Facebook
Twitter
email
Print

Why Are Ashkenazi Jews So Smart?

Northern New Jersey’s Jewish Voice Since 1931

Open Search form

Home
Latest
Blogs
Jewish Standard Newsletter
Submissions
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise
Partners
search

home page

Why Are Ashkenazi Jews So Smart?

By Warren Boroson December 3, 2012, 10:43 pm Edit

Facebook
Twitter
email
Print

http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/pellissier20110719

Get The Jewish Standard Newsletter by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up

read more:

Boroson's Anecdotage

Facebook
Twitter
email
Print

comments

June 23, 2025

Right Now

Israelis receive an Extreme Alert several minutes before an air-raid siren is likely to wail. Translation: “Alerts are expected to be received in your area in the next few minutes. You need to improve your location for optimum protection nearby. In the event of receiving an alert, you must enter the protected area and remain there until you receive a new message. -- Home Front Command – lifesaving instructions”

Letter from Israel

By Abigail Klein Leichman

When the best-laid plans go awry … again

Elie Y. Katz and his son Ziggy in Israel this week.

‘We’re all in this together’

By Joanne Palmer

Teaneck official and family among thousands trying to find an exit strategy

Jordyn Engel

‘I’ve never felt like this before’

By Joanne Palmer

Young IDF lone soldier from Springfield describes how she got there

The Allens are at a family simcha last year.

‘Thank God, the kids are very resilient’

By Joanne Palmer

Rabbi Ely Allen, who made aliyah from Bergen County, describes a special Israeli solidarity

Rachel Lissack and her fiance, Idan Zipris.

‘Resilience — it’s like in the water here’

By Joanne Palmer

Olah from South Orange talks about life in Israel now

Cellphones have upended student life, as this stock photo shows. (Freepik)

Several Jewish high schools ban cellphones

By Abigail Klein Leichman

Collaborative decision is aimed at making students ‘fully present’

These are the adult b’nai mitzvah students at Shomrei Emunah.

Being very adult about b’nai mitzvah class

By Merrill Silver

What it’s like to help grown-ups prepare for their delayed rite of passage

Lenny Mandel, right, with his friend Seymour Shaw.

‘Say it loud’

By Cantor/Rabbi Lenny Mandel

Our correspondent recalls his brushes with antisemitism

Israel attacked targets in Iran, including in Tehran, as shown here, on the morning of Friday, June 13. (WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinion of sheep

By Joanne Palmer

JEWS FOR NJ.ORG

By Joanne Palmer

New initiative will help community connect

NASCK’s director of outreach and Project Last Kindness, Yael Davidowitz, is at the lectern.

‘We act with respect for a body that housed a soul’

By Abigail Klein Leichman

Participants report on the Women’s Chevra Kadisha leadership conference in Iselin

Mixed Metaphors 19 (All art and photos By Miriam Stern)

Selling art, feeding the hungry

By Joanne Palmer

Miriam Stern of Teaneck offers work online; proceeds go to charity

Deb Breslow stands behind her Aunt Ruth.

More than just an epitaph

Looking back at loving and losing the last of her generation

Daddy and daughters on the beach.

‘Hope you like these socks’

An ode to my daughters’ father on Father’s Day

Assemblywoman Garnet Hall, JESPY board president Dr. Ahadi Bugg-Levine, South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum, and JESPY executive director Audrey Winkler. (Elise Campbell Photography)

JESPY breaks ground on its new center

An Israeli and an Iranian face off in a judo match in “Tatami.”

Can an Iranian fight an Israeli?

By Curt Schleier

‘Tatami,’ a film about judo, explores such a confrontation

Choral concert in Tenafly

Get-together in Leonia

Concert in Wayne

JCC turns 100

Talking about antisemitism

Chabad Center celebrates

Next-generation singer in Wayne

Hospice cabaret in Upper Nyack

Jeremy Lentz (Barbara Balkin)

Pride Shabbat in Teaneck

Second-generation survivors meet

Marking Juneteenth

Get-together in Leonia

Concert in Wayne

Honorary dinner

Yiddish music in Manhattan

Teaneck shul open house set for July 4

Rabbi Chaim and Sara M. Brafman

Chabad Center of Northwest NJ celebrates 37 years on June 26

Toby Rosenthal, the daughter of the late Gail Hirsch Rosenthal, shovels dirt onto a tree sapling planted at Stockton University. (Bernard DeLury/Stockton University)

Sapling from ‘Anne Frank Tree’ planted to honor Holocaust educator

On Sunday June 8, Rabbi Simeon Cohen, center, was escorted into the TBS sanctuary before he was installed as the temple’s rabbi. Holding the poles, from left, are his mother Lori Cohen, his father-in-law Dr. Michael Fein, his father Harlan Cohen, and his mother-in-law Beverly Fein. (Jerry Siskind)

Rabbi Simeon Cohen celebrated as senior rabbi at Livingston’s Temple Beth Shalom

Holocaust Institute holding annual online summer book series

Searching for peace, finding no peace

By Joanne Palmer

Where are you, God?

