Why American Jews are less Jewish than they used to be

A growing number of American Jews say they have no religion

What does it mean to be Jewish if you're not religious?
(Image credit: (iStock))

Apparently, Seinfeld wasn't enough to keep American Jews from running out to buy Christmas trees. Or believing in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

A new survey from the Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project found that 32 percent of Jews had a Christmas tree in their homes last year, and that 34 percent say you can be Jewish and still believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

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Emily Shire is chief researcher for The Week magazine. She has written about pop culture, religion, and women and gender issues at publications including Slate, The Forward, and Jewcy.