Economics and American Judaism in the 21st Century

Abstract

Carmel U. Chiswick examines the modernization of American Jewry, which has similarities with developments in Israel and other parts of the Diaspora. In particular, she considers various economic influences that are likely to affect American Jewry in the 21st century, and especially how the economic environment might differ from that of the 20th century as it affects American Jewish families and hence their communal institutions. She also explores the ways in which Jewish religious observance might adapt to these changes, responding to new economic incentives. The relationship between Judaism in America and in Israel receives attention, along with a range of issues including work, family, education, population structure and communal implications, conversion and intermarriage, and religious lifestyle choices. Chiswick highlights the synergies between religion and other aspects of Jews’ modern American lives, pointing to a growing number of Jews who are not “religious” or have “no religion.” Chiswick surfaces the fragmentation of synagogue streams. She concludes her analysis through an economic lens, “The economic circumstances and incentives faced by Jewish families affect their personal choices, including those related to Jewish observance and connectedness to the Jewish community in both the United States and Israel. These grassroots behaviors affect not only the communal needs of American Jewry but also the popular expression of religious Judaism. Leadership can initiate changes in theology or in communal institutions to link these new behaviors to traditional Judaism, but the acceptance of any such changes will depend on their cost-effectiveness and hence on the economic incentives faced by individuals and families.”