By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach

War and weddings, weddings and war

By Rosanne Skopp

The pain of victory

By Rabbi David Seth Kirshner

Remembering Judi and Gadi

By Elliot B. Karp

The Frazzled Housewife

Dear God…

By Banji Ganchrow

Editorial

Honesty matters

Column

Shammai Englemayer

The anti-Zionism absurdity

Opinion

Joseph C. Kaplan

Playing telephone is for children

Opinion

Max L. Kleinman

A tale of two wars

Opinion

Coming home by going home

Opinion

Sarah Kukin Gretah

‘My heart yearns for our Jewish homeland’

Opinion

Rabbi Mendy Kaminker

Jewish women and girls: the world needs your light

Opinion

The radicals have ruined Yiddish New York

Beha’alotecha: ‘The Blessing of Friends’

By Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser

Letters

It’s summertime

In previous columns I have reminisced about how, when you have kids at home, the changing of the seasons is defined by what activities they have. For example, you know it is fall when they have soccer, and you are watching them play in... Continue Reading

ON THE COVER: Gedaliah Dimbert of Teaneck, a Nitzavim Fellow, stands on a hilltop in Israel. (Nitzavim Fellowship)

Learning leadership

By Abigail Klein Leichman

Local students go to Israel on Nitzavim Fellowship

Sacred music from Sepharad

By Joanne Palmer

Yosef Goldman and Yoni Battat’s Kedmah in concert in Teaneck

Israel Day on Fifth

Local groups join the parade

Tzofim

How does he do that?

By Joanne Palmer

Dani Shachar from the Jewish Institute for the Blind shows what he can do

Local

see more

Calendar

see more

Community

see more

Opinion

see more

Latest Cover Stories

READ FULL JEWISH STANDARD ISSUE

Jewish Standard, June 20, 2025

View recent print issues SUBSCRIBE FOR MAIL DELIVERY

Latest Articles

3 days ago

Dear God…
3 days ago

Choral concert in Tenafly
3 days ago

Get-together in Leonia
3 days ago

Concert in Wayne
3 days ago

JCC turns 100
3 days ago

Talking about antisemitism
3 days ago

Chabad Center celebrates
3 days ago

Goddess online
3 days ago

Next-generation singer in Wayne
3 days ago

Hospice cabaret in Upper Nyack
3 days ago

Remembering Judi and Gadi
3 days ago

The pain of victory
3 days ago

War and weddings, weddings and war
3 days ago

Where are you, God?
3 days ago

Searching for peace, finding no peace
3 days ago

‘Resilience — it’s like in the water here’
3 days ago

‘Thank God, the kids are very resilient’
3 days ago

‘I’ve never felt like this before’
3 days ago

‘We’re all in this together’
3 days ago

Letter from Israel

See All

Joseph C. Kaplan

Playing Telephone is for Children
Tani Foger

When an Act of Solidarity Becomes...
Joseph C. Kaplan

Our Most Precious Right – Part II
Joseph C. Kaplan

Trump, Ben-Gvir, and my Vanished ...
Maayan Aviv

Trauma Is a Shared Burden — and...
Joseph C. Kaplan

Famous Last Words
Maayan Aviv

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Healing
Tani Foger

Doom-Scrolling or Allyship?
Joseph C. Kaplan

Freedom of Speech and Assembly �...
Maayan Aviv

A Mental Health Crisis Like No Ot...

See All

June 12, 2025, 11:28 PM

Joseph C. Kaplan

Playing Telephone is for Children
June 9, 2025, 1:43 AM

Tani Foger

When an Act of Solidarity Becomes...
May 16, 2025, 6:16 AM

Joseph C. Kaplan

Our Most Precious Right – Part II
May 9, 2025, 12:26 AM

Joseph C. Kaplan

Trump, Ben-Gvir, and my Vanished ...
May 5, 2025, 9:32 PM

Maayan Aviv

Trauma Is a Shared Burden — and...
April 10, 2025, 11:30 PM

Joseph C. Kaplan

Famous Last Words
April 9, 2025, 10:52 PM

Maayan Aviv

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Healing
April 8, 2025, 6:04 AM

Tani Foger

Doom-Scrolling or Allyship?
March 20, 2025, 11:03 PM

Joseph C. Kaplan

Freedom of Speech and Assembly �...
March 18, 2025, 12:08 AM

Maayan Aviv

A Mental Health Crisis Like No Ot...

