Mishpacha: Small Facts, Big Ideas

June 12, 2019

By Gershon Burstyn

For better or worse, we live in a world of copious information. The Internet has enabled the publication of thousands of news sites, and has allowed for expanded coverage from some of the print and broadcast heavyweights. For a journalist, it’s both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, there is so much to read. On the other hand, there is so much to read that it’s hard to decide what to write about.

Which is why I tend to save links to stories, like a ferret storing his food, hoping that one day inspiration — or a news hook — will strike and I can finally put fingertips to keyboard.

So, in honor of all those small items that don’t deserve full treatment but do nonetheless provide a nugget of insight, herewith are a sampling of several noteworthy headlines over the last six months that tell us something about general trends in politics and society.

  Politics

  “Women Behind Almost Half of Individual Trump Contributions in First Three Months of Year”

One would think women would be the least likely to support Trump, given his checkered history. But it’s not so. More than 45 percent of the individual itemized contributions to the Trump campaign in the first three months of 2019 came from women, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group. Though the $1.5 million collected in the first quarter made up a small portion of the $30.3 million total contributions, it does suggest that Trump may have a well of hidden support.

   “Four in Ten Americans Embrace Some Form of Socialism”

A Gallup poll released in May found that 43 percent of Americans believe “some form of socialism” would be a “good thing” for the United States. Another 47 percent said they would vote for a socialist candidate for president. Previous Gallup polling shows that 57 percent of Democrats view socialism positively.

Bernie Sanders, the socialist senator from Vermont running for president, must be heartened by the news. He currently trails the frontrunner, former Vice President Joe Biden, 16.5 percent to 35 percent.

  “The Democrats’ 100-Year Flood”

Polling experts believe voter turnout in 2020 may be the highest in a century. They base that forecast on record turnout for the 2018 midterm elections, which was 50 percent, about 10 points higher than the historical norm. Michael McDonald, an elections expert at the University of Florida, expects turnout in 2020 to be 67 percent, 7 points higher than 2016. McDonald believes that young people and people of color will turn out in higher numbers to vote President Trump out of office. Another election expert, Larry Sabato, said voters will go to the polls to make sure that the election night surprise of 2016 does not repeat. “Nobody’s going to believe the polls after 2016, and everyone will assume a tight race.”

  “Domestic Issues Dominate the Priorities of the Jewish Electorate”

Jewish Americans care most about health care and least about Israel. That is the striking result of a study conducted for the Jewish Electorate Institute. More than 1,000 Jewish voters said that maintaining Medicare and Social Security were their top electoral priorities, followed by enacting gun safety laws, combating the influence of white supremacists, combating terrorism, and improving the economy. What a candidate thinks about Israel was dead last on a list of 16 policy priorities, a fact that explains why many Jews still vote for Democratic candidates whose support for Israel is lukewarm. The poll also found that, despite decades of effort, support for the Republican Party in the Jewish community remains at 25 percent, the same as 2018.

Society

  “Workism Is Making Americans Miserable”

In the past, wealth bought leisure time, notes Atlantic writer Derek Thompson in his February 2019 article. But today, success at work buys more work.

That’s because work has become a kind of religion among young people, one of the many “-isms” that have replaced traditional religious practice. “Some people worship beauty, some worship political identities, and others worship children,” Thompson writes. “But everybody worships something. And workism is among the most potent of the new religions competing for congregants.”

In 1980, the highest-earning men worked less than middle-class and low-income men; now they have the longest average workweek. “It is fair to say that elite American mean have transformed themselves into the world’s premier workaholics,” Thompson writes. “Today’s rich American men can afford vastly more downtime. But they have used their wealth to buy the strangest of prizes: more work!”

  “US Births Fall to Lowest Level Since 1980s”

The birth rate in the United States fell below replacement level (2.1 percent) in 1971, notes an article in the Wall Street Journal, but last year it hit a record low, 1.7 percent. Falling birth rates among young and Hispanic women account for most of the decline. Interestingly, there was an increase in the birth rate among women aged between 35 and 44.

In the long-term, a lower birth rate means that an aging population will have a much smaller workforce to support them in their retirement. However, researchers hope that as the millennial generation (now 23 to 38 years old) moves through their 30s, the birth rate will once again rise.

  “Social Media Is Making Us Crazier”

“Society seems to be going steadily crazier,” writes author Glenn Reynolds in his new book, The Social Media Upheaval. “And maybe it doesn’t seem to be. Maybe it actually is growing crazier.”

The cause of this insanity? Social media. Reynolds, creator of the popular Instapundit blog, details the many ways in which social media is changing the way we act and interact, mostly for the worse.

Look around and you will see men, women, and children locked in to their cell phones, oblivious of those around them. Then there are those who spend their days on Twitter, yelling at people they don’t know half a planet away. Average intelligence is statistically declining in the social media age, Reynolds writes, as distraction becomes the norm and time to read a book dwindles. Worst of all, these social media platforms have the power to promote a political identity and exclude those who don’t conform. Welcome to the world of anger. And Orwell.

