Uzi Rebhun

Jewish Identification in Intermarriage: Does a Spouse's Religion (Catholic vs. Protestant) Matter?

This article is concerned with whether Jewish intermarriage in the U.S. affects the religioethnic identification of the Jewish partner differently if the spouse is Catholic as compared to Protestant. Three working hypotheses are developed which take into consideration differences between Catholicism and Protestantism in the importance of religious practices and social interaction and theological positions towards interfaith marriage. Multivariate analyses of data from the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey show that while both Jewish-Catholic and Jewish-Protestant marriages have a statistically significant negative effect on Jewish identification it is more pronounced among the former.... The implications of these results are discussed in regard to the Jewish individual in intermarriage to the Jewish group as well as to the complexity of religious identification in America today. (EXCERPT)

Changing patterns of Internal Migration 1970–1990: A comparative analysis of jews and whites in The United States

Independently conducted yet complementary sets of data from the 1970/1971 and 1990 National Jewish Population Surveys and the U.S. censuses of the same changes in the internal migration of Jews and whites during the periods 1965–1970(1971) and 1985–1990. Interstate lifetime and five-year migration rates among Jews increased to levels significantly surpassing those of whites. Adjusting Jewish migration rates for the educational achievement of their white counterparts did not have much of an effect on lifetime migration or on the recent migration of the 1970/1971 Jewish population; however, it accounted meaningfully for the migration propensities of Jews in the period 1985–1990. These findings suggest that socioeconomic status has begun to play a larger role in promoting different migration patterns than in promoting ethnic group differences. Further, the direction of Jewish migrations followed those of whites (i.e., from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and West); and due to their higher migration rates, Jews have considerably narrowed the regional distribution differences between themselves and whites. I interpret these results as evidence of the weakening role of ethnicity in present-day America.

The effect of ethnic origin on pulmonary prediction equations in a Jewish immigrant population

BACKGROUND Ethnic origin affects spirometric prediction values. Our aims were to investigate the effect of ethnic origin on prediction equations in an immigrant-based society, identify possible deviations from commonly used prediction equations and analyze the effect of miscalculation in a large cohort of apparently healthy individuals. METHODS Healthy never-smokers participants from a large Israeli survey underwent lung function testing and were divided into two major ethnic groups: Ashkenazi Jews (AJ) and Sephardic Jews (SJ). Data were analyzed by multiple linear regressions. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) and the FEV1/FVC ratio were measured according to ERS-ATS guidelines. RESULTS The study population comprised 3150 individuals (AJ=1817; SJ=1333). AJ tended to be older and taller than SJ (all p<0.005). Ethnicity entered as a significant regression variable for FVC for both genders and for FEV1 for females only. The final regression model for both FVC and FEV1 had R2=0.71 and the standard error of the estimate (SEE) for FVC and FEV1 were 0.54 and 0.43 L, respectively. The regression model for the FEV1/FVC ratio has less statistical strength (R2=0.06, SEE=6.15%). We found statistically significant underestimates of predicted lung volumes from the commonly used prediction equation for each ethnic group. CONCLUSIONS Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews have different ranges of normal pulmonary function values. Lung function prediction equations in an immigrant-based society should be based on local and not previously reported regional equations and adjusted for ethnic attributed variance.

Ethnic groups and high sensitivity C-reactive protein in Israel

Abstract High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a biomarker that correlates with atherothrombotic risk and outcome. hs-CRP is influenced by various modifiable and non-modifiable factors. We studied the relationship between ethnic background and hs-CRP level, among the Jewish population in Israel. A total of 3659 men and 2180 women were divided into two ethnic groups (Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews), based on the knowledge of Jewish immigration patterns throughout the centuries. Mean hs-CRP levels were calculated for each group and were adjusted for various factors known to influence hs-CRP. Sephardic Jews were found to have higher adjusted mean hs-CRP levels (2.0 mg l−1 for men and 3.9 mg l−1 for women) compared with Ashkenazi Jews (1.5 mg l−1 for men and 2.9 mg l−1 for women). Ethnic background emerged as an independent significant predictor of hs-CRP levels. We demonstrated that ethnicity is an important factor when considering hs-CRP as a marker of atherothrombotic risk.

English-Language Proficiency among Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs in the United States, 1980–2000

This study assesses the determinants of English-language proficiency among three subgroups of Israeli immigrants in the United States, namely native-born Israeli Jews, foreign-born Israeli Jews, and Palestinian Arabs, and how these determinants have changed over time. Multivariate analyses of decennial censuses from 1980, 1990, and 2000 reveal substantial differences in the directions and significance of the relationships between the independent variables and English proficiency of the subgroups under investigation. Ethnoreligious affiliation per se is seen to be an important factor that consistently explains intra-group variation in English proficiency. This lends support to the split approach over the lump approach in attempting to understand immigrants’ linguistic dynamics in the new country. The findings are discussed in reference to three working hypotheses – “exposure,” “efficiency,” and “economic incentives” – and in the specific sociopolitical conditions of Jews and Arabs at both origin and destination.

Demography, social prosperity, and the future of sovereign Israel

The expanding recognition of the two-state solution for the Israeli–Palestinian conflict ostensibly removes an immediate demographic threat to Israel that the Arab inhabitants between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River will soon outnumber the Jews. The demographic and social concern of maintaining the character of the State of Israel as the place where the Jewish people can realize their right to self-determination and can ensure a solid Jewish majority should be directed inward. Israel also wishes to continue to be a prosperous and developed country. This paper examines the changing proportions and characteristics of specific population subgroups and their effect on Israels future as a Jewish and prosperous state. Further it argues that the demographic composition does not allow Israel to accept the demand for the ‘right of return’ whereas the two-state solution should involve the settlement of the Palestinian refugees in the new Palestinian state. The article discusses broader meanings of the demographic dimension for the Jewish and Arab populations in Israel.

The Structure of Jewish Identification in the United States: 2001 Revisited

This paper reviews the basic underlying structure of group identification among Jews in the US as well as differences and similarities between selected sub-groups within the Jewish population. Data were derived from the 2001 NJPS – a large national representative sample of US Jewry. The paper focuses on three issues: the major thrust of trends possibly strengthening or weakening a shared Jewish identification over time; the nature of Jewish identification differentials within the US Jewish population by denomination and organizational membership; and the similarity or difference of American Jewish identification patterns versus other Jewish communities worldwide. This study mostly relies on the conceptual foundations of Facet Theory and the findings are exemplified through Similarity Structure Analysis (SSA).

18 American Jews and the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: A Study of Diaspora in International Affairs

The Middle East has been an arena of concern for American foreign policy since World War II and, within that geographic area, the Arab/Palestinian-Israel conflict receives special attention. This chapter deals with attitudes of American Jews toward central issues in Arab-Israel conflict and the peace process. It focuses on three dimensions: perceptions of Americas Jews as to Arab objectives-reclaiming territory, or destruction of Israel; American Jewish support of and/or opposition to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state; and American Jewish stances with respect to concessions on status of Jerusalem as a unified city under Israeli jurisdiction. The chapter has a comparative nature, tracing changes in attitudes over the course of a twelve-year period, from 1998 to 2010. It contributes to the corpus of knowledge about diasporas and international affairs in general and, in particular, the positions of Jewish diaspora in the United States toward advancing peace in Middle East. Keywords: American foreign policy; American Jews; destruction of Israel; Israeli-Palestinian peace process; Jerusalem; Jewish diaspora; Palestinian-Israel conflict