As Jonathan pointed out, the new survey of New York Jewish life–which is a considerable portion of American Jewish life–shows the liberal wings of organized Jewry to be both less organized and less Jewish, in terms of their practice, affiliation, and education. It also raises serious questions about how less observant Jews have responded to this demographic challenge. They are not putting their children into Jewish day schools, it seems. And their attitude toward philanthropic giving sharply contrasts with that of their forebears, and does not at all rise to meet the needs of the moment.
As the authors write: “Jews are devoting more of their giving to nonsectarian rather than specifically Jewish causes, as seen in the behavior of younger Jews versus older Jews and in the behavior of Jews more recently as compared with earlier points in history.” Additionally, the “number of Jewish philanthropic causes and organizations has proliferated,” while the “donor base for Jewish federations in North America has diminished.” There is less to go around, yet the Jewish community is spreading itself thinner and even giving more to non-Jewish causes. One problem with this approach becomes clear in the section of the report on poverty.
It is often assumed that the growth of Haredi and “yeshivish” Jewish communities will produce a corresponding increase in poverty and the need for public assistance. But as the authors note, “most poor Jewish households are not Orthodox.” This does not mean the number of poor in the Orthodox community is low–it is not, and in fact, the Orthodox represent the largest identifiable such group. But it does mean that 58 percent of the poverty within the Jewish community cannot be attributed to this lifestyle. Additionally, Orthodox communities centered on yeshiva life–usually referred to as yeshiva communities but in this report referred to as “yeshivish”–boast a significant communal support network, in addition to classic charitable giving.
Made up of gemachs, a Hebrew acronym of the term meaning acts of kindness, this network goes a long way toward making up for the material sacrifices made by low-income yeshiva households. Some Jewish communities have so many gemachs they have their own version of the Yellow Pages. The gemachs are families or companies that lend out items to those in need, including everything from books to wedding dresses to childcare products. To put it bluntly: the Orthodox Jewish community may have poor households, but its members possess an admirable and energetic sense of duty to one another.
The need for outside assistance, often from the local government, is therefore even more crucial for the non-observant. But their charitable organizations are raising money for those outside their own community as the number of Jewish poor continues to rise. In the Jewish community, it unfortunately seems that communal solidarity is fading along with observance. The community seems to be failing its Russian immigrants as well. Seven of every 10 elderly Russian speakers are poor, according to the study.
Is it any wonder then that, next to the Orthodox, Russian immigrants are the most identifiable conservative-leaning subgroup? Their more liberal brethren can’t be bothered to establish and support the kind of Jewish institutions that would help such immigrants form a bond with their new community. And the liberal/secular inclination to watch Jewish immigrants live in poverty while they pursue vague forms of tikkun olam and global citizenship is surely a failure to prioritize, even if their new pet causes are worthwhile (as many of them are).
The Orthodox certainly face challenges as their community grows. The Haredi community’s insularity means they must work hard to ensure that guidance counselors, special-needs educators, and other forms of crucial youth development services are available to their community. And poverty is often correlated with health risks that should not be ignored. But the Orthodox are also the source of the positive trends in the study. If the goal is Jewish continuity–as of course it should be–the Orthodox are leading the way.
One wonders whether this analysis corrects for the fact that certain communities do not accurately report income.
Oh yes, sure, those families with six kids crammed in a bedroom, with expensive schooling, high food bills, expensive festivals and life cycle events and communal obligations are secretly raking in and squirreling away money from invisible sources?
No, but they are relying substantially on welfare, food stamps and Jewish aid foundations. That means liberal Jews and goyim are subsidizing the large Charedi birthrate.
