Optimism about the Future of American Jewish Identification with Israel

by Rabbi Alan Silverstein

A recent study entitled "Beyond Distancing: young Adult American Jews and Their Alienation from Israel" by Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman purports to document "a growing distance from Israel of [non-Orthodox] American Jews [that] seems to be most pronounced among younger Jews." On the basis of this research, Jewish communal leaders have begun to despair about the future of the connection between the two largest and most essential Jewish communities in the world. They posit that with each passing generation, the gap between grassroots Israelis and American Jews will continue to grow.

As an eternal optimist, I respectfully posit that this data and analysis is at odds with "the facts of on the ground." First, by omitting all self-identified Orthodox young Jews, this assessment of our "Young Adults" inevitably is skewed toward a negative result. Second, the statistics were contrary to relevant findings about Conservative Jews as well. In 2003, the Ratner Research Center at the Jewish Theological Seminary interviewed 1,000 young adult sons and daughters of Conservative synagogue members. More than 90 percent agreed that Israel is either "important" or "very important" to them. 60% had already spent some time in Israel by age 22 (This percentage is increasing due to Birthright Israel). 15% had studied Hebrew for college credit. Remarkably, 16% indicated that they could "see myself living permanently in Israel." I am confident that, along with Jewish young adults from affiliated Orthodox and Conservative families, a similar age-quotient among affiliated Reform and Reconstructionist families feel that Israel is crucial in their personal Jewish identity, too.

This instinctive sense of optimism has been buttressed in a new publication of research by the Cohen Center at Brandeis University. Theodore Sasson, Benjamin Charles Kadushin, and Leonard Saxe recently authored "Still Connected: American Jewish Attitudes about Israel. They found that 78% of 'Jews by religion' affirmed that caring about Israel is very important part of my being a Jew," a number similar to the responses given to interviewers during each of the past 20 years. Moreover, it was noted that the data "likely under-represents the Orthodox, a group that is most likely to (care about) ... Israel." They concluded that across the age-spectrum of America's Jews, "there is no evidence that attachment to Israel has declined."

Moreover, the researchers concluded that "younger respondents were no less likely than older respondents to regard caring about Israel as important to their Jewish identities." To the degree that younger adults as yet were any less directly "engaged" with Israel, the Cohen Center team pointed to "a lifecycle rather than a generational explanation." As Jews age, they "become more embedded in the Jewish community," thereby leading to a greater direct attachment to the Jewish State. Furthermore, travel to Israel makes a marked difference in this regard, and (thanks to Birthright Israel) Jewish adults under age 30 have been to Israel in greater numbers than any previous generation!

In sum, as we enter 5771, let's see "the glass as half full" rather than "half empty" in terms of the future of American Jewish attachment to Israel. Let's emphasize the many signs for optimism in this regard, and place negativity in its proper context.

Rabbi Alan Silverstein is the Rabbi at Congregation Agudath Israel of West Essex in Caldwell.

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