Judaism in Transition: How Economic Choices Shape Religious Tradition

Jewish experiences for 3,000 years have largely been a chronicle of catastrophe and calamity, analyzed by theologians, rabbis, historians, social scientists, philosophers and social workers. Chiswick brings the unusual perspective of an economist, spiced by her own life experiences as a professor at George Washington University who is married to an economist, mother of two sons, and a Conservative Jew. Writing clearly, she divides her presentation into four parts: economic circumstances of American Jews; usefulness of economic concepts; economic decisions affecting American Jewish behavior; economic analysis and the American Jewish future. Her concluding chapter explores how her examination sheds light on possible changes in American Judaism. She predicts more intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews, resulting in a decreased American Jewish population. She also foresees a larger cohort of older Jews and more income inequality. She offers other intriguing forecasts about American Judaism, concluding that we can be optimistic about its future. Her singular approach as an economist can be usefully applied to other American religious groups. (June)