In a purely personal and anecdotal observation of no statistical value and with no intent to offend anyone, I've noticed that among my Jewish friends, colleagues and acquaintances, the Orthodox seem both happier and more serious at the same time than their secular and liberal counterparts. They are content with what they have and who they are, they seem to lnow where they're going and seriously invest in their relationships, families and community. As business colleagues, they can be tough and demanding, but are fair and impeccably honest. Before I got to know a few personally, I used to be edgy and a tad paranoid around them, wondering what they might be thinking about me, the oafish, red-faced heathen. But the funny thing is, that as a non-Jew I feel way more at ease with that group. They seem to be self-assured, genuinely curious and respectful in a weirdly gruff way…even when casually opining at times about what's wrong with my incurable "goyishe kopf" and how to fix it.
Mr. Andrewson, there is nothing wrong with your "goyishe kup" ("kopf" in modern German) — if there is a difference. Zei gezund! (Be well!) Baruch Hashem (thank God) the Jews you know have lived up to their calling.
Ha! Not according to my colleague, Baruch. But in all seriousness, that seems to come out whenever I side with the Modern Orthodox or Conservatives or…perish the thought, he secularists… when with the more hareidi folks. To be fair, I took quite a few Jewish Studies courses, esp. in history back in the 90s and I keep up with issues (hence my loitering here) and it irks some of my friends that I know about some things more than they do. Part of the problem is that they know only historical views held by heir rabbis and are distrustful of and often unaware of the great body of Jewish scholarship simply because they are products of secularists or religious liberals. The traditionalist may be masters in the theological, but their historical understanding can be quite, well, hilarious. And it's best not to even mention Rabbi Nathan Slifkin, the "Zoo Rabbi." He's worth a look, especially his website.
PS: I should mention that my life has been vastly enriched by the Orthodox ethics and approaches to many issues. While many of the more small "c" conservaive Orhodox have patchy image of Jewish history, their overall understanding of the Jews' position in the world historically and politically is grounded in their "Torah-centric" perspective, which as in its explanation of antisemitism, for example, remains unassailable. The view that Jewish history operates outside of "natural" laws and that it is the Covenant, the chosenness and the Jews' relationship with God which attracts, irritates or at times enrages the World, no matter what Jews do, is something that has yet to be falsified.
Naah, nothing there, Kev, not in my case; my great-gramps inherited our family tree, going back to the late 1600s and no Yids for miles. At the same time, probably everyone of European ancestry has a Jewish relative and there must be hundreds of thousands of people who are halakhically Jewish and no one knows it, due to the weird spiral of matrilineal descent going back for centuries. Conversion rabbis make a big deal about scouring lineages and pressure prospective converts to "find" a Jewish link. Some medieval commentators, including Maimonides, may have something to do with this, but what surprises me most is the reluctance of secular Jews to accept that their beliefs and nationood could be very attractive to many non-Jews, while accepting antisemitism almost as a "natural" condition. Anyhow, thanks for the address, I'll drop you a line…
This article answers a question I posted in the "Comments" section in response to Mr. Tobin's article earlier today. The closest Orthodox community to where I live is in Memphis. God bless.
Hey, if secular Jews gave money to poor Jewish Russian immigrants, Jewish day schools, homes for the Jewish elderly and ill and yeshivot they just wouldn't make anymore to the NY Times Sunday society section. Much better for rich Jews to give millions to Lincoln Center, the MOMA, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, winning plaudits both in gentile society as being truly universalist Jews and among Reform and Conservative as followers of "Tikkun Olam."
When was the last time anyone saw an observant Jewish character on television or in the movies? All the ones I have seen have been secular.
As Raphael Magarik says: n n Take the overwhelmingly Hasidic Kiryas Joel, the poorest place in America. As the Times reported last year, “half of [its] residents receive food stamps, and one third receive Medicaid benefits and rely on federal vouchers to help pay their housing costs.” And boy, do they have children: The median household in Kiryas Joel has six people, and the median age is twelve. Many of its men learn Torah full-time instead of working, and the community’s low high-school graduation rate would be even lower if its religious schools had real academic standards. These kids are hardly being “socialized to the world of work.” n nCommentary, is this what you are applauding? n