Study: Intermarried American Jews With 'Personalized' Identity Are Abandoning Israel

An amazing new study by two Jewish scholars underwritten by the Bronfman foundation echoes just what I've been saying in this space about Jewish identity and Israel. Titled "Beyond Distancing: Young Adult American Jews and Their Alienation From Israel," the study suggests that my own sense of Jewish identity--highly personalized, non-collective--is the wave of the future for American Jews and that it correlates with alienation from an Israel that young Jews observe to do bad stuff, from Lebanon to occupation.

Right off, I should note that my attitudes are still in the distinct minority in Jewish life. According to the study, well over half of all American Jews "disagree" with the statement that Israel is occupying lands that belong to others. Even those under 35 disagree with this (obviously true) statement. (A deep shame; when will Judaism reform!?!) Second, the number of Jews who most worry the authors, because they are "alienated" from Israel (saying yes to 2/3 of the following: don't express pride in Israel, don't get excited about Israel, or don't feel attachment to Israel) is very low, about 18 percent at the most--among intermarried Jews under 35.

That word intermarried is key to the findings. Among Jews 65 and over, 9 percent are intermarried. Of those 35 and under, 62 percent are. And the intermarried have a "far lower level of Israel attachment." What is wrong with these intermarried Jews? Well, they have a more "personalized rather than collective view of being Jewish." They have "fluid concepts" of community and identity. There is a drop in "Jewish tribalism" among them. "This shift in the meaning of being Jewish in America explains the retreat from engagement with Israel."

The authors want to stop this trend. They say that birthright trips to Israel help young Jews maintain an attachment to the Jewish state. They say that "ethnic cohesion (Jews relating to Jews)" will buttress Israel support.

That's where the study shows its regrettable biases. It is highly problematic to call for greater ethnic cohesion and firm borders on the Jewish community at a time when Jews make up such a large part of the American leadership class and when Jewish neocons have been implicated in the greatest foreign policy disaster of the last 25 years. Ethnic cohesion is fine if you accept a certain distance from the great American experiment. Jews relating to Jews is fine, if you are not in a prominent position in American leadership. Then it is problematic. I don't say wrong; I respect diverse belief, and imagine there are ways to skin the cat. But right now the U.S. is in a foreign policy crisis, occupying an Arab country, in some measure because of the majority Jewish opinion that Israel doesn't occupy another people's lands. My people have to deal with this. The study would maintain the border between our community and the wider American one (where kids are far more likely to serve in the armed forces).

One other finding of note. The authors say that being liberal Democrat or rightwing Republican is no indicator among Jews of lesser or greater attachment to Israel. This is something I've always said: that the American Jewish attachment to Israel defies conventional ideological distinctions. It is devotional not topical; it has a strong tribal component, to use the authors' word.

Comments

[Richard Witty]

Your description distinguishing personalized vs collective expression of identity is the critical nut (of difference) between your views and Judaism, even modern traditions.

In Jewish life, a strong individual (independant even) character and upbringing, a backbone, is a MEANS to a strong community life.

In contrast, the development of a strong personality, which is not brought to participation in a community, is half a job.

Its developing a skill and then not putting it into practise.

Israel is not particularly the primary reference to that. Participation and association in Jewish community (as Jewish, though not necessarily separated from conventional) occurs mostly where one lives.

And there are MANY ways to form that identity. For me, the key instructions in Torah are twofold:

1. You are to be a nation of priests (shamans spiritually and politically - within one's sight though, not remote)

2. "IF" you keep my commandments, I will bring you the rain in its time. (A metaphor for community in a strong comprehensive sense of harmony, not just the rain.)

Not doing those, and instead approaching intellect or politics for the purpose of individual character or stature solely, is being residually Jewish, not currently.

But, the essence of Jewish life, Jewish religion and culture is community, and within sight.

[ralph kramden]

Perhaps one factor you haven't considered is that Jews under 35 don't have an appreciation of an existential threat to Israel. I was 14 in June 1967, and I remember it quite vividly. For a 35 year old, that (and '73) are not in living memory.