Jewish Standard

Daily Edition

Free to Your Inbox

The email is either missing or invalid.

By signing up, you agree to our terms You hereby accept the Jewish Standard Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and you agree to receive the latest news & offers from the Jewish Standard and its partners or ad sponsors.

Specialty Publications

Our Children, June 2025

Events & Celebrations, May 2025

Our Children, May 2025

Our Children, April 2025

View all magazines

Israel’s Yuval Raphael comes in second at Eurovision

By Philissa Cramer
Israel’s Eurovision contestant, Yuval Raphael, is focused on music, not protests

By Philissa Cramer
How not to get home for the seder

By Larry Yudelson
A sinister seder set

By Larry Yudelson
YU makes baseball history in Teaneck

By Larry Yudelson
NCAA men’s Final Four features 3 Jewish coaches

By Ben Sales
The time Bob Dylan doodled a yarmulkaed man waiting for a 1 train

By Larry Yudelson
A wild week of Jewish Dylanology

By Larry Yudelson
Influential Jewish comics legend Will Eisner gets a retrospective in Chelsea

By Lisa Keys
Kafka, davka across the GWB

By Larry Yudelson and Lisa Keys
A Springsteen gig you might have missed

By Larry Yudelson
Women vampires, time travel win at Jewish children’s book awards

By Penny Schwartz
For sale: ‘the most complete Jewish baseball card collection in the world’

By Jacob Gurvis
Are you ready for olive pasta?

By John Jeffay
Elissa Slotkin sworn into U.S. Senate on Reform women’s Torah commentary

By Philissa Cramer
Shalom, Dali!

By Jackie Hajdenberg
The biggest Chanukah merch fails of the season — part 2

By Rabbi Yael Buechler
The biggest Chanukah merch fails of the season — part 1

By Rabbi Yael Buechler
Manischewitz scores first sports hero endorsement

By Jacob Gurvis
The warm backstory of this year’s Chanukah stamp

By Jackie Hajdenberg

Chabad Center of Northwest NJ celebrates 37 years on June 26
Sapling from ‘Anne Frank Tree’ planted to honor Holocaust educator
Rabbi Simeon Cohen celebrated as senior rabbi at Livingston’s Temple Beth Shalom
Holocaust Institute holding annual online summer book series
Israeli Scouts to perform in Livingston
Cemetery Association to reinstall veterans memorial plaques
Federation honors Memorial Day
Author talks about her book
Chabad course explores extraordinary Jews
Friendship Circle holds gala banquet for LifeTown
Birthright Israel includes local participants
Walking tour about WWII mid-air collision over Teaneck
Woodcliff Lake shul dedicates Torah in memory of the Dryerman family
Outdoor concert in Englewood
Exploring klezmer on Zoom for Kol Rina
Sinai Schools recommended for Middle States re-accreditation
Temple Emeth honors Loretta Weinberg
United Hatzalah New York gala
Best-selling author comes to River Vale
Honoring Rabbi Teitz z”l

Full CoverageRockland

Promoting tolerance and building bridges

By Leah Adler
A Chanukah party with the sounds of Six13

By Miriam Allenson
Sacred Holocaust scrolls
‘An Iron Dome of protection from Monsey to Montauk’

By Larry Yudelson
First US case of polio in nearly a decade diagnosed

By Jacob Henry
Man charged in drawing swastikas in Monsey synagogue as questions remain

By Larry Yudelson
Israel Bonds Rockland Women’s Division has gala brunch
Tackling the Bible Quiz

By Abigail Klein Leichman
As war rages in Ukraine, another visit with the helpers

By Larry Yudelson
Hillel of Rockland delivers
Rockland shul donates Chromebooks to religious school
From automats to Anatevka

By Curt Schleier
Remembering Jerry Chazen

By Joanne Palmer
‘Better Together’

By Larry Yudelson
Honoring Black history
Women’s League honored four Rockland women
Storm King: Where sculpture reigns supreme

By Miriam Allenson
Remembering the NYC teacher’s strike of ’68

By Larry Yudelson
Staying hybrid in Rockland

By Larry Yudelson
Hillel of Rockland

Scroll to view more