This week in the Torah, in Naso, we wrap up the two-week long process of taking a census of our biblical ancestors. Through it all, we get a snapshot of the tribal system, and a better understanding of how the different families of Levites operate. The census tells us that the Israelites have grown in leaps and bounds all the way from seventy individuals at the end of Genesis, to at this point in the Torah many millions. However, on the flip side and perhaps because of their enormous growth, the census also reveals just how bifurcated the community is, families within families within families, many of whom, no doubt, not getting along.
In this way, the Israelite community is not that much different than our own community today. In fact, the census in the Torah closely mirrors a report released this past week by the Pew Research Center on Jewish Americans in 2020.
Like our biblical ancestors we have been growing steadily, up nearly a million since the last study in 2013. We now total 7.5 million, a steady 2.4% of American society. And, like our biblical ancestors we are a “mixed multitude.” Taking just our youngest cohort 18-29, we are 17% Orthodox, 40% Liberal (Reform, Reconstructionist or Conservative), and 40% disconnected from synagogue life altogether. We are also much more diverse, with 17% of households having at least one non-white member. Other interesting facts from the census include: we love Israel (82% listing it as important), we believe Antisemitsn is on the rise (75% of respondents expressing this feeling) and we love cooking Jewish food (with 72% of respondents answering in the affirmative). All in all, a lot to mull over from these censuses both for our Biblical ancestors and for us today.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex