Explaining American-Jewish liberalism: Another attempt

Abstract

Despite publicized divergences among them, American Jews, as a totality, continue an adherence to liberal political tenets in the current context. Explanations are manifold but groupable under the following categories: marginality, earlier historical experiences, religious cultural heritage. The last, most prominent, tends to assume a mythological character, ignores the “non-liberal” stances many Jews have everywhere exhibited. Instead, “out-group” social position plus specific historical experiences provide the most seminal interpretation, to which should be added the “milieu” factor, among fellow Jews and with others. An essential ingredient within this formula is the socialist heritage, not in literal form for most but as a continuing guide for political orientations.