Crafted by Professor Shostak!
Demographics:
1) In 1654 some 23 Jewish refugees arrived in New Amsterdam (later New York City).
2) Today approximately 7,500,000 Jewish-Americans make up the largest community of Jews in the world (Israel, 6,700,000).
3) Together the two countries have 80% of the world's Jews.
4) Jewish-Americans are just about 2% of our nation's population (330 million).
5) They are whiter (89%) than are Americans (60%). (Jewish people of color: 5% Hispanic, 2% Black, 4% "Other").
6) They are older (26% over 65 versus 20% of all Americans).
7) One in six Jewish-Americans is a convert (18%).
8) 91% live in the nation's largest metropolitan areas. 9) With about one million Jewish-American residents of 40 million Californians, our state has the 3rd largest percent of the nation's Jewish-Americans (Florida and New York State each have a larger percent).
Social Profile: (2013 Poll)
1) 78% of Jewish-Americans identify themselves as being Jewish; 22% identify themselves as having "No Religion."
2) 67% do not belong to a synagogue or temple.
3) 25% do not believe in God.
4) 33% had a Xmas Tree in their home in 2012.
Holocaust-Related Attitude: (2013 Poll)
1) "Remembering the Holocaust" ranked #1 of 10 choices of "Being essential for being Jewish."(73% checked it #1)
2) "Leading an Ethical and Moral Life" was #2 (69%)
3) "Working for Social Justice and Equality" was #3 (56%)
Memorialization of the Holocaust has become "the touchstone for Jewry's sense of communal purpose."
Holocaust: Non-Jewish Americans: (Pew, 2019 Poll)
1) 96% believe the Holocaust happened.
2) 1% are Deniers - they believe it didn't.
3) 80% know what is was.
4) 93% believe American youth should learn about it.
5) 27% have been to a Holocaust Museum.
Israel-Related Attitudes (2013)
1) "Caring for Israel" was ranked #4 as "Being essential to being Jewish." (49%)
2) 69% of Jewish-Americans have an emotional attachment to Israel. (Pew, 2013 Poll)
3) 40% believe the land that is now Israel was given to the Jewish people by God. (Pew, 2013)
4) 17% believe the continued building of settlements in the West Bank is helpful to Israel's security. (Pew, 2013 Poll)
Political Profile:
1) 51% identify as Democrats; 34% of all Americans do so.
2) 17% identify as Republicans; 25% of Americans do so.
3) 42% identify as Liberals; 24% of Americans do so.
4) 20% identify as Conservatives ; 38% of Americans do so.
5) 34 Jewish-Americans are in Congress; 24 are Democrats, 10 are Republicans.
Eight of 100 Senators are Jewish-Americans (all of them Democrats) and 26 of 535 House of Representative members are Jewish-Americans (6%,10 of whom are Republican).
Nobel Prize Winners: 1) Between 1901 and 2011, some 200 Americans won this Prize, of whom 62 were Jewish-Americans (31%). 2) Since 2000, Jewish-Americans have won 24% of all Nobel Prizes. 3) Percent of particular awards given to Americans that went to Jewish-Americans - Economics, 50%; Physics, 38%; Literature, 33%, Chemistry, 29%. (Source: The Super Achievers, by Ronald Gerstl, 2012). Academic Focus: 1) Jewish-Americans are especially represented in such professions as Psychiatrists, Dentists, Mathematicians, Doctors, Writers, Lawyers, and Architects. 2) Jewish-Americans are especially represented in such college/university departments as Law, Sociology, Economics, Physics, Political Science, History, Philosophy, and Mathematics. Anti-Semitism: 1) Across the last 25 years between 11 and 14% of Americans have held intensely anti-Semitic attitudes. 2) In 2018 the rate of all Hate Crimes was the third highest since 1970: the total was 1,879. Jewish-Americans are most often targeted.