A recently published Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project survey shows that American Jews are becoming less religious. Currently, just over one-in-five Jews (22%) self-identify as having no religion. While the rise in the percentage of Jews who label themselves as not being religious is noteworthy, the generational divide is of even greater significance. The percent of Jews who have no religion increases from the oldest living generation to the youngest with no exceptions.
So What?
The trend toward religious non-affiliation for Jews is quite similar to the general shift among adults in the U.S.:
Americans as a whole – not just Jews – increasingly eschew any religious affiliation. Indeed, the share of U.S. Jews who say they have no religion (22%) is similar to the share of religious “nones” in the general public (20%), and religious disaffiliation is as common among all U.S. adults ages 18-29 as among Jewish Millennials (32% of each).
Are you surprised to see the shift in non-affiliation among American Jews is so closely aligned to the trend among all American adults? Why or why not?