Jewish Scene
Jews make up less than 0.2% of mankind
Anav Silverman, Tazpit
Published: 15.10.12, 08:20
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49 Talkbacks for this article
1. Less than 0.2 % , but more than 20 %
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.15.12)
of Nobel prizes , two this year were awarded to Jews .
2. Mazel Tov! to the parents of 166,000 new Israeli babies ;-)
Zvi   (10.15.12)
3. Israeli spin doctor.
michael Pielet ,   israel   (10.15.12)
Reality, 25% of those babies are arabs. !,600,000 arab citizens of israel. These irredentist arabs will in the near future rise up and try to destroy the state of israel. In the United States there are currently four million Jews and because of secularization, intermarriage, no marriage, very low birthrate, aging; within 50 years the Jewish population in the United States will fall to less than two million.
4. Israel is the Heart of the Nations
Yoni ,   Shomron   (10.15.12)
The heart comprises less than 0.5 percent of the total body weight.
5. Who is a "Jew", religion only?
Michael ,   California, USA   (10.15.12)
If I read this article correctly, they counted by religion only. I was told Orthodox Jews are counting by genes and a non-religious person is still a Jew. So, who am I as an atheist? If the Hebrew U. counts by religion only, half of the Israelis aren't Jewish. I should not be in their count since I am a Cultural Jew only.
6. 1 - Why is that Charles?
Avi   (10.15.12)
Something random? Genetic? Luck?
7. The 0.2% figure is hardly new. I've used it for years.
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (10.15.12)
I'm not a demographer, but I've discussed Jewish numbers in forums like this and in a public talk about five years ago. Here are a few more interesting numbers: Based on some estimates, Jews made up over 5% of the Roman Empire before the Revolt, making them almost 2% of the world population at that time. Whereas Jews for centuries were widely dispersed in the world, today 80% live in two countries, 90% live in just five. Moreover, our numbers are stagnant - barely more today than 60 years ago. And while I suspect many estimates for Muslims in Europe are too low and the CIA's world estimates are too high, they still outnumber Jews 20 to 1 in Europe and 100 to 1 in the world.
8. #5 You...?
Alex   (10.15.12)
You certainly are not Jewish. Interbred with gentiles and leave us alone with the anti-Jewish hatred you normally spread around here.
9. #5
Alex   (10.15.12)
btw You're not cultural Jew, you oppose all Jewish cultural practices!
10. Avi
Walt K ,   Sherbrooke, Canada   (10.15.12)
It is funny how jewishness could be taken by different sides : Secular, religious, traditional, genetics ; and each of these categories can divided in many faces.
11. 5 Orthodox Jews are 100% Jews...
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (10.15.12)
All other Jews are Jewish, like, soldiers without training nor gun,are combattants. All citizens of Israel are Israelis.
12. No wonder ,since we are called...
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (10.15.12)
since thousands years,the people of the book. The Gemara study has sharpened the Jewish brains.
13. 4 Yoni I like your comment.
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (10.15.12)
14. who is a Jew?
DavidR ,   USA   (10.15.12)
I believe Michael is right. They counted religious only. How many Jews are alive who don't even know they are Jews genetically? How many of the Ten Tribes in the world who have lost their identity according to Hoseah 1 are there? How many in the Messianic communities who number in the millions are there? Just because they are not considered Jews by the Orthodox does not mean they are not Jews. Those who discount all these others in the world are racist. They like to say, "We are Jews and you are goy." When the majority of them cannot prove their own Jewishness other than by name or paperwork. Not by blood. How many have had their DNA checked. Do it and you may find that grandma was in the hay loft.
15. Percentage of Jews
graczek ,   Maryland, USA   (10.15.12)
The late Harvard Professor John Strugnell (1930-2007) put it very aptly when he said that what disturbed him was that there are any Jews still extant.
16. A world statistical census is needed
Istvan ,   BUDAPEST HUNGARY   (10.15.12)
and the result will be that much more than 20 million jews live on the globe.
17. Less than .2 %
delon ,   Ny.NY   (10.15.12)
with less than .2 percent and look at the mess they cause in the world. Imagin if more than that, God help us.
18. heart of a A nation,
Delon ,   NY,NY   (10.15.12)
more like heart disease
19. #3
... ,   ...   (10.15.12)
Well, well, well - you are not in Boca Raton anymore ?????
20. Addition to my # 1 . A third Jewish Nobel
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.15.12)
21. Avi , 6
Charles ,   Petach Tikva   (10.15.12)
I had a non Jewish colleague [ abroad ] who earned the same amount of money as i , a very nice pay . He said : my daughter aged 18 goes to work , study is unnecessarry . Maybe that's the reason ?
22. 18 Your diagnose will be relevant...
ILAN ,   ISRAEL   (10.15.12)
only when you will be able to look in your own heart.
23. To #15 Till the end of times there will be Jews
Jorge   (10.16.12)
No matter what, no matter who tries to do Jews under, it is G ds pact with its people, those who tried to destroy Jews are long buried, and those who try in the future will carry the same fate of obvlivion, that there are Jews and always will be Jews as long as the pact is kept is G ds law, people like you, Grazek, Jew haters will never reach his prescence and will always live in despair. AM ISRAEL HAI
24. #2 You may be underestimating.
Ben Ze'ev ,   Panama City Panama   (10.16.12)
All the reliable estimates for the number of Jews in the Roman Empire were around 10%. In Israel, at one time there were about 8 milion Jews. Very prolific. "Be fruitful and multiply" The Jews took that Torah injunction very seriously.
25. No. 14 DavidR
NYC Girl   (10.16.12)
Where does the article state they counted religious Jews only? Had that been the case, this study would have been totally invalid.....for both Israel and the United States.
26. At about 14m are about 1 in 5140 of world pop.
bob k ,   orlando USA   (10.16.12)
27. other what?
Daniel ,   Canada   (10.16.12)
'Israel’s population is relatively young compared to populations in other western countries'.....Israel is a western country ? since when? which west are we talking about?
28. #11 Ora, I don't agree with you
Yossef   (10.16.12)
What makes me proud to be jewish (well, I'm not a Jew according to your definition but only jew-ish) is that this year we have, at least, 3 Nobel prizes : Haroch in Physics, Lefkowitz in Chemistry and Roth in Economics.
29. I'm very glad it's increasing.
Reuven   (10.16.12)
We need larger families.
30. It's 3, possibly 4 this year.
Reuven   (10.16.12)
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