The Pew Charitable Trusts report on American Jewry released today contains much of interest, and will be digested and analyzed for weeks and months to come.
But its finding that approximately a quarter of U.S. Jewish adults do not identify at all with the Jewish religion, considering themselves Jewish only in an ethnic or cultural sense, should be deeply troubling to all Jews.
While there are findings in the report that bode well for the future of the Orthodox community, we Orthodox face challenges of our own. Certainly, we can take no true comfort in our growth and retention rates when so many of our fellow Jews are rapidly shedding their religious identity as they assimilate into larger society. Ethnic and cultural identities – indeed, any Jewish identities shorn of what makes us a people, our Torah — are ephemeral.
What is eternal is all Jews’ mutual religious heritage – and, today, Jewish teachings can be accessed by all Jews, however (or if) they affiliate, in myriad ways. We must all enable and encourage Jewish education, on every level and at every age.
There are issues of common concern to Jews across the spectra of affiliation and observance — Israel’s security, anti-Semitism and Jewish poverty among them. But we must recognize the essence of the Jewish mandate, and what binds all Jews both to one another and to the Creator: His Torah.
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3 Responses
I take this poll with a grain of salt
1) When שמירת שבת becomes synonymous with observance & respecting יום העצמאות ויום ירושלים the number of observant Jews shall literally shoot up overnight.
2) When JAPS stop being so picky about שידוכים then the # of even non observant Jews only marrying Jews shall literally shoot up overnight.
3) If Shuls would enforce wearing of face masks & social distancing {& stop using carrying excuses on שבת for not wearing masks which is sheer arrogance & lack of Halachic knowledge & lack of basic decency}, this would stop deterring many less observant people from coming to Shul.
Agudath Israel of America apparently considers the findings of the Pew report on Jews in America to be reasonably accurate, as Agudath does not raise any objections to the accuracy of the report. Agudath says much needs to be done, but it does not mention any particular efforts to reach unaffiliated or non-observant Jews. The one outreach organization that I know best is Chabad, which I believe has had significant success in returning non-observant Jews to more observance of Torah and mitzvos. The other two outreach groups I know of are Aish Hatorah and Arachim, both based in New York City, but I am not familiar with their activities or their levels of success. Agdath Israel of America should have included a reference to some of the organizations making outreach efforts in its response to Pew, to at least let people know who is trying to do what Agudath Israel says needs to done.