I remain most surprised that Jewish commentators have not alluded to the number of persons Pew estimated are now non-Jews of Jewish background.
These are not the Jews with no religion. These are the respondents who said they were not Jews at all. Is this finding too horrible to put in writing in a Jewish periodical?
In the first chapter of the study, Pew estimated there are now 2.4 million non-Jews of Jewish background, 1.6 million of whom identify as Christians. And in Chapter 7, Pew details that 87 percent of these non-Jews have at least one Jewish parent.
If we include these non-Jews in the greater Jewish community — and Pew doesn’t — they comprise somewhat more than one-third of all adults — 2.4 of 7.7 million. How can you not mention this astounding result — that more than 2 million persons descended from Jews have become Christians?
Everyone remains bathed in denial.
