"Are Jews Smarter By Everyone Else?"
by Dr. Sander L. Gilman
(Edited for clarity and brevity)
In 2007, Charles Murray, the coauthor of The Bell Curve made the claim that "Jews are smarter" than everyone else. He and his coauthor, Richard Herrnstein, first presented their argument about the intellectual superiority of "Ashkenazi Jews of European origins" who "test higher than any other ethnic group."
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The desire to draw these "bright lines" in perhaps intrinsic to human nature. The need to define and control, to identify from where succor or dear comes, is built into all social groups as central to their self-definition. We need to know what we are and what we are not.
...
The argument about Jewish smartiness rests on individual accomplishments, such as Nobel prizes and violin virtuosi of those who are labeled or self-identified as "Jews," and these individual accomplishmnets may well be a reflex of a culture of learning and performance by individuals placed in a specific Diaspora situation. As Albert Einstein pointed out a long time ago:
If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German and Germany will declare that I am a Jew.
Being "Jewish" is only one identity for him, if an important one.
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But there is yet another turn of the wheel in the debates about Jewish smartiness. By extension, no individual Jew today can be quite smart enough to fulfill the category of the stereotypical "Smart Jew." By this argument, if you are not a smart Jew, then you are not much of a Jew at all.
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[Categories of ethnic and racial groups] carry with them much of the baggage of racism, including the so-called "positive" stereotypes of the group.
by Dr. Sander L. Gilman
(Edited for clarity and brevity)
In 2007, Charles Murray, the coauthor of The Bell Curve made the claim that "Jews are smarter" than everyone else. He and his coauthor, Richard Herrnstein, first presented their argument about the intellectual superiority of "Ashkenazi Jews of European origins" who "test higher than any other ethnic group."
--
The desire to draw these "bright lines" in perhaps intrinsic to human nature. The need to define and control, to identify from where succor or dear comes, is built into all social groups as central to their self-definition. We need to know what we are and what we are not.
...
The argument about Jewish smartiness rests on individual accomplishments, such as Nobel prizes and violin virtuosi of those who are labeled or self-identified as "Jews," and these individual accomplishmnets may well be a reflex of a culture of learning and performance by individuals placed in a specific Diaspora situation. As Albert Einstein pointed out a long time ago:
If my theory of relativity is proven successful, Germany will claim me as a German and France will declare that I am a citizen of the world. Should my theory prove untrue, France will say that I am a German and Germany will declare that I am a Jew.
Being "Jewish" is only one identity for him, if an important one.
--
But there is yet another turn of the wheel in the debates about Jewish smartiness. By extension, no individual Jew today can be quite smart enough to fulfill the category of the stereotypical "Smart Jew." By this argument, if you are not a smart Jew, then you are not much of a Jew at all.
--
[Categories of ethnic and racial groups] carry with them much of the baggage of racism, including the so-called "positive" stereotypes of the group.
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Discussion questions:
1. Does something surprise you about the first quote on this page?
2. Do you think Dr. Gilman thinks the "intrinsic" desire to divide people by "bright lines" is a good thing, a bad thing, or a neutral thing? What do you think?
3. What is the point that Einstein is making?
3a. What does "Being 'Jewish' is only one identity for him, albeit an important one." What does that mean?
4. How do the last two paragraphs work together?
1. Does something surprise you about the first quote on this page?
2. Do you think Dr. Gilman thinks the "intrinsic" desire to divide people by "bright lines" is a good thing, a bad thing, or a neutral thing? What do you think?
3. What is the point that Einstein is making?
3a. What does "Being 'Jewish' is only one identity for him, albeit an important one." What does that mean?
4. How do the last two paragraphs work together?
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A Fable.
Long ago, when the rocks were young and the winds were new, the Nightingale, Peacock, and Falcon gathered together to decide which one was best.
“Let us sing a beautiful song,” the Nightingale said, and surprise, surprise, the Nightingale won.
“Let us flaunt our beautiful feathers,” the Peacock said, and surprise, surprise, the Peacock won.
“Let us fly, as fast as we can,” the Falcon said, and surprise, surprise, the Falcon won.
“So, which of you is best?” the weary Owl sighed, and no one could tell him who.
Long ago, when the rocks were young and the winds were new, the Nightingale, Peacock, and Falcon gathered together to decide which one was best.
“Let us sing a beautiful song,” the Nightingale said, and surprise, surprise, the Nightingale won.
“Let us flaunt our beautiful feathers,” the Peacock said, and surprise, surprise, the Peacock won.
“Let us fly, as fast as we can,” the Falcon said, and surprise, surprise, the Falcon won.
“So, which of you is best?” the weary Owl sighed, and no one could tell him who.
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The Myth of Jewish Privilege and Intellectual Superiority
by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
When I served as rabbi at Oxford University during the '90s, a controversial best-selling book was published called The Bell Curve by two Jewish authors who made a[n] assertion that Ashkenazi Jews have the highest IQs.