Another thing - please explain this statement: "the U.S. is in a foreign policy crisis, occupying an Arab country, in some measure because of the majority Jewish opinion that Israel doesn't occupy another people's lands."

Huh? Just because some of the neocons are (Zionist) Jews, I don't see how American Jewish attitudes about the occupation caused our invasion of Iraq. Even if the majority of Jews don't agree that Israel is an occupier (and I'd REALLY like to see more about how that question was phrased, because the answer you give makes little sense), certainly they would acknowledge the problems it has caused for Israel.

[Klaus Bloemker, Frankfurt, Germany]

'It's like being Jewish'
___________________________

On one occasion in America someone told me: "It's like being Jewish". I can't remember what he exactly referred to but it was said with some admiration. I think it had to do with unique ethnic cohesion.

[Charles Keating]

Despite its birth in slavery and native American usurpation, The USA has done more to eliminate tribal world view than any nation in world history. The key to this unique approach is the concept of the individual, and that the state has no reason to exist except to aid the individual as individual. If your core bond is to a tribe uber alles, you are part of the problem, a defect in progressive humanity. Don't worry, very few individuals actually exist--their survival is always weakest.

[Charles Keating]

Despite its birth in slavery and native American usurpation, The USA has done more to eliminate tribal world view than any nation in world history. The key to this unique approach is the concept of the individual, and that the state has no reason to exist except to aid the individual as individual. If your core bond is to a tribe uber alles, you are part of the problem, a defect in progressive humanity. Don't worry, very few individuals actually exist--their survival is always weakest.

[Klaus Bloemker, Frankfurt, Germany]

I think Charles misunderstood me.

"It's like being Jewish" didn't refer to America in general but to some kind of attitude/behavior of non-Jews that my friend considered 'like being Jewish'. My point is, it was said not in a criticizing but rather envious way.

[Richard Witty]

The binary approach of state - individual is one of the great failings of the modern world.

We are more than that.

We are ecological beings, that live as individuals AND in families, and in communities, and in tribes, and in continents.

Individual freedom is critical to participate in a community of one's choice, and fully.

But, its a uniquely urban fetish more consistent with being a mindless consumer (also a binary individual - monolith relationship).

[john]

Dual Loyalty: it just aint acceptable, folks

In a corporation, you cannot work for another corp--it is considered disloyal....a conflict of interest....
It is the same with a country even more so....
There is gonna bve a bad recession some day...people are gonna be looking for scapegoats....tragically, Jews are gonna be up there.

Why?

They are the elite or 51% of it.
They seem self absorbed and indifferent to so much of what their industries do too the nation. e.g.

1. academia: promote multi culturalism. knock what the WASP's have done at every point.

2. Wall Street: off shore jobs and destrioy communities under the nonsense of "free" trade.

3. Entertainment industries: dumb down and corrupt the culture with sensuality via Hollywood.

[Ron Fox]

Thank you, Philip Weiss, for your always insightful postings. I look forward every day to reading what you have to say. I do have a different perspective. In my blog I focus on the positive teachings of Judaism and attempt to show how the Government of Israel's actions violate them.

I am posting one of my Blog entries "Why Judaism is Disintegrating" at http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com/2007/09/nation-recently-ran-article-progressive.html that relates to this article. Please let me know if it is inappropriate to do so.

If you have the time to review some of the posts of my Blog, I would appreciate your considering adding it to the list at the bottom of the right hand column (Blogrollish).

WHY JUDAISM IS DISINTEGRATING

The Nation recently ran an article "Progressive Jews Organize" the assumption being that the Jewish community through its places of worship have not been enough involved in social justice issues.

As we read in Our Yom Kippur Service http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com/2007/09/our-yom-kippur-service-5768.html from an article by Tony Karon "In a recent study funded by the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (an important donor to Jewish communal organizations), Professors Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman revealed that their survey data had yielded some extraordinary findings: In order to measure the depth of attachment of American Jews to Israel, the researchers asked whether respondents would consider the destruction of the State of Israel a "personal tragedy." Less than half of those aged under 35 answered "yes" and only 54% percent of those aged 35-50 agreed (compared with 78% of those over 65). The study found that only 54% of those under 35 felt comfortable with the very idea of a Jewish state."

