Jewish American intermarriage trends and social implications

Jewish-American Intermarriage

The United States of America has become a symbol of freedom to the rest of the world. People from nations everywhere come to this country in pursuit of the "American Dream," for America grants people opportunities that are hard to find elsewhere. In the past few centuries, our country has become a melting pot for many different ethnicities and cultures; while groups still maintain their diverse identities, many of them adapt to an American way of life. This has been the case for Jewish-Americans. Once a major target of anti-Semitism, American Jews have truly established themselves in this nation and have even earned the respect and acceptance of many. This assimilation of Jews into American society has caused a substantial increase in intermarriage, ironically increasing the possibility of destroying what is left of Jewish identity and unity.

On a positive note, the intermarriage of Jewish-Americans has become a sign that more and more Jews are accepted as a people into this country; however, this also means that as Jewish people marry non-Jewish people, they are losing a degree of their heritage in some way. This can develop into a very significant problem, because over time and across generations, Jewish heritage might become lost altogether. Then, the very thing Jewish immigrants fought for when they came to this country -- acceptance -- will become meaningless. Isn't it ironic that this assimilation into American society could be the foundation for intermarriage, and thus the indirect cause of Jewish decline?

As Jewish immigrants moved to the United States, they quickly adapted to an American way of life while still sustaining a strong commitment to their Jewish culture. "Most new arrivals were committed to retaining their distinctiveness and their sense of Jewish peoplehood" (Feagin 123). However, second-generation Jews became more influenced by pressures of assimilation; they did not have as strong of a tie to Judaism as their parents had because they were born in America. The media and the public schools made it easy for them to pick up the English language and American values, and they quickly became the rope in a tug of war between their parents and a dominating American culture (Feagin 123). Many second-generation Jewish women were pressured by society to reject their mothers' image of "poverty and strong-woman reality" and instead assume the more lady-like, devoted-housewife qualities of that time (Feagin 124).

Values changed even more for third-generation Jewish-Americans. It was no longer as important to live in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods; thus, if Jews were no longer primarily surrounded by other Jews, they would naturally live near and meet many non-Jews. Also, third-generation women felt the need for freedom against their mothers' roles in Jewish-American society and began to struggle against a life constrained by female gender expectations and limitations (Feagin 124). All of these factors have made it easy and convenient for intermarriage to occur. Feagin says: "Intermarriage has generally increased with each successive generation, reflecting the decline of negative images, desire to assimilate, and greater acceptance of ethnic diversity in the United States" (Feagin 125).

The number of interfaith marriages has risen steadily since the 1960s, from 11% prior to 1965 to 57% as of the late 1980s (Feagin 125). In the year 2000, the ASAJO reported that although 85% of Jewish respondents had a Jewish spouse, 64% said that one or more of their children married a non-Jewish person (Feagin 125). That is a tremendous number given the already small population of Jewish people living in America. Compare this to other minority groups in America -- according to 2000 Census data, an average of 16.5% of Hispanic-Americans have non-Hispanic spouses; an average of 12.5% of Asian-Americans are married to non-Asians; and an average of 4% of African-Americans are in interracial marriages (Sailor 2,3). These statistics say something about the collapse of the traditional "taboo" when it comes to Jewish mixed marriages, and the growing acceptance of Jewish intermarried couples within the community.

The problem is this: many Jewish-Americans no longer feel that intermarriage is a threat to their religion. In fact, 50% of respondents in the ASAJO project felt that anti-Semitism was a greater threat to the continuing Jewish presence in the United States than intermarriage was (41% cited intermarriage as a greater threat) (Feagin 126). While it is always good to accept others for who they are and be supportive of one's choices, it is also important to consider the ultimate consequences of one's actions. The more nonchalant the Jewish community becomes about intermarriage, the better the chance is that Jewish identity will eventually disappear. The Jewish-Americans have fought way too hard for this to happen.

If trends in intermarriage continue, the Jewish-American nation might become weaker and weaker. Scholars are already worried that the weakening of religious ties among American Jews is already causing Jewish ethnicity to become nothing more than a memory (Feagin 127). And, Jewish organization leaders are concerned that the more Jews become assimilated to America, the weaker their sense of identity will become, thus causing them not to support Jewish organizations as adamantly as their parents and grandparents did (Feagin 127).

Something needs to be done about this. It is time that members within the Jewish community help teach new generations of children the meaning and importance of the Jewish religion and the values that accompany it. The more that Jewish-Americans regain a sense of their true identity, the more they will want to make that identity last forever. And, if holding onto that identity means marrying within their religion and culture, than hopefully that is what will happen. It won't hurt at the very least.

According to the history books, the Jews are an oppressed people that have constantly overcome struggle and adversity in many shapes and forms. When they finally made it to this country, they were met with discrimination and anti-Semitism. But they fought hard in that battle, and eventually rose up the economic and even social ladder very successfully. Perhaps this should be attributed to some of the important values Judaism teaches: a desire to learn, study, work hard, and survive.