Last spring the Pew Research Center released results of a major study on the demography, religious observances, and opinions of American Jewry. Unlike Pew’s last such report, released in 2013, this one prompted relatively little discussion in Jewish media and among Jewish institutions and leaders. Jack Wertheimer, who analyzed the 2013 study for Mosaic, finds that what discussion there is reflects a Jewish community committed to sticking its head in the sand:
To read op-eds and listen to Zoom discussions about the meaning of Pew’s findings is to be transported to a never-never land where all is well and even distressing news is magically transformed into something positive. Here are a few examples of the general direction taken by commentators: American Jews overall participate considerably less in all forms of Jewish life than a generation or two ago, but the good news, we are told, is that the youngest adults do engage with a few aspects of Jewish life at roughly the same rates as their elders—meaning there is no cause for concern about a generational decline in Jewish engagement.
The good news, according to some observers, is that nearly three-quarters of American Jews regard “leading an ethical and moral Jewish life” as essential to their Jewishness; never mind that only one-third regard “being part of a Jewish community” as essential.
Wertheimer systematically evaluates, and dismantles, the various attempts by analysts to find silver linings in the data, and instead tells the hard truth:
What we are witnessing is the abandonment by significant portions of the Jewish population of the twin pillars that supported Jewish communal life: adherence to a set of common religious practices and a commitment to care for Jewish needs at home and abroad. Large majorities of Jews used to celebrate a seder, fast on the Day of Atonement, and attend synagogues at least on the High Holy Days. Increasing numbers of Jews today no longer do so. And the desire to belong to a Jewish community, support its institutions, and feel a strong kinship with fellow Jews, especially in Israel, is also waning. Little wonder that unified action seems such a remote possibility in today’s Jewish community.
To aggravate the situation further, new rules concocted by a small fringe of self-styled progressives dictate what may or may not be uttered in public, making it even more difficult to face current challenges. In the name of inclusion, it is now impermissible to speak of declining fertility rates, spiraling intermarriage numbers, plummeting levels of Jewish literacy, and increasing assimilation.
Read more on Tablet: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/challenges-facing-us-pew-survey