  “Religious Couples Are the Most Blissful of All”

Call it the anti-Hollywood study. Popular culture sells the myth that religious life is stifling while a nonreligious life is liberating. In fact, according to an Institute for Family Studies report conducted in 11 countries, religious couples are happier and more satisfied with their marriages than secular and less religious couples. In the United States, the study found that 38 percent of wives and 33 percent of husbands of religious couples were satisfied with their partners while 23 percent of wives and 20 percent of husbands of secular couples were satisfied with their partners. Religious couples also tend to have more children and are more likely to marry.

So, if you want a happy marriage, go to shul.

Newsweek: Political Smoke Alarm... Jewish Voter Identification Becoming More Complicated

October 1, 2026
The latest Jewish Electorate Institute survey gives Democrats a commanding 71 percent to 23 percent advantage among Jewish voters on the generic congressional ballot, virtually unchanged from its March poll. Sixty-nine percent identify as Democrats, while 24 percent identify as Republicans.  The same poll contains a less comfortable set of numbers, though: 57 percent of Jewish voters overall say antisemitism is increasing within the Democratic Party, while 35 percent of Jewish Democrats say the rise of anti-Israel Democratic candidates has made it harder for them personally to identify as Democrats. The votes may still be staying Democratic, but for some Jewish voters, identification with the party is becoming more complicated.

NEW POLL: What’s on the minds of Jewish Americans today?

September 25, 2026
Our latest JEI poll shows American Jews are still overwhelmingly pro-Israel but also very critical of Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu. A majority are concerned that Netanyahu’s actions have increased antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment. While this is more prevalent among Democrats, even a third of GOP Jews are greatly concerned. This poll also shows the divisions on some recent hot button issues. For instance, most Democrats support cutting aid to Israel, while majorities of independents and Republicans are opposed. There is also a division on the recent pro-Israel action in primary elections – with over a third of Jews feeling it has made things worse, while an increasing plurality feel it is more important than ever. Jews Are Pro-Israel But Very Critical Of Netanyahu, Though Not Focused On The Upcoming Israeli Election An overwhelming 86% of American Jews identify themselves as Pro-Israel, including 65% saying they are pro-Israel but critical of some or many of Israeli government policies. This is barely changed from the March JEI poll which showed 86% pro-Israel and 63% critical. Nearly three quarters (71%) see Israel favorably compared to 25% unfavorably – barely changed from March (71%/24%). At the same time, 61% have an unfavorable view of Netanyahu, with 34% favorable. This is within a point of Netanyahu’s standing from the JEI post-election poll in November 2024 which showed 33% favorable, 61% unfavorable. While 80% of American Jews are following the November elections in the U.S., only 38% are following the October elections in Israel. They do, however, have a strong preference in the outcome with 60% wanting Netanyahu replaced, including 53% feeling strongly. Only 16% of American Jews want to see him reelected. A Majority Are Concerned Netanyahu Has Increased Anti-Semitic And Anti-Israel Feelings Nearly half of American Jews are concerned about antisemitic rhetoric in the Republican (48% a great deal of concern) and Democratic (44%) Parties. Even among partisans roughly three in ten are greatly concerned about antisemitic rhetoric within their own party, with 29% of Republicans saying that about the GOP and 34% of Democrats saying it about their party. A 56% majority of Jews have a great deal of concern that “Israel’s actions under Netanyahu have increased antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the U.S.” Two thirds (65%) of Democratic Jews feel this way, and nearly half (46%) of independents and a third (34%) of Republicans. Most Democrats Would Cut Aid To Israel, But Republicans & Independents Are Opposed A 52% majority of Jews support cutting or eliminating aid to Israel, with 17% supporting “eliminating all $3.3 billion in military aid that the U.S. provides Israel” and 36% preferring to cut but not eliminate aid. Four in ten (40%) would keep aid at current levels, with 8% not sure. There are stark differences on partisanship, with nearly two thirds of Democrats (63%) wanting to cut or eliminate aid, and a similar two thirds of Republicans (67%) and independents (65%) for keeping current levels. Four in ten (40%) Jews are concerned about Congressional support for eliminating aid for “defensive weapons like Iron Dome” (40%), only slightly higher than concern for eliminating “offensive weapons” (36%). A majority of Republicans are concerned about cuts to either offensive (54%) or defensive weapon (56%), while less than half of independents are concerned (44% defensive, 45% offensive) and only a third of Democrats (34% defensive, 29% offensive.) Still there is more of a cost for a Member of Congress voting to cut aid, than a benefit. Nearly half (47%) are less likely to support a Member voting to cut aid, including 36% of those who support cutting aid themselves. Only one in five (21%) are more likely to vote for a Member cutting aid. Even among those who support cuts, only 13% are more likely to support a Member voting that way. Views On AIPAC And The Recent Primary Battles Are Mixed, Even Among Democrats A majority (51%) of American Jews have heard at least something about pro-Israel activity in this year’s primary elections – up from 38% in March. However, higher awareness has not dramatically changed opinions. A narrow 39% plurality support the pro-Israel activity in the primaries, 35% oppose it, and 26% are unsure; very similar to March (37% support, 32% oppose, 31% not sure). Given a choice between two statements, 45% believe “With increasing anti-Israel sentiment and threats to Israel, it is more important than ever for pro-Israel groups to play an active role against candidates who are not supportive enough of a strong US-Israel relationship”, while 37% believe that “These heavy-handed efforts by pro-Israel groups in primary elections make things worse by turning voters against a strong US-Israel relationship, and they should stop.” Large majorities of Republicans and independents believe it more important than ever for pro-Israel groups to get involved in the primaries. But while Democrats lean the other way, they are more torn – with 46% saying the pro-Israel activity is making things worse, but the majority of Democrats either think it’s more important than ever (34%) or are not sure (20%). Indeed, views of AIPAC, the biggest pro-Israel spender in primaries, are mixed, with 42% favorable, 35% unfavorable, and 24% not sure. AIPAC is seen favorably by most independents (55% favorable, 15% unfavorable) and Republicans (71% favorable, 12% unfavorable). Jewish Democrats are 44% unfavorable, with a majority either favorable (31%) or not sure (25%). Moreover, Democratic Jews do not fit easily into one box on AIPAC. Nearly half (45%) agree with the statement “AIPAC is being unfairly singled out for doing just what other advocacy groups do”. Yet 30% agree they cannot vote for a candidate who accepts money from AIPAC, while 19% cannot support a candidate who refuses money from AIPAC. While American Jews are generally together on being pro-Israel even if critical of the government, there are divisions on what should be done in the U.S. on aid and elections.

