Snapshots of Jewish Life
American Jews are:
Immigrants: 10%
Born in the U.S.:
1st generation: 19%
2nd generation: 42%
3rd generation: 19%
4th generation: 4%
5th generation: 4%
Other: 2%
Don’t know: 1%
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“I did not want to raise my children in a society that discriminated . . . . When I saw police pelting my students and beating them up for peacefully demonstrating, that’s when I said, ‘There’s no hope for repair in this country.’ ”
--Sharon Joffee, explaining why she emigrated from South Africa in 1977
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Percentage of American Jews who are . . .
Ashkenazi: 79%
Sephardi: 8%
Mixed/both: 3%
Other: 2%
Don’t know: 8%
Note: Ashkenazi Jews are of Eastern European descent; Sephardi are primarily from countries in the Islamic world.
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“Being a transitional generation is not very easy. You are attached to the past, but you must move on to the future.”
--Rabi David Shofet, an Iranian immigrant who heads the Nessah Israel Congregation in Santa Monica
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Do you belong to a synagogue or temple?
*--*
All Men Women Don’t belong 56% 52% 58% -Never belong 32% 31% 33% -Belonged in past 23% 21% 25% Belong 44% 48% 42%
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Are you concerned that the number of people who consider themselves Jewish will diminish over the next couple of generations?
Yes: 55%
No: 41%
Don’t know: 4%
Source: L.A. Times Poll
Times Poll results are also available on the World Wide Web at https://www.latimes.com/HOME/NEWS/POLLS/
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