Unlocking the Jewish Success Story: A Deep Dive

"And all the nations will say, just this great nation is a wise and discerning people," says the Torah. The fulfillment of this prophecy enrages some more than many other realized prophecies. Why do Jews consistently succeed? Why are they always at the top of the list for wealth, invention, and prize winners? How does this happen?

The Jewish genius is a topic discussed extensively across generations, particularly in recent ones. With a surge in scientific studies on one hand and popular literature on the other, there is much to read on the subject. In China, a book called "Jewish Wisdom - Learn to Make Money with the Jews" is very popular. Perhaps that inspired the Chinese to buy Tnuva and the light rail? Another widespread book in the East is "Jews and Business, The Bible of How to Live Life".

The success of Jews is well-documented. The percentage of Jewish Nobel laureates in the 20th century is precisely 100 times their relative population size. 50% of the leading chess players from 1860 to 1990 were Jewish, and Jews' share on Forbes' list of the world’s wealthiest is similarly disproportionate.

Richard Lynn, from the British Institute for Social Research, wanted to examine a very simple question: do Jews have a higher IQ? The research was conducted around twenty years ago, published in 2004 under the title "The Intelligence of American Jews". In his introduction, he reviews previous studies, showing they were not comprehensive enough. Lynn's study covered seven thousand people, including Jews, Americans, African Americans, and others. The conclusions were clear. On average, there is about a ten-point difference between Jews and other participants.

The academic world did not sit idly in the face of such problematic data. In the Harvard Political Review, he was called a "scientific racist" and accused of being part of a conspiracy of scientists promoting "white supremacy," and other baseless accusations.

In response, Richard Lynn conducted another study in 2007, this time on about 18,000 people. Again, the average difference between the 433 Jews and the 17,335 non-Jews was around ten points!

New criticisms emerged. He allegedly only tested "verbal intelligence," due to using David Wechsler's tests. In verbal intelligence, Jews are indeed skilled, possibly because of their familiarity with Torah study. But in other areas, maybe not?

Lynn continued conducting various studies showcasing Jewish superiority, and his opponents kept seeking flaws, claiming eventually that studies show Jews are equivalent to other nations.

Yet we, as believing Jews, although proud of every accomplishment by the People of Israel, remember that the Torah did not promise high IQs, victories in chess competitions, or even Nobel prizes. The Torah promised that we would be considered a wise and discerning nation thanks to the laws of the Torah, and when the nations see the morality of the Torah's laws and their wisdom, they will say "what a wise and discerning people, this great nation." Our role is to be a light unto the nations in moral-ethical terms, not to win singing or sports competitions, or even intelligence tests. The Jewish genius is a gift from the Creator, so that we may spread the light of the Torah across the world.