Jews: politically conservative?

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

My Republican pal and I were chatting about what ethnic group we would like to marry into if not our own and he said Jews because "Jewish women tend to be traditional and conservative." That was news to me and I was surprised he said that.

Then the same thing came up during a political science class. We were assigned an article about voting demographics along cultural and religious groups and one girl was shocked that the vast majority of Jews voted for Democrats in 2004 and 2000 because "they're so conservative".

Again, she must know some completely different Jews than I do because Jews are the biggest liberals I know. People like Ari Fleischer and Paul Wolfowitz not withstanding. Though even they admit they are the black sheep in their own community.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

One can easily to conservative within one's culture (dress, food, marrying one's own) and liberal politically.

 

[shecky]

American Jews run the gamut. Anecdotally, I don't personally know any conservative (in the American political sense) Jews. But I know of at least a few who are conservative and beyond.

One interesting thing I've not seen addressed very often is the relationship of American Jews in general with Israeli-American politics.

 

[Cleon]

My experience is entirely anecdotal, so take it for what it's worth.

Most Jews tend to vote Democrat, and lean somewhat to the center-left. It wouldn't surprise me if there was a significant Jewish vote for Hillary Clinton, for example.

I think the exception might be the Orthodox community; they can lean very heavily to the right, especially when it comes to Israel. (I should note that I'm speaking of the non-Hassidic Orthodox; the Hassidim have an entirely different approach to secular politics.)


There is also a long tradition of radical left politics in the Jewish community, particularly Ashkenazim. The Holocaust (literally and figuratively) killed much of that off, but you still see quite a few Jewish faces involved with anti-war activism and so forth.

 

[Darth Rotor]

My Republican pal and I were chatting about what ethnic group we would like to marry into if not our own and he said Jews because "Jewish women tend to be traditional and conservative."

Yeah, that Barbara Streisand, such a John Birdcher.

Then the same thing came up during a political science class. We were assigned an article about voting demographics along cultural and religious groups and one girl was shocked that the vast majority of Jews voted for Democrats in 2004 and 2000 because "they're so conservative".

Compared to some Europeans, one might class some Democrats as "conservative." A number of the Candian and Brit posters here, over time, have noted that the scale slides a bit from country to country.

People like Ari Fleischer and Paul Wolfowitz not withstanding. Though even they admit they are the black sheep in their own community.

A dozen quips bubble up, but I suppress them. For you, and for the benefit of Mister Kite.

DR

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

A dozen quips bubble up, but I suppress them. For you, and for the benefit of Mister Kite.

DR

You can try some on me . Really, I won't get offended.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I think the exception might be the Orthodox community; they can lean very heavily to the right, especially when it comes to Israel. (I should note that I'm speaking of the non-Hassidic Orthodox; the Hassidim have an entirely different approach to secular politics.)

There is also a long tradition of radical left politics in the Jewish community, particularly Ashkenazim. The Holocaust (literally and figuratively) killed much of that off, but you still see quite a few Jewish faces involved with anti-war activism and so forth.

That's absolutely true. From Karl Marx to Emma Goldman to Ayn Rand, alot of radical politics both in Europe and in the United States.

I have a really dumb question. What exactly is the difference between the Hassidim and the Orthodox?

 

[Cleon]

I have a really dumb question. What exactly is the difference between the Hassidim and the Orthodox?

Well, this deals with the various sub-cultures and tendencies within Judaism, and it's not really a simple question.

Generally speaking, the Orthodox are the ones that believe in the written word of the Torah--with some room for interpretation, of course, like with any religion.

Within the Orthodox, you have the Haredim--the Ultra-Orthodox. Haredim are Torah and Talmudic literalists, fundamentalists really. The Hassidim are particular Ashkenazi subset of the Haredim, who trace their origins to the writings of an 18th-century rabbi named Baal Shem Tov.

The Haredim in general, especially the Hassidim, are very insular, and have their own rabbinical schools, yeshivas, and even form their own pseudo-governments.

That's really not a complete definition, so I encourage you to check out wikipedia and do some research for a more complete look at Haredim, Hassidim, and the Orthodox.

But the short tongue-in-cheek answer is:

An Orthodox Jew wears a yarmulke to work.
A Hassid wears a yarmulke, fur hat, black coat, tsitsis, and sports a beard.

 

[Cain]

Noah Feldman (the guy who worked on the Iraqi constitution) had a lengthy article in the New York Times Magazine recently about Orthodox Judaism, specifically recounting a reunion at his yeshiva day school. Apparently he was excluded from a reunion picture in some alumni publication/newsletter because he married a Korean woman. I think his unsolicited updates on his professional life were also ignored. In spite of their relative prosperity, Jews constitute the most politically liberal segment of the population (racially).

