Jewish Populations, Migrations, and Identities in the Americas: The Shared and the Particular

This chapter – based on large-scale sociodemographic surveys, compilations of annual data series, and observations of the global networks of Jewish community organizations – presents a macro-social perspective on Jewish populations and societies in the Americas. It argues for a broad transnational view of several fundamental demographic and ideational processes and trends. Country commonalities vs. regional differences are examined in the Jewish experience on the American continent beyond local frameworks. Parallelisms and differences between Jews in the different parts of the Americas emerge in Jewish population distribution and its relation to local human development levels, inter- and intra-continental migration. Comparisons are also carried out regarding levels and modes of Jewish education, patterns of Jewish identification, socialization, and assimilation. Jewish interactions with the majority of society are examined through frequencies of antisemitism across different countries. Interactions within the Jewish collective itself are assessed by looking at mutual influences through the worldwide institutional network. Conclusions about the uniqueness of Jews in the Americas are suggested at the pancontinental and global level.