the Torah belongs to all Jews, by ancestral right. Thus, if you refuse to teach a Jew Torah, for what ever reason, you are stealing his inheritance, his birthright. They have actually turned away Jews from 'their' Torah class, having no clue, that it is not 'their Torah class'. This arrogance doesn't come from their base nature, but because they are what the sages call Am Ha Eretz, unschooled Jews, who think they know something of Judaism, and most of it is wrong.
It is our job as Jews who care about our fellow Jews, those here now, and those G!d willing to follow us, to bring about a spiritual renewal, via education effused with chesed v' rachmones v' ahavah v'shalom. We need to explain to our college bound youth, and those in college, of our Judaic G!d and our Judaism. We need to explain the same to our adults. The Jewish holidays are NOT about "they tried to kill us, we won, let's eat!" The holidays are all about growing spiritually so that we can develop a one on One relationship with G!d and in doing so develop better relationships with His children, our fellow brothers and sisters.
You can read about the spiritual basis of these holidays by clicking on them on the table of contents at RABBIASEGAL - RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: CHUMASH CANDESCENCE
True Judaism is a wonderful religion. It is not about war, fighting over real estate, and hating everyone because of perceived or real historic injustices. It is about peace, sharing and loving one another and forgiving. "Ashrénu ma tov chelkénu umanayim gorolénu. "We are fortunate, how good is our portion, how pleasant our lot, and how beautiful is our heritage!"
Shalom,
RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL
(SEE BELOW FOR TABLE OF STATISTICS FROM THE PEW FORUM REPORT)
Compare and contrast the demographic characteristics of each religious tradition. To see more detailed tables, including ones that feature specific denominations, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | Northeast | Midwest | South | West | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 19% | 23% | 36% | 22% | 35556 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 10% | 23% | 50% | 17% | 9472 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 19% | 29% | 34% | 18% | 7470 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 13% | 19% | 60% | 8% | 1995 |
| Catholics | 29% | 24% | 24% | 23% | 8054 |
| Mormons | 4% | 7% | 12% | 76% | 581 |
| Orthodox | 33% | 19% | 24% | 25% | 363 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 16% | 19% | 36% | 29% | 215 |
| Other Christians | 14% | 23% | 22% | 41% | 129 |
| Jews | 41% | 12% | 26% | 21% | 682 |
| Muslims | 29% | 22% | 32% | 18% | 1050 |
| Buddhists | 17% | 15% | 23% | 45% | 411 |
| Hindus | 29% | 13% | 32% | 26% | 257 |
| Other Faiths | 23% | 20% | 26% | 31% | 449 |
| Unaffiliated | 19% | 23% | 29% | 29% | 5048 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
Data for Muslims from "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," Pew Research Center, 2007.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 20% | 39% | 25% | 16% | 34695 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 17% | 39% | 26% | 19% | 9281 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 14% | 36% | 28% | 23% | 7271 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 24% | 36% | 24% | 15% | 1942 |
| Catholics | 18% | 41% | 24% | 16% | 7856 |
| Mormons | 24% | 42% | 19% | 15% | 565 |
| Orthodox | 18% | 38% | 27% | 17% | 358 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 21% | 39% | 25% | 14% | 207 |
| Other Christians | 16% | 35% | 27% | 22% | 127 |
| Jews | 20% | 29% | 29% | 22% | 664 |
| Muslims | 29% | 48% | 18% | 5% | 1027 |
| Buddhists | 23% | 40% | 30% | 7% | 410 |
| Hindus | 18% | 58% | 19% | 5% | 250 |
| Other Faiths | 26% | 37% | 27% | 10% | 437 |
| Unaffiliated | 31% | 40% | 20% | 8% | 4947 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
Data for Muslims from "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," Pew Research Center, 2007.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | Male | Female | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 48% | 52% | 35556 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 47% | 53% | 9472 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 46% | 54% | 7470 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 40% | 60% | 1995 |
| Catholics | 46% | 54% | 8054 |
| Mormons | 44% | 56% | 581 |
| Orthodox | 46% | 54% | 363 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 40% | 60% | 215 |
| Other Christians | 46% | 54% | 129 |
| Jews | 52% | 48% | 682 |
| Muslims | 54% | 46% | 1050 |
| Buddhists | 53% | 47% | 411 |
| Hindus | 61% | 39% | 257 |
| Other Faiths | 54% | 46% | 449 |
| Unaffiliated | 59% | 41% | 5048 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
Data for Muslims from "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," Pew Research Center, 2007.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | White (non-Hispanic) | Black (non-Hispanic) | Asian (non-Hispanic) | Other/Mixed (non-Hispanic) | Hispanic | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 71% | 11% | 3% | 3% | 12% | 35101 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 81% | 6% | 2% | 4% | 7% | 9380 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 91% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 7383 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 2% | 92% | 0% | 1% | 4% | 1990 |
| Catholics | 65% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 29% | 7987 |