I vigorously protested the book in published essays at the time and in lectures to my Oxford students. Not only because I am half-Ashkenazi and half-Sephardi (which would make me half-smart and half-dumb, something that my wife would probably agree with), but because, as I said at the time, I believe the mind is a muscle. The more we exercise the mind, the smarter we become, like any other corporeal faculty.
...
To the extent that we Jews are perceived as smart, it's because of our emphasis on textual study and education. And to the extent that Jews are successful, it's not because of any superiority of IQ but because of our unique values, like rejecting aristocracy in favor of meritocracy, and an emphasis on spiritual struggle rather than perfection, with its accompanying acceptance of failure as a path to growth.
...
The Jews are no better than any other nation but we are certainly no worse.
by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
When I served as rabbi at Oxford University during the '90s, a controversial best-selling book was published called The Bell Curve by two Jewish authors who made a[n] assertion that Ashkenazi Jews have the highest IQs.
I vigorously protested the book in published essays at the time and in lectures to my Oxford students. Not only because I am half-Ashkenazi and half-Sephardi (which would make me half-smart and half-dumb, something that my wife would probably agree with), but because, as I said at the time, I believe the mind is a muscle. The more we exercise the mind, the smarter we become, like any other corporeal faculty.
...
To the extent that we Jews are perceived as smart, it's because of our emphasis on textual study and education. And to the extent that Jews are successful, it's not because of any superiority of IQ but because of our unique values, like rejecting aristocracy in favor of meritocracy, and an emphasis on spiritual struggle rather than perfection, with its accompanying acceptance of failure as a path to growth.
...
The Jews are no better than any other nation but we are certainly no worse.
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1. Why do you think Rabbi Boteach includes the line about his Sephardi and Ashkenazi heritage?
2. What do you think about the title of this piece -- does Rabbi Boteach ultimately believe that Jews may be 'smarter' than others?
3. Much of the article -- which we did not read here -- discusses Boteach's takedown of the idea that Jews are privileged. How does this seem to relate to the rest of the article?
2. What do you think about the title of this piece -- does Rabbi Boteach ultimately believe that Jews may be 'smarter' than others?
3. Much of the article -- which we did not read here -- discusses Boteach's takedown of the idea that Jews are privileged. How does this seem to relate to the rest of the article?
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Outcry After NYT Writer Appears to Argue Ashkenazi Jews are Genetically Superior
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens has sparked a firestorm of criticism after he appeared to argue that Ashkenazi Jews are genetically predisposed to have a higher IQ than non-Jews.
... Stephens quoted as evidence a 2005 academic paper [which argued the same].
...
The paper, published in the Journal of Biosocial Science, argued that Ashkenazi Jewish culture and communal behavior during the Middle Ages may have selected for their higher intelligence, as measured by IQ scores - while also causing genetic disorders unique to the community.
The arguments in the paper are controversial among scientists. One of its three co-authors, Henry Harpending, is celebrated among white supremacists for arguing elsewhere that human civilixation has accelerated human evolution outside Africa and left white Europeans genetically predisposed to be more committed to their families and to possess a stronger work ethic than people from sub-Sarahan Africa.
...
In the column, Stephens does not explicitly claim that the achievementso f Jews have a genetic basis. ... But Tim Marchma, an editor at Vice, noted that the article mentioned above and cited by Stephens does the opposite, noting that Ashkenazi Jewish IQ scores outstrip Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews who share both the Jewish tradition and [are also a minority.]
...
Stephens has not yet commented publicly on the outcry. He left Twitter earlier this year after somebody mocked him by comparing him to a bedbug.
New York Times columnist Bret Stephens has sparked a firestorm of criticism after he appeared to argue that Ashkenazi Jews are genetically predisposed to have a higher IQ than non-Jews.
... Stephens quoted as evidence a 2005 academic paper [which argued the same].
...
The paper, published in the Journal of Biosocial Science, argued that Ashkenazi Jewish culture and communal behavior during the Middle Ages may have selected for their higher intelligence, as measured by IQ scores - while also causing genetic disorders unique to the community.
The arguments in the paper are controversial among scientists. One of its three co-authors, Henry Harpending, is celebrated among white supremacists for arguing elsewhere that human civilixation has accelerated human evolution outside Africa and left white Europeans genetically predisposed to be more committed to their families and to possess a stronger work ethic than people from sub-Sarahan Africa.
...
In the column, Stephens does not explicitly claim that the achievementso f Jews have a genetic basis. ... But Tim Marchma, an editor at Vice, noted that the article mentioned above and cited by Stephens does the opposite, noting that Ashkenazi Jewish IQ scores outstrip Sephardi and Mizrachi Jews who share both the Jewish tradition and [are also a minority.]
...
Stephens has not yet commented publicly on the outcry. He left Twitter earlier this year after somebody mocked him by comparing him to a bedbug.
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1. Does this article make you feel differently about Rabbi Boteach's article?
2. Does your knowledge about the history, usage, and relevancy of IQ Tests change your interpretation of any of the articles?
2. Does your knowledge about the history, usage, and relevancy of IQ Tests change your interpretation of any of the articles?