American Jews are growing less religious - Israel Today

Study: American Jews are growing less religious

Wednesday, October 02, 2013 |  Nina Giesecke, Israel Today  

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AmericaA new study by the Pew Research Center published on Tuesday revealed that one in five American Jews no longer believe in God.

America is home to the largest community of Jews in the world - approximately 6.8 million. However, the Jewish share of the total American population has declined by half since the 1950s.

These developments are concerning to Israel, which views the American Jewish community as a critical ally and component of the overall Nation of Israel.

According to the survey results, the loss of faith among American Jews is most pronounced among the younger generation. While 93 percent of American Jews born between 1914–1927 describe themselves as religious, that number falls to 68 percent for those born after 1980.

In all, 22 percent of American Jews today identify themselves as atheists or agnostics. Furthermore, fully one-third of American Jews are living in a mixed marriage to non-Jewish partners. Often times, the children from these marriages are not raised as Jews.

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