| Mormons | 86% | 3% | 1% | 3% | 7% | 571 |
| Orthodox | 87% | 6% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 358 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 48% | 22% | 0% | 5% | 24% | 212 |
| Other Christians | 77% | 11% | 0% | 8% | 4% | 126 |
| Jews | 95% | 1% | 0% | 2% | 3% | 671 |
| Muslims | 37% | 24% | 20% | 15% | 4% | 1030 |
| Buddhists | 53% | 4% | 32% | 5% | 6% | 405 |
| Hindus | 5% | 1% | 88% | 4% | 2% | 255 |
| Other Faiths | 80% | 2% | 1% | 13% | 5% | 436 |
| Unaffiliated | 73% | 8% | 4% | 4% | 11% | 4955 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
Data for Muslims from "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," Pew Research Center, 2007.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | Less than $30,000 | $30,000-$49,999 | $50,000-$74,999 | $75,000-$99,999 | $100,000+ | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 31% | 22% | 17% | 13% | 18% | 29435 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 34% | 24% | 18% | 11% | 13% | 7943 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 25% | 21% | 18% | 15% | 21% | 6142 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 47% | 26% | 12% | 7% | 8% | 1656 |
| Catholics | 31% | 20% | 16% | 14% | 19% | 6565 |
| Mormons | 26% | 21% | 22% | 16% | 16% | 512 |
| Orthodox | 20% | 24% | 16% | 13% | 28% | 290 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 42% | 23% | 17% | 9% | 9% | 178 |
| Other Christians | 29% | 21% | 13% | 13% | 23% | 111 |
| Jews | 14% | 11% | 17% | 12% | 46% | 520 |
| Muslims | 35% | 24% | 15% | 10% | 16% | 868 |
| Buddhists | 25% | 19% | 17% | 17% | 22% | 357 |
| Hindus | 9% | 10% | 15% | 22% | 43% | 220 |
| Other Faiths | 28% | 25% | 16% | 13% | 18% | 378 |
| Unaffiliated | 29% | 23% | 16% | 13% | 19% | 4279 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
Data for Muslims from "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," Pew Research Center, 2007.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | Less than high school | High school graduate | Some college | College graduate | Post-graduate | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 14% | 36% | 23% | 16% | 11% | 35298 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 16% | 40% | 24% | 13% | 7% | 9411 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 9% | 34% | 24% | 20% | 14% | 7429 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 19% | 40% | 25% | 11% | 5% | 1985 |
| Catholics | 17% | 36% | 21% | 16% | 10% | 7990 |
| Mormons | 9% | 30% | 32% | 18% | 10% | 578 |
| Orthodox | 6% | 26% | 22% | 28% | 18% | 362 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 19% | 51% | 22% | 6% | 3% | 211 |
| Other Christians | 12% | 22% | 27% | 20% | 20% | 129 |
| Jews | 3% | 19% | 19% | 24% | 35% | 676 |
| Muslims | 21% | 32% | 23% | 14% | 10% | 1031 |
| Buddhists | 3% | 23% | 26% | 22% | 26% | 408 |
| Hindus | 4% | 12% | 10% | 26% | 48% | 253 |
| Other Faiths | 7% | 25% | 28% | 18% | 21% | 448 |
| Unaffiliated | 13% | 34% | 24% | 16% | 13% | 5009 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
Data for Muslims from "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," Pew Research Center, 2007.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | Married | Living with partner | Divorced or separated | Widowed | Never married | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 54% | 6% | 12% | 8% | 19% | 35308 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 59% | 5% | 13% | 9% | 14% | 9419 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 57% | 5% | 12% | 11% | 15% | 7421 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 33% | 6% | 16% | 11% | 34% | 1982 |
| Catholics | 58% | 7% | 10% | 8% | 17% | 8013 |
| Mormons | 71% | 3% | 9% | 5% | 12% | 576 |
| Orthodox | 58% | 3% | 9% | 7% | 22% | 360 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 53% | 1% | 14% | 11% | 20% | 213 |
| Other Christians | 49% | 10% | 19% | 6% | 15% | 129 |
| Jews | 57% | 6% | 9% | 8% | 19% | 676 |
| Muslims | 60% | N/A | 9% | 3% | 28% | 1029 |
| Buddhists | 45% | 8% | 12% | 4% | 31% | 410 |
| Hindus | 79% | 0% | 5% | 2% | 14% | 256 |
| Other Faiths | 44% | 9% | 15% | 5% | 26% | 447 |
| Unaffiliated | 46% | 10% | 12% | 4% | 28% | 5005 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
Data for Muslims from "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," Pew Research Center, 2007.
| U.S. Religious Traditions | No children | One child | Two children | Three children | Four or more children | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Total: | 65% | 13% | 13% | 6% | 3% | 35431 |
| Members of Evangelical Protestant Churches | 65% | 13% | 13% | 6% | 3% | 9443 |
| Members of Mainline Protestant Churches | 70% | 12% | 12% | 5% | 1% | 7451 |
| Members of Historically Black Protestant Churches | 64% | 15% | 11% | 6% | 4% | 1989 |
| Catholics | 61% | 13% | 15% | 7% | 4% | 8029 |
| Mormons | 51% | 14% | 14% | 12% | 9% | 577 |
| Orthodox | 70% | 9% | 14% | 5% | 1% | 360 |
| Jehovah's Witnesses | 63% | 16% | 11% | 6% | 4% | 215 |
| Other Christians | 72% | 12% | 8% | 4% | 4% | 129 |
| Jews | 72% | 9% | 11% | 4% | 4% | 681 |
| Muslims | 53% | 13% | 19% | 9% | 6% | 116 |
| Buddhists | 70% | 16% | 11% | 3% | 1% | 411 |
| Hindus | 52% | 21% | 24% | 2% | 1% | 256 |
| Other Faiths | 69% | 15% | 12% | 3% | 1% | 449 |
| Unaffiliated | 67% | 13% | 13% | 5% | 2% | 5031 |
For more information, please see the detailed tables in the Full Report section.
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