In a September 5, 2007, article in the Forward entitled "Attachment to Israel Declining Among Young American Jews" appears the following: "One finding that Cohen, Kelman and Sasson could all agree upon was the positive influence of a trip to Israel. Cohen and Kelman’s study found that attachment levels increased dramatically, particularly among young Jews, after a trip to Israel. This confirmed previous studies, including one co-authored by Sasson, that had documented the rising sense of Jewish attachment among participants in Birthright Israel’s free trips to Israel."

So the solution for the declining numbers of those who consider themselves Jewish is to send young people to Israel. We have heard that from the "continuity" folks for decades who for decades have funded free trips for Jewish high school students to Israel which they believe will permanently attch them to Israel (Judaism?). It is my understanding that these trips (as well as so-called "missions" for Jewish adults) devote little time to a discussion about the discrimiination of Israeli Arabs and Israeli Bedouins or the treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories. I wonder whether the sponsors of these trips are truly able to shield the participants from the extent of the social injustice actions of the Government of Israel.

By the way, considering that the "solution" for the last few decades is to send young people to Israel and there is a decline in those who consider themselves Jewish and since less than half of those under 35 would consider the destruction of the State of Israel as a personal tragedy,

as the young people say, "How's that working out?"

As I have stated frequently directly or indirectly in many previous posts, I believe that the Government of Israel has for at least 40 years violated not only international law but the core values of Judaism especially the one that demands that we pursue justice.

As I have not as often stated here, but firmly believe, the Jewish community, through its places of worship in the United States for the last 50 years, has defaulted in dealing with any issue that is important in the lives of Jewish people.

"More issues arose during the last three decades - women began to question their roles in society, divorces became rampant, decent safe and sanitary housing became les available, drug and alcohol abuse increased dramatically, the high cost and unavailability of healthcare services became a scandal, divorced people and the elderly began to be isolated, the public school systems started to fail, jobs were lost as downsizing became a reality, and serious questions began to be raised about the quality of our air and water. Those growing up Jewish looked for leadership and guidance on these issues – advice that might mean the difference between a life of dissatisfaction and one of meaning. In many communities Jewish institutions (Federations, Temples and JCC’s) represented by their Boards issued no public statement of concern or passed resolutions directed at any of these issues (although some Rabbis individually became involved)." For more on this read this article.

Maybe it would make sense to recognize that the disintegration of Judaism has been caused by two factors: its irrelevance as practiced in the US to issues that are important to Jewish people (not to speak of the "curse" placed by most rabbis on the love of a Jewish individual for someone who is not Jewish when they refuse to perform or bless their marriage); and the attempt to try to foster support for the State of Israel when what many have read and understood over the last 25 years is that the Government of Israel has been an occupier, oppressor and killer of Palestinians.

When will there be an awakening in the Jewish community in this country that if we want Judaism to survive we should have more Y2US (Youth to the United States) programs where we provide funds so that Israeli young people can come to the United States and participate in some of the social justice programs being organized by progressive Jews.

Let them learn what Judaism is and what it stands for.

[Leila]

Hmmm... here's my perspective, as a half-Arab American married to a half-Jewish American. My hubby's mom is Jewish but raised in Arizona; she has lived in California for 50 years. She has never identified with Israel. She's just not a Zionist and never was; something to do with her family and their relative isolation in the Southwest I suppose. My husband grew up in Berkeley going to temple occasionally and to passover with the relatives always; Judaism was a cultural thing for him, and not his strongest cultural identity by any means. It was just something his relatives practiced (none of them are "believers" - it's all cultural for them, too)

I identify strongly with my Arab side, but of course I am at core an American (with ancestors via my mom going back to 1649 ing Virginia).

So we get married (under a chuppa - my choice - the tent of Abraham includes ALL of his descendants) and we have two kids.

