The latest survey on the young segment of the Jewish
population in the US indicates the Orthodox community is
slated to grow and become more influential in the coming
decades.
The survey of 1.5 million US Jews ages 18-39 found that
Orthodox Jews constitute 11 percent of the entire survey
group and 16 percent of the 18-29 age bracket — nearly
double their representation in the 30-39 age bracket. The
authors of the study estimate that among children the
percentage of Orthodox is even higher.
According to the findings, Orthodox Jews marry younger, raise
larger families and are more involved in organized Jewish
life. "Younger Orthodox adults are likely to play
increasingly important roles in organized Jewish life given
their commitments, numbers and fertility patterns," said the
director of the study. Over half of all US Jews under the age
of 40 are unmarried, and this figure is much higher when the
Orthodox are not taken into account.
The survey was published to mark the 100th anniversary of the
American Jewish Committee. The full results of the study were
not yet available.