 

[Thunder]

jews tend to be liberal democracts. but when it comes to the middle east, its all about pro-israel and anti-arab. dont believe me?

look at aipac, jinsa, zoa, adl, ajc, etc etc.

and dont forget, the preeminent journal of neo-conservatism, Commentary Magazine, is published by the American Jewish Committee.

do they represent all american jews? no. but they dominate jewish money, power, influence, and culture. jewish groups who are not neo-conservative are poor and pennyless.

 

[hgc]

As an insider, I find the view expressed by the person described in the OP to be quite curious. I would like to know what gave that impression. I find Jewish women to be more liberal, as has been stated throughout the thread, than American society in general. I'm not sure what's meant by "traditional" in that view. I could have something to do with being strongly oriented toward family.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

I know, I found it a pretty odd comment, too. I asked him to elaborate and he said something to the effect that they were really proper, family oriented, serious about religion, "nice Jewish girl" types and he's found them to be politically conservative, too.

Just a wild guess on my part but he's really active in conservative groups on campus so maybe he met some Jewish girls there he got along with.

 

[Cleon]

do they represent all american jews? no. but they dominate jewish money, power, influence, and culture. jewish groups who are not neo-conservative are poor and pennyless.

Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I would agree that the Jewish "establishment" (as it were) has a pretty consistent political line when it comes to issues of the Middle East. There is some mild dissents--Forvirtz comes to mind--but by and large it's pretty consistent.

 

[EeneyMinnieMoe]

Funny story, the Isreali parade that goes through New York City every year once had a small group of Hassidic protesters carrying signs in English and Hebrew at the parade. Turns out they were Jews oppossed to Israel on the grounds that there was relative peace between religions there before Isreal was created. It even got a story on the local news channel.

The parade goers were upset about it; one woman was screaming that it made her ashamed to be Jewish. I almost had to rub my eyes to make sure they were real. Jews against Israel, well, what do you know.

 

[Cleon]

Funny story, the Isreali parade that goes through New York City every year once had a small group of Hassidic protesters carrying signs in English and Hebrew at the parade. Turns out they were Jews oppossed to Israel on the grounds that there was relative peace between religions there before Isreal was created. It even got a story on the local news channel.

The parade goers were upset about it; one woman was screaming that it made her ashamed to be Jewish. I almost had to rub my eyes to make sure they were real. Jews against Israel, well, what do you know.

That's Neturei Karta, anti-Zionist Hassidim. (Hassidim have actually been historically hostile towards Zionism; the exception is the Lubavitch sect, one of the larger ones. They're really the only vocally pro-Israel Hassidic sect as far as I know.)

Neturei Karta are there every year, along with Jews Against the Occupation and other groups critical of Israel. There are more of us than people are generally led to believe.

 

[jimtron]

My Republican pal and I were chatting about what ethnic group we would like to marry into if not our own and he said Jews because "Jewish women tend to be traditional and conservative."

Is there any ethnic group that "tends" to have a certain political viewpoint or ideology? I doubt it, but correct me if I'm wrong.

eta: The OP uses the phrase "ethnic group," but of course Jewish identity is more complicated than that.

 

[Bud Fox]

and dont forget, the preeminent journal of neo-conservatism, Commentary Magazine, is published by the American Jewish Committee.

That is no longer the case. Commentary Magazine has been independent since early this year.

 

[timhau]

Most Jews tend to vote Democrat, and lean somewhat to the center-left.

Doesn't something like one third of the US Jewish population live in New York City? And wouldn't a random selection of people with 30% of New Yorkers in it 'tend to vote Democrat' and 'lean somewhat to the center-left'?

 

[Cleon]

Doesn't something like one third of the US Jewish population live in New York City? And wouldn't a random selection of people with 30% of New Yorkers in it 'tend to vote Democrat' and 'lean somewhat to the center-left'?

1) No, the 1/3 number is not accurate.

2) Not necessarily. The Jewish population of NYC also includes a screaming crapload of Hassidim, which I mentioned earlier, as well as those lovely right-wing kooks from Brooklyn who form the backbone of Israel's "settler" movement.

 

[MaGZ]

My Republican pal and I were chatting about what ethnic group we would like to marry into if not our own and he said Jews because "Jewish women tend to be traditional and conservative." That was news to me and I was surprised he said that.

Then the same thing came up during a political science class. We were assigned an article about voting demographics along cultural and religious groups and one girl was shocked that the vast majority of Jews voted for Democrats in 2004 and 2000 because "they're so conservative".

Again, she must know some completely different Jews than I do because Jews are the biggest liberals I know. People like Ari Fleischer and Paul Wolfowitz not withstanding. Though even they admit they are the black sheep in their own community.

They are conservative now (meaning Republican) because they have political control of the country. On social issues they are for the most part liberal and at times extremely liberal. Religious Jews (conservative and orthodox) are able to convince Gentiles they are conservative by emphasizing family values.