Several years ago we started taking our two toddlers to an indoor play event at a local Jewish temple. It's conservative and at least 80 years old, but newly revived because of the rapid gentrification of the area. Every ethnicity/religion attends the toddler play group, natch, but of course temple members are a big presence there.

One morning my husband and I had a nice chat with one couple as our tots played together. The husband began asking us - are you Jewish? David said "I am." -
"Oh great, you should really come to temple, this is a fabulous place, so many wonderful people, such community."
"Thank you so much," I said. "But I'm not myself Jewish."
"Oh, that's fine," he hastened to say. "We have lots of interfaith couples here. But I'm surprised. I could have sworn you were Jewish." *Everybody* thinks I'm Jewish, not only for my looks, but for my intense East coast "vibe" which translates as Jewish out here in the Bay Area. Lubavitcher Chasidic rabbis have asked me "Are you *sure* you aren't Jewish?"

"My tribe claims I'm a descendant of Abraham," I said. "But not of Sarah." The guy looked really puzzled. I let him think about it. Who was the child of Abraham but not Sarah? When he didn't seem to get it, I continued. "We're cousins. I'm an Arab."
The guy's face fell. He said "Oh," and he turned on his heel and walked off.

I found the exchange amusing (although I was a little disappointed in the guy - many tolerant Bay area Jews get all gushy and nice when they find out I'm an Arab - I prefer this reaction). My husband, however, got really pissed off. This sealed it for him. He didn't mention it again until several years later, but this guy's reaction solidified for him why he, my husband, is not going to join a temple and try to "be Jewish." He goes to high holy days with our friends at a very progressive temple where they talk about the Palestinian nakba on Israel day. But he's not interested in joining a religion that would exclude his wife for being an Arab.

Ah, the perils of assimilation. You might end up married to an ARab, and then Israel will bomb the shit out of your spouse's hometown, killing children by the score and leaving cluster bombs in the orchards to kill more children for years after. Then what are you going to do? Dance the hora on Celebrate Israel day? Not too likely...

It's like me going to Passover dinner the day after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a hotel in Israel... you won't see me wearing a keffiyeh in solidarity with The STruggle. Not on a day like that...

[atheo]

What an entertaining story Leila! It reminds me of an experience of mine at a house concert featuring Kirtan chants with sitar and tambla. I was conversing with a Jewess next to me and told her that the music reminded me of my childhood in Karachi, she asked where Karachi is and when I told her Pakistan, she got up and left without another word.

[Richard Witty]

We all have stories of people moving rather than sit next to an Arab, a Jew, a black, a communist, a homosexual, an artist, an atheist.

When evoked to present a prejudicial picture, it is NO DIFFERENT than the action criticized.

[Montag]

Actually, I read in Ha'aretz some time ago that even the Birthright Program isn't working out. Someone said that one-third of young Jews going to Israel are converted to Zionism by the dog-and-pony-show they put on for them, but one-third remain apathetic about Israel--it's no big whoop one way or the other to them--and then one third are converted to anti-Zionism, because they see through the dog-and-pony-show. In fact, some use the free trip to visit the Occupied Territories after the dog-and-pony-show, like getting a free vacation except you have to sit through a sales talk for a time-share vacation home. So you nod and smile during the sales pitch, say "Thanks, but no thanks," and then get on with your free vacation. Such chutzpah, these youngsters!

[Gene]

I followed the link to the Bronfman Foundation study. I don't see that my-country-right-or-wrong type support for Israel is declining all that much, even among young Jews. When asked if they are ever ashamed of Israel, 65% of young American Jews say no. That's pretty astounding when, among my friends, and certainly in my case, shame about America can be frequent and intense. I'm ashamed for America virtually every time Bush opens his mouth in a foreign country. I'm ashamed when the press talks about bombing Iran, as if it's a pefectly reasonable thing to do. I'm ashamed that we torture prisoners of war or shoot women and kids at road blocks. I'm ashamed that we are so stupid as to rename French fries "Freedom fries."

In short, despite the many things I like about this country, there is also much we do to make me ashamed of it. If 65% of young Jews never feel ashamed of Israel, I would suggest their emotional loyalty to the country is way too far out in front of their common sense.

