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Gerhard Falk American Jews The number of Jews in America is estimated in various ways. Those who con sider only Jews with synagogue affiliations claim that there are only ab out 4,400,000 Jews in this country. If we add to these affiliated Jews t hose who view themselves as Jewish although not affiliated with any Jewi sh religious group then we can count as many as 6,061,000 Americans who claim to be Jews in random telephone interviews. Accordingly, 91% or 1,651,000 of New York State citizens say they are Je wish. This is the largest concentration of Jews in any of the states. Je ws constitute 57% of the population of New Jersey, 49% of the people o f the District of Columbia, 42% of Floridians, 44% of Massachusetts ci tizens, 41% of the people of Maryland, 31% in Connecticut and 29% in California. In some states Jews a re more or less 2% of the population but in most states Jews are 1% or l ess of the American population. Our share of the total American populati on is no more than 22% and perhaps less, depending on how we define who is a Jew. Despite our small numbers, we are well liked by the American population. This is best understood by looking at the list of Jews in Congress and o ther political offices. While one senator from New York, Charles Schumer , is Jewish, both senators from California, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Fei nstein are Jewish. Do you think our ancestors who came here in 1902 woul d have believed that two Jewish women would ever represent the state of California in the US Senate? Now look at this: Russ Feingold and Herbert Kohl are the two Jewish senat ors from Wisconsin, where Jews constitute 05% of the population. We all know Joseph Lieberman, erstwhile vice-presidential candidate, is US s enator from Connecticut. But did you know that Carl Levin is senator fro m Michigan, which has only 107,000 Jews, constituting 11 % of that stat es population? Pennsylvania has elected the Republican Arlen Specter to the senate several times. He is the only Jewish Republican in the senat e and comes from a state whose Jewish population is only 24%. Paul Well stone of Minnesota is one of 42,000 Jews in a state with a population of 4,776,000 so that Jews are only 09% of Minnesotans and finally Ron Wyd en, the Jewish senator from Oregon, represents 3,316,000 Oregonians of w hom 09% or 30,500 are Jews. We are five times over-represent ed in the US Senate because the non-Jewish population votes for Jews n ot because the candidates are Jewish but because the American population is generally not bigoted. Likewise, there are 27 Jews in the House of Representatives, constituting 65% of the membership. Again we are 3 times overrepresented because re ligion is not a factor in American politics. Right now, seven Jews are running for governor in this falls elections. In earlier years, Jews have been governors in Alaska, Idaho and Utah as well as in New York. There are of course also numerous Jews in state leg islatures and in other political offices. These political successes may well reflect our economic success. The medi an income in the United States is about $25,000 a year. That means that one half of all Americans earn more than that, and one half earn less. T he median Jewish American income is double that, ie, $50,000 a year. About 40% of American High School graduates go to college. However, 85% o f Jewish high school graduates go to college. This is not necessarily cause t o be proud since diploma chasing did not save the European Jews from the Holocaust even as Israel survives because the Jews of Israel know how t o use a gun (Throwing books at armed murderers doesnt work). It ought to be und erstood, however, that all Jews are not wealthy and that many Jews have become invisible because they are poor. This is largely true because our Jewish organizations are almost always non-representative of our Jewish communities. For example, 66% of board members of Jewish organizations earn more than $150,000 a year and only 17% earn less than $100,000 a ye ar. This is necessary because board members make the needed contribution s to keep our communal organizations alive. In earlier years many of the se wealthy board members had come from poor backgrounds and therefore ha d some sympathy for the poor. Today, many board members come from wealth y families so that they may not know what Jewish living costs today. Look at this: The average synagogue assessment in America is $1,100, tuit ion in Jewish day schools costs $22,000 for two children, average day ca mp fees for two weeks for two children costs $1,200, average stay for on e month in a residence camp for two children is $5,000, Jewish community center dues are $500 and the minimal gift to the annual Jewish Federati on drive is $250 (The statistics are provided by the American Jewish Com mittee). There are obviously many Jews who cannot possibly afford to do all of thi s and contribute $30,000 of their $50,000 income. Nevertheless, there ar e also a good number of Jews who could easily afford a synagogue members hip and do more than that. The fact is that Jewish assets in this countr y are in the trillions. Among the 10% of Jews who live a Torah-true life and who are called orth odox (Greek for straight belief) a great deal of money is spent on Jewi sh education despite the lesser average income of orthodox Jews as compa red to all Jewish income. We also have among us, as previously stated, a good number of Jewish poor . The idiot stereotype that all Jews are wealthy and successful is perpe tuated by our enemies but also by ourselves. The fact is that 24% of Jew ish households are low income. These Jews cannot afford most or any of the expenses that Jewish life dem ands. They canno t be members of the Jewish Community Centers. Therefore those of us who can do so must contribute what the poor cannot afford because their membership is needed to insure our survival. While 13% of Americans are ov er 65, 19% of American Jews are over 65. This has to do with our low bir th rate as well as our longevity. The fastest growing segment of our pop ulation are those over 85. In Buffalo, NY as in all other Jewish communities around the country, a number of community resources must be funded all the time if we are to continue. Here in Buffalo we support the Jewish Community Center, the We inberg Campus (Home for the Aged) Jewish Family Service, the Bureau of J ewish Education, the Holocaust Resource Center, the Kadimah School (Day School), Hillel for Jewish college students, Chabad, also for Jewish col lege students, the Jewish Discovery Center, an educational foundation, a nd, most important of all, twelve synagogues. I have presented here a good number of facts collected by the American Je wish Committee. Obviously, all of us cannot do everything nor support e very Jewish cause. We can, however, choose to support some of the Jewish activities available to us. We may want to support only a synagogue or Israel or both. We may want to support the Jewish Center or the Family S ervice or all of them. In any case we must do something lest we waste ou r lives in selfishness. Read again the book by Frankl, Mans Search for Meaning, and then decide what you want to do for yourself by giving to others.
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