U.S. Jews know a lot about religion – but other Americans know little about Judaism
U.S. Jews have relatively high levels of religious knowledge. But other Americans are unable to answer some basic questions about Jewish practices.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
U.S. Jews have relatively high levels of religious knowledge. But other Americans are unable to answer some basic questions about Jewish practices.
Nearly all Jews in the United States and Israel say they are proud to be Jewish, and strong majorities in both countries say they feel a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people. But the two Jewish communities do not always agree about what it means to be Jewish.
Israel has been a Jewish-majority country since its founding in 1948, and its treatment of religious and ethnic minorities – including some groups within the Jewish community – has persisted as a hotly debated topic throughout the nation’s history.
They come in several basic styles, with some more favored by particular Jewish subgroups than others.
The two largest organized Jewish denominations in America – Reform and Conservative Judaism – together have about five times as many U.S. members as the historically much older, more strictly observant Orthodox community. But the Reform and Conservative movements have a far smaller footprint in Israel.
Public optimism among Israeli Arabs and Jews that a two-state solution is possible may be receding in Israel.
The Jewish population in Europe has dropped significantly over the last several decades – most dramatically in Eastern Europe and the countries that make up the former Soviet Union.
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