Abstract
Pessimism has long dominated narratives about American Jewry. Pew’s 2020 study provides two ways to appreciate the strength of American Jewish life. If one accepts their estimate of the size of the population, US Jewry is expanding and, even though many are unengaged, they remain Jews. If one rejects Pew’s definition of who is Jewish, the population is smaller, but stable, and highly
engaged. Pew provides a portrait of a diverse community and suggests who needs to be touched to ensure a vibrant Jewish future.