Posted on 11/12/2014 4:31:29 PM PST by hlmencken3
The 'Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project: A Portrait of Jewish Americans' created shockwaves, as the shrinkage of (non-Orthodox) American Jewry and its impact and role were ominously documented and further forecast. Far fewer Jews, far less support for the State of Israel, far less religious affiliation and practice, and an overall disappearing American Jewish public presence are starkly indicated and are already occurring.
Unless non-Orthodox Jewry returns to its traditional posture and makes a radical, sweeping commitment to intra-marriage and fortification of Jewish identity, its termination as a major religious-ethnic group is almost certain. This would obviously not only mean the effective end of American non-Orthodox Jewry, but it could also mean the end of significant American support for the State of Israel – a support that has been largely precipitated by elected officials seeking to secure the Jewish vote and responding to lobbying efforts on the part of large American Jewish organizations, representing sizeable Jewish political and financial support...
...While I would hardly compare Orthodox settlement trends to those of the Amish, there is an inkling of similarity that is noteworthy to reflect upon in terms of impact.
Here in New York City, droves of Orthodox Jews – especially young families – are relocating to small towns and villages north of the city and in New Jersey. In Los Angeles, Orthodox migration to neighborhoods outside of the city limits is increasing significantly. And such is the case throughout America, as people in general (Jews and non-Jews) depart from the major cities and even from the more populous states...
(Excerpt) Read more at cross-currents.com ...
Non-Orthodox Jews have for decades shown three characteristics that pretty much guarantee their eventual disappearance as a people.
A very high rate of intermarriage with non-Jews.
A low birth rate, whether from Jewish or intermarried couples.
Of children from intermarried couples, a low rate of their being raised as Jews.
“Jews of no religion are much more likely to be in mixed marriages; just 21% of married Jews of no religion are married to a Jewish spouse, while 79% are married to a non-Jewish spouse.”
“Among respondents whose current, intact marriage took place in 2005 or later, 58% have a non-Jewish spouse. A similar number of those who got married between 2000 and 2004 are also in mixed marriages, as are 55% of those who got married in the late 1990s. Intermarriage rates are lower for those who have been married longer.”
http://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/chapter-2-intermarriage-and-other-demographics/
None of these are in themselves bad things. But if you want to keep your people distinct, they’re utterly disastrous over time.
Lots of ethnic groups have disappeared into “white Americans” due to intermarriage and assimilation, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. My family used to be Swedish, German, Dutch, English and Scotch-Irish, among others.
Now we’re just white Americans, and I’m fine with that.
But then none of us ever claimed to be the Chosen People.
Eh.
The Orthodox community is growing exponentially. Orthodox Jews have the majority of the Jewish babies, have a large and growing day school, middle school, and now college network. Orthodox Jews are very vocal and supportive of their Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel.
What was once a tiny dot, is now as much as 20% of American Jewry. In a generation, it will be double or triple that.
In that amorphous white American culture, Jews are always thought of as different as long as they are known as Jews. That’s somewhat different than it is for others who assimilate.
That is the basis of modern Zionism. Jews are just like everyone else, but can’t get treated that way, so they need to recreate a nation-state culture that will bestow normalcy on them.
That’s heartening news.
I (wrongly) assumed 95% of Jews today were minimally religious but claimed the title as more of an ethnic than religious description.
I think the author means political and cultural “strength and influence.” I know I won’t miss the likes of Schumer or Feinstein. But I can’t immediately think of a self-consciously Jewish political leader from a newer generation.
How the heck are we gonna keep being the Great Satan if the Jews don’t run things anymore?
Mormons? Catholics?
I live in Los Angeles. 25 years ago, there was one or two Orthodox Jewish day school, a couple of Jewish high schools, and no Jewish colleges (discounting uber liberal Brandies U.).
Now there are a minimum of 8 or 10 that I can think of here without trying, at least 5 or 6 orthodox Jewish high schools, and at least one orthodox Jewish college that I know of.
There is at least two (maybe three) traditional ‘Yeshiva’ type schools and one has a dormitory which attracts students from out of state.
All of the parents are having 4 to as many as 12 kids per family. All of the kids are getting a parochial school education. I see growth.
“I think the author means political and cultural “strength and influence”
Politically? Our strength and influence didn’t get the US to bomb the tracks to Auschwitz concentration camp. So, there are a number of Jewish politicians? Big deal.
I think you may have it.
The author seems to be a big shot in the RCA, which organizationally has been taken over by libs. Perhaps Gordimer is simply bemoaning the inevitable decline of Jewish political liberalism.
As someone once asked, “If a Christian liberal marries a Jewish liberal, can it really be called an intermarriage?”
Bob Miller
October 1, 2014 at 12:15 pm
So who’s going to pay us to enough to stay in mega-expensive mega-communities so we can be a voting bloc that elects Democrats with Jewish names whose approach to social issues is sick by Torah criteria? Does this come out of their campaign funds?
The writers comparison of the Orthodox Jews to the
Amish —is the reason I’ve hammered many on the board about making the idle Amish jokes.
The Amish have the sort of self reliant hard working character most admired by conservatives. So do the Orthodox Jews.
This is just the logical outcome of a group wedded to the liberal ideology:
1. Science is fact and God is a myth.
2. The Bible is outdated and therefore irrelevant.
3. Divorce is better than an unhappy relationship.
4. Abortion is better than “Doing the right thing”.
5. Women need to work outside the home to be a value to society.
6. Letting the “State” raise your children from preschool through college makes for a better society; because they are trained professionals and you are not.
7. State institutions are better than private institutions.
ETC....
With these values each generation is moved further from the values and traditions that have sustained them since the dawn of time.
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