jews: are we actually different?

[Ibby]

Exactly. Jewish culture and history, and thus identity, emphasizes that Jews are different. They are the chosen people, and thus, even if they don't believe in the religious doctrine of Judaism, still tend believe in being a part of the Jewish community, with a distinct yet assimilated culture. Judaism is about story and law - and neither without the other. Keeping Jewish custom - not necessarily Orthodoxy, but at least custom and culture - is what defines Jews, much more than their ethnic separation from the local culture. But this is more than just keeping Jewish religious culture - it's (in this argument more importantly) Jewish family culture, Jewish upbringing. And it seems to be at the very least statistically plausible, then, that their customs and culture are particularly aligned towards "success". It doesn't hurt that most American Jews are middle- or upper-class, either.

It's like saying Asian-Americans are particularly smart. Broadly, yes, that's often true - but it's because of the Asian work/academic ethic, because "tiger moms" raise their kids to strive for that. Similarly, I would argue that it's a cultural and customs-based difference in upbringing and worldview that has little to do with ethnicity and is mostly detached from the religious roots of the custom. It's a matter of raising your kids the way you were raised, even if you raise them secularly or without much emphasis on their Jewishness.