Shmuel Rosner, correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, is hosting an online conversation this week with the executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, Ira Forman.

So far, it’s been a pretty standard discussion of whether the Dems are truly as pro-Israel as the GOP, etc., etc. But Forman has also provided a very tidy summer of the history of Jewish political engagement in America.

To wit:

“Jewish Americans participate in all aspects of American politics to a degree which may be unequaled by any other minority group in America. Jews register and turn out to vote in very high numbers. Jews represent only about two percent of the population but they run for elected office in much higher numbers. A significant proportion of the most prominent political journalists are Jewish. Jewish Americans provide both parties (especially Democrats) a disproportionate share of their campaign contributions.”

So here’s my question: If Jews are the ultimate civic engagers, and they’ve gone full steam into politics, are the political cynics wrong after all? In other words, by the transitive property:

Good=Jews Jews=Politics Good=Politcs??

This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.

We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.

This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.

With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.

The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.

Don't just read the Forward - invest in it. Make a mathed gift today.

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT