Sidebar: Who is a Jew?
One of the first decisions that had to be made in conducting this study and analyzing its results was to answer the question, “Who is a Jew?” This is an ancient question with no single, timeless answer. On the one hand, being Jewish is a matter of religion – the traditional, matrilineal definition of Jewish […]
A Portrait of Jewish Americans
American Jews overwhelmingly say they are proud to be Jewish and have a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people, but their identity is also changing: 22% of American Jews now say they have no religion.
Chapter 2: Intermarriage and Other Demographics
The survey suggests that intermarriage is common among Jews; 44% of all currently married Jewish respondents – and 58% of those who have married since 2005 – indicate they are married to a non-Jewish spouse. The survey also shows that in some important respects, U.S. Jews have a distinctive demographic profile: They are older than […]
Sidebar: Making Comparisons with the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS)
The Jewish community in the U.S. has a long tradition of conducting pioneering social scientific research on the size and characteristics of U.S. Jewry. The last major national survey effort undertaken by the U.S. Jewish community to enumerate and describe the Jewish population was the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey (NJPS), sponsored by the United […]
Chapter 7: People of Jewish Background and Jewish Affinity
Most of this report has focused on the characteristics, attitudes and experiences of the U.S. Jewish population, defined as Jews by religion and Jews of no religion. The survey also interviewed people who have a connection to Jews or Judaism but who have not been categorized as Jewish in this report. These respondents have been […]
Chapter 6: Social and Political Views
Jews are among the most strongly liberal, Democratic groups in U.S. politics. There are more than twice as many self-identified Jewish liberals as conservatives, while among the general public, this balance is nearly reversed. In addition, about seven-in-ten Jews identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. Jews are more supportive of President Barack Obama […]
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