Call it the Jerry Seinfeld effect. Even as American Jews confront a recent rise in antisemitism, a new survey from the Pew Research Center shows that Jewish people are viewed the most favorably among the major religious groups in the U.S.
The Pew survey found that 35% of Americans have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Jewish people. That compares with 34% for Catholics, 30% for mainline Protestants, 28% for evangelical Christians, 20% for atheists, 17% for Muslims and 15% for Mormons. Pew said that 10,588 U.S. adults participated in the survey. Pew added a few caveats to its findings, saying some respondents “may find it strange or difficult to be asked to rate an entire group of people.” Certainly, that may explain why the majority of respondents — 58%, to be exact — said they had neither a favorable nor unfavorable view of Jews, or didn’t know enough to voice any opinion. The same applied to other religious groups: For example, 59% of respondents said they didn’t have a favorable or unfavorable view of mainline Protestants, or lacked enough knowledge to have an opinion. The results of the Pew survey surprised some prominent members of the Jewish community contacted by MarketWatch, especially given the increase in antisemitic incidents. Related: Four in every five American Jews believe …