In a survey released Jan. 29, the Anti-Defamation League reported that while some old stereotypes about Jews are hanging on, the number of Americans who are strongly anti-Semitic remain historically low.
Sixty-one percent of people polled in the Survey of American Attitudes Toward Jews agree with one or more of the stereotypes.
The survey found that 19% believe “Jews still talk too much about what happened to them in the Holocaust.” The ADL released the report shortly after Holocaust Remembrance Day, and expressed concern that people are forgetting what happened then.
The trope that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to the United States was believed by 24% of respondents. It is sustained by the false belief that Jews have Israeli citizenship. They do not.
On the plus side, the ADL reported, 79% said they believe “Jews place a strong emphasis on the importance of family life” and 66% believe “Jews have contributed much to the cultural life of America.”
Learn more about the Holocaust, stereotypes and Jewish values. Get “100 Questions and Answers About American Jews” is available from Amazon or the Front Edge Publishing bookstore.