[Richard Witty]

Probably 98% of Israelis feel ashamed of individual policies or actions, from multiple perspectives.

That is the way it should be, love of one's community, but criticism of specific policies and actions that one is informed enough about to be critical of.

[Donald]

Richard, if an American says he is never ashamed of America, he (or she) is one of several things--

A) A unreflective chauvinist
B) Someone ashamed of certain specific acts who, however, reverts to chauvinism when asked a general question
C) A politician pandering to members of groups A and B.

Change a couple of words and the same applies to the 65 percent in the poll we're discussing here. I wouldn't trust the judgment of anyone who says such a thing about any country--even if they recognize that something might be wrong they're probably too biased to fully recognize the depth of the problems.

[freespeechlover]

Leila's story was wonderful; it expressed a spirit that is often missing sadly in discussions of Jewish identity in the U.S.--that there is unavoidable fluidity to our identifications and always has been. Those who deny that are denying a part of themselves. And that always means political trouble, because they project onto others what is actually the parts of their identity they can't handle.

[Gene]

Witty: "Probably 98% of Israelis feel ashamed of individual policies or actions, from multiple perspectives."

You may be right about Israelis. I haven't seen any data on that one way or the other. But the Bronfman funded study was looking at American Jews. Why would 65 of young American Jews (and an even higher percentage of older Jews) say they are "never ashamed" of Israel? It's too bad the study didn't think to ask young Jews if they were ever ashamed of America. I'll bet that virtually all of them would say yes. (I can't imagine a self-reflective person sayihng anything but yes.) So why this denial of reality (or blind faith) when it comes to Israel?

[Charles Keating]

Why would a German born and raised in Germany post WW2 be loyal to the current regime in Israel? Just happy the modern regime of Israel wasn't set up in Germany? Between Germans and USA gentiles, how can they support modern Israel and what it has done to the natives?

[Leila]

To the commenter who claims that by posting the story I am no better than the guy who walked away from me - are any of us totally free from prejudice? I admit I might have a log in my eye whilst pointing out the speck lodged in my neighbor's.

For instance, I have a very hard time being friends with die-hard Republicans - dating to the beginning of the Iraq war. I also won't be cozying up to any Israel-right-or-wrong types, whatever their religion.

Who else? I really can't abide conversing with right-wing Christian Lebanese - makes me ill; if said Lebanese are my relatives, I change the subject from politics, but if they're not my relatives, I ignore them and don't befriend them.

I don't care for certain Palestinians and their sympathizers who self-righteously demand that I agree that violent resistance is the only solution to the conflict with Israel. That sort of conversation goes nowhere. I can sympathize with the quest for justice for Palestinians without having to mouth vicious platitudes about guns and struggle and spilling the blood of our martyrs blah blah. Such talk often leads to real bloodshed that usually kills the innocent. (among them my grandmother, who was killed by a Palestinian and Lebanese Muslim mob during the civil war)

Now the fellow who walked away from me - I think that he was just surprised and embarrassed. He had decided what sort of person I am and I played with him a little before revealing that his assumption was mistaken. Had he heard my whole name first he would have had a better chance of taking in the information. I think my behavior triggered some of his reaction; however I am not too sorry. If this is my most aggressive response to the Israel-Arab conflict, then my conscience is untroubled.

Regarding being ashamed of America - I have never been more ashamed of America than I am today. My mother's people settled Virginia and I sometimes feel that I've inherited all of the evil of the project: violating treaties with Indians and burning their settlements, enslaving Africans for hundreds of years, and so forth.

Yet I also feel a personal connection to the framers of the Constitution and the principles therein. Of this project I am proud. (I'm not related to any framers that I know of, I just have lots of ancestors who lived in Virginia from the 17th century onward)

I have always felt love for my country and its cultures; and always felt sad about my country's wrong choices in the world. That sadness has deepened to shame in this terrible decade.

I appreciate Israelis who have a similarly complex view of their own country; many such persons have become my friends.