Albert Einstein invented modern physics, Sigmund Freud invented psychoanalysis, Isaac Asimov defined the laws of robotics. The computer and internet field is full of big names in the Jewish community. Six of the eight biggest Hollywood studios were founded by Jews. How has this happened?
These statistics obviously don’t prove anything. Being of Jewish descent doesn’t ensure success, and of course not all Jews are successful. Still, I believe there are three factors at play here that could begin to explain the overrepresentation of Jewish people in high ranking positions: education, community, but most importantly, history.
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Education is central to Jewish life. Prayers and texts like the Shema and Talmud emphasize the importance of teaching and learning, even providing guidelines on what age school should begin.
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But valuing education isn’t unique to Judaism. 85% of the Hindu community hold college degrees, and atheists too show a strong tendency towards further education with 43% holding university-level qualifications. Compare this with the 58% of Jewish people with degrees, it’s clear to see that education, whilst important within the Jewish community, isn’t unique to us.
Then there’s the question of community. One example of community support in Judaism is the concept of Gemach, or the unwritten rule that everything can be borrowed for free – from household items, clothes, or books, to money, services, and advice. We also follow commandments relating to charity and hosting those who are struggling.
Again, though, this isn’t unique – most religions place strong emphasis on helping the needy, and the idea of ‘love thy neighbor’.
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What sets us apart, then, is our history. To my mind, the story of the Jewish people has created a mentality of resilience, which is perhaps correlated with pursuing success.
Jews have been associated with money since medieval times. A lot of Jews had to practice money-lending to survive, and were restricted from owning land or engaging in other trades. Christian doctrine at the time forbade Christians from lending money, so Jews had the industry to themselves.
Tensions between lenders – often Jewish – and debtors – often Christian – were often peppered with religious undertones. The profession Jews held was seen as unethical by the Christian community, but Jews couldn’t engage in anything else because of the restrictions they faced. So in a sense the demonization of Jews became a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s a story that begins to explain the image of Jews as greedy, money-lending conspirators seeking global domination…
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Category: WHY