JEI Advocates for Right to Worship

September 25, 2026
September 23, 2026 The Honorable Mike Johnson Speaker of the United States House of Representatives United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr. Speaker: I submit this statement for the record in support of H.R. 10052 and S. 5289, the Right to Worship Act. I am grateful to Representatives Brad Knott, Tom Suozzi, Michael Lawler, and Josh Gottheimer and Senators Ted Cruz and Elissa Slotkin for their bipartisan leadership in introducing this important legislation to protect the fundamental right of Americans to worship without fear, intimidation, or deliberate disruption. For Jewish Americans, this protection is particularly urgent. Synagogues should be places where Jewish families can gather in prayer, celebrate Shabbat and holidays, educate their children, and sustain their communities. No one should have to approach a synagogue wondering whether protesters will block the entrance, intimidate worshippers, prevent families from entering, or deliberately disrupt religious services. The Right to Worship Act recognizes a basic principle of religious liberty: Americans must be able to enter their houses of worship and participate in religious services without being subjected to conduct that meaningfully interferes with their ability to worship. The legislation establishes a narrowly tailored 100-foot protection zone around entrances to houses of worship during scheduled religious services and prohibits knowing conduct that disrupts services or hinders, deters, threatens, or intimidates people seeking to attend. This protection is not about preventing peaceful expression or legitimate public debate. The legislation specifically distinguishes protected expression from conduct that interferes with the ability of people to worship. That distinction is essential. Americans have a constitutional right to express their views, including views with which others strongly disagree. But that right should not be used as a justification for preventing another person from exercising the equally fundamental right to freely practice their religion. The need for this protection is especially clear for Jewish communities. In recent years, Jewish Americans have faced protests, intimidation, threats, and security concerns at and around synagogues and other Jewish institutions. Jewish families should not have to choose between exercising their faith and avoiding confrontation at the doors of their houses of worship. The right to worship is a foundational American freedom. It belongs to Jews, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, and Americans of every faith. Protecting houses of worship therefore is not a special accommodation for any one religious community. It is a protection of religious liberty itself. We also recognize the importance of maintaining the careful balance between religious freedom and the First Amendment's protection of speech and peaceful assembly. The Right to Worship Act addresses that balance by focusing on conduct that actually disrupts religious services or prevents or intimidates individuals from attending them, rather than on the viewpoint or content of someone's speech. We support continued careful consideration of the legislation to ensure that its protections remain clear, appropriately tailored, and consistent with constitutional rights. For Jewish Americans, the ability to walk through the doors of a synagogue and worship openly is not an abstract principle. It is an essential part of Jewish communal life and religious freedom. A Jewish family should be able to attend services on Shabbat or a holiday without being blocked, threatened, intimidated, or made to feel that entering their synagogue is itself an act of confrontation. Religious freedom cannot exist if people are technically free to worship but are effectively prevented from doing so by intimidation or deliberate disruption at the doors of their houses of worship. We strongly support the goals of the Right to Worship Act and urge Congress to advance this bipartisan legislation. Protecting the right of Americans to gather, pray, and practice their faith is a constitutional responsibility and a fundamental American value. The freedom to worship belongs to all of us. Congress should ensure that every American can exercise that freedom without fear. Sincerely,