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A Positive Take

Sociology professor says recent demographic study
points the way to deeper Jewish engagement.

Julie Edgar

Special to the Jewish News

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16

December 12 • 2013

n biblical times, Israelites conducted
censuses that served to track their
numbers, collect tithes and assess
military might.
Thousands of years later, we're still
at it, regularly taking a measure of the
Jewish community, in size, attitudes and
habits. We're not building a Temple or
assembling an army but doing some-
thing far more challenging: trying to
figure out how to ensure our survival as
an identifiable, cohesive group.
Results of recent censuses in 1990,
2000 and 2013 point to a tough road
ahead. Intermarriage is high — between
60-80 percent — and the popula-
tion rate among the non-Orthodox is
stagnant. American Jews are far less
engaged in organized Jewish life than
their parents, and less connected to
Israel and each other.
Just what kind of force could we build
today? One that reflects and rejoices in
the diversity of American Jewish life,
said sociologist/demographer Steven M.
Cohen.
Jewish survival means encourag-
ing Jews to marry other Jews, both by
conventional (summer camp, et al.) and
nontraditional approaches, said Cohen,
a research professor of Jewish social
policy at Hebrew Union College in New
York, who consulted on the latest popu-
lation study, the Pew Research Center's
"A Portrait of Jewish Americans:'
Cohen, who made aliyah in 1982,
is married to a Reform rabbi and
strongly identifies culturally and reli-
giously — a multifaceted Jew, one he
says is more common than not. He
offered a hopeful take on the Pew study
findings during a talk to nearly 100
people at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in Southfield on Dec. 2. The lecture-
was sponsored by Mandell "Bill" and
Madge Berman of Franklin and the
Jewish Community Relations Council of
Metropolitan Detroit.
Cohen reiterated the study's findings
that the American Jewish population
has lost some 2 million members; inter-
married couples tend not to raise their
children strictly as Jews; and not more
than 8 percent of their grandchildren
will identify as Jews.
Meanwhile, the growing Orthodox
population now comprises 10 percent
of Jewish adults, 27 percent of Jewish
school children and 35 percent of chil-

dren ages 0-4. And they marry other
Jews. Their numbers will grow sharply
into the century, while the non-Ortho-
dox population is aging rapidly and not
replacing itself, Cohen said.
"The population decline is in prog-
ress. We're here he said.
Still, the Pew study reflected another
reality: Non-Orthodox Jews may not
identify with Judaism, but they have a
lot of cultural pride. Of the 3,500 Jews
surveyed, 62 percent said being Jewish
is a matter of culture and ancestry. They
like being Jewish — much like Italians
like being Italian. Compared to other
white ethnic minorities, Cohen said,
American Jews are "doing terrifically:'

Taking Action
Obviously, a strong cultural attachment
to Jewishness doesn't necessarily corre-
late with in-marriage, but building upon
the attachment can work to bring Jews
together.
That means increasing the chances
for Jews to meet and marry other Jews
by investing in day schools, camps,
Israel trips like Birthright and youth
groups, Cohen said. Jewish leaders have
been talking about such initiatives for
years — and they are seeing progress.
A Brandeis study found that young
Jews who took a Taglit-Birthright trip
were far likelier to in-marry, even those
whose parents were intermarried.
Communities should bring Judaism
to young Jews by organizing Shabbat
dinners, independent minyanim and
encouraging more Moishe Houses,
home-based communities that host
Jewish events and promote Jewish lead-
ership. Royal Oak is now home to one of
58 Moishe Houses worldwide.
But there are other, less conventional
ways of encouraging togetherness.
Cohen talked about "Jewish develop-
ment zones" in urban centers, much like
economic empowerment zones, where
synagogues are side-by-side with cin-
eplexes. Encouraging rabbis to dedicate
themselves to conversion is another, as
is offering a conversion-less "path to
Judaism" for the people who consider
themselves Jewish but do not have a
Jewish parent. (Read Cohen's op-ed on
page 36.)
"They don't want to convert, but
would like to be a part of the Jewish
community:' Cohen said.
But these initiatives aren't going to
"save" Judaism in America, although
they may strengthen Jewish identity.

Steven Cohen

Jews aren't, statistically speaking, repro-
ducing enough to keep the population
steady. So, Jewish institutions need to
welcome intermarried couples, Cohen
said, and rather than sending them
packing when they want to wed, a
Conservative rabbi should step aside to
allow his or her Reform counterpart to
bless the union. After all, an intermar-
ried couple may contribute at least one
Jewish child rather than none at all.
"If we are intolerant of intermarried
Jews, we will drive them away, along with
their parents, grandparents, siblings, chil-
dren and friends:' Cohen said. "We can
both promote in-marriage and heartily
welcome the intermarried. In fact, these
days, one depends on the other:'
Cindy Daitch of Bloomfield Hills said,
"Not requiring conversion was the most
stunning aspect of his talk:' referring to
Cohen's suggestion that people should
not have to convert to Judaism to be
considered members of the Jewish com-
munity. Plus, performing intermarried
wedding ceremonies in a Conservative
synagogue, Daitch added, would prob-
ably not go over well.
"There's bound to be somebody in the
congregation who has a problem with
that:'
Perry Ohren, CEO of the local Jewish
Family Service, said, "Cohen's summary
was clear and sobering. His perspective,
though, was not glass half empty, but
rather 'Let's do something:
"Cohen's several suggestions toward
reversing this trend were sensible and,
seemed to be, relatively inexpensive.
From growing more Moishe Houses to
beefing up Birthright participation, and
much in between, it was helpful to hear
some can-do possibilities:'

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