Introduction
Many of us have heard that 20% of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish. This percentage is astonishing, especially when we consider that Jews make up only 0.2% of the world’s population, and that number is declining. To put it into perspective, out of approximately 8 billion people on Earth, only 15 million are Jewish.
Let’s revisit the Nobel Prizes to grasp the significance of this idea. Since 1901, 970 Nobel Prizes have been awarded. If we were to follow the rules of proportionality, only about 2 Jews (approximately 0.2%) should have received a prize. Yet, 210 of the laureates are of Jewish descent. Jews are overrepresented by a factor of 105 times our percentage among the nations. 105 times!
I was aware of this statistic, but this week I came across another that surprised me even more. Do you know which country has the most founders of unicorns (companies valued at over a billion dollars) among foreigners living in the United States? It’s not Israel. It’s India. Sixty-six Indians have founded companies in the U.S. valued at over a billion dollars. And the second? Yes, now it’s Israel with 54. In third place, far behind, is Great Britain with 27.
In yet another area—not in knowledge or science, but in business, finance, entrepreneurship, and creativity—there’s again a disproportionate number. Not only are we second on the list, but the fact that India has over a billion people and Israel only 9 million makes it even more striking. A tiny country in Asia is competing with giants like China, India, or European nations with centuries of cultural and economic power. Israel has produced more unicorn founders per capita in the United States than any other place in the world. Compared to India, Israel’s overrepresentation in founding unicorns is 120 times greater. 120!
Explaining the Phenomenon
How do we explain this phenomenon? How can small, often marginalized people be overrepresented in business, science, academia, and the arts? I’ve been reading a book by Israeli academic Oded Galor called The Journey of Humanity. He’s the creator of the «Unified Growth Theory,» which attempts to explain economic growth and inequality among nations using geographical, historical, and cultural parameters. As the name of his theory suggests, he aims to provide a unified, not partial, answer to why some nations are rich and others poor.
Trying to come up with a «Unified Theory of Jewish Genius» would be too arrogant of me. I don’t have the hermeneutical tools to explain the phenomenon of Jewish overrepresentation in key areas of the world we live in. However, I would like to offer some thoughts. It is precisely because we are few that we distinguish ourselves in various areas. It is precisely because we are a minority that many of our people excel. It’s because of oppression, challenges, and marginalization that Israelis also stand out in culture, technology, sciences, and academia. Jews have lived in a pressure cooker for thousands of years. If we don’t excel, we disappear. The challenges we faced during the Middle Ages gave rise to a culture of creativity.
Unlike some other traditions, Judaism doesn’t promote a vow of poverty. In contrast to Catholicism, and similar to Calvinism, economic prosperity is valued in our people. Of course, this prosperity must be reflected in tzedakah and a commitment to others, but talking about money is not taboo. Similarly, we are a people who, over 2,000 years ago, when the world was overwhelmingly illiterate, made public education a religious commandment. These cultural traits have deeply influenced our «cultural DNA.» Being a minority, being foreigners, being immigrants, being discriminated against can lead to either downfall or success. Our people chose the path of success.
I am not the first to ask this question, nor the most qualified to answer it. Many have tried to provide some “answers” to this overwhelming overrepresentation. The author Yuri Slezkine wrote in her book The Jewish Century that Jewish overrepresentation occurred only in a very particular historical context of the 20th century that favored certain inherent traits of our culture (such as the emphasis on education, social mobility, and trade). She describes Jews as the “Mercurians” par excellence, minority groups who specialize in intellectual, commercial, and intermediary activities, while the «Apollonians» are agrarian and sedentary societies that dominate material production.
Norman Lebrecht, in his book Genius & Anxiety: How Jews Changed the World, 1847-1947, expands on the phenomenon and discusses the transition period between the 19th and 20th centuries, between antisemitism and emancipation, ghettos and cities, and the contrasts these phenomena allowed to develop “Jewish genius.” His thesis is based on three points: (1) Social and Political Conditions: Lebrecht points out that Jews, often on the margins of the societies in which they lived, were forced to develop exceptional skills to survive and thrive. The combination of social exclusion and the opening of opportunities in certain European and American societies created a conducive environment for innovation. (2) Cultural and Educational Heritage: The Jewish tradition of valuing education, intellectual debate, and questioning authority is another factor that Lebrecht identifies as crucial. (3) Existential Anxiety: According to Lebrecht, the existential insecurity experienced by Jews during this period, especially during the era of pogroms and the Holocaust, fostered a type of creativity driven by the urgent need to contribute and leave a mark on the world before it was too late.
French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, instead of questioning the “genius of the Jews,” took a step back and in his excellent book The Genius of Judaism explored the cultural traits of Judaism that later led Jews not only to excel in sciences and arts but also in social movements and their unyielding quest for justice (which would also explain the disproportion of Jewish lawyers!). His thesis is based on the notion of Ethical Monotheism: Lévy highlights that Judaism’s monotheism is not just about the belief in one God, but about the ethical implications of that belief. The Jewish conception of God demands justice, compassion, and responsibility, which in turn shapes the moral framework of its followers. This ethical monotheism is seen as Judaism’s greatest gift to the world. At the same time, he also discusses The Relationship with the Other: A key aspect of Lévy’s thesis is the idea that Judaism emphasizes the importance of the «other»—the stranger, the outsider, the one who is different. This focus on the other is reflected in Jewish law, ethics, and narratives, and it is a driving force behind Jewish involvement in social justice movements. And of course, he also emphasizes the intellectual tradition of studying the Torah and the Talmud as outstanding features of our culture.
If we have discussed so far the genius of the Jews and Judaism, those who make the leap and try to explain the success story of Israel are authors Dan Senor and Saul Singer in their book: The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World. There, they explore the following theses: (1) Cultural Resilience: The authors highlight how Israel’s culture of resilience, forged through centuries of adversity, has created a population that is highly adaptable and capable of thriving in difficult circumstances. This resilience is seen in how Israelis approach challenges, turning crisis into opportunities for innovation and growth. (2) Innovation Ecosystem: Senor and Singer delve into the factors that make Israel a global leader in innovation, particularly in technology and entrepreneurship. They discuss the role of the Israeli military (specifically units like Unit 8200) in fostering technological expertise, the country’s focus on problem-solving, and the entrepreneurial spirit that drives constant experimentation and risk-taking. (3) Diverse Society: The book also explores how Israel’s diversity—ethnic, religious, and ideological—contributes to its creativity and problem-solving abilities. The authors argue that the blending of different perspectives and backgrounds within Israeli society creates a fertile ground for innovation.
Connecting to Our Parashah
So why am I sharing all of this today? And what can I contribute to the theses of these much more qualified authors? I share this because of two verses from the Torah that appear in our Parashah. All the authors we’ve examined develop various theses but share the notion of a culture of study as a central axis, and this dates back 3,300 years to our Torah: “Observe them faithfully, for that is your wisdom and your discernment in the eyes of the peoples who, on hearing all these laws, will say: Surely, that great nation is a wise and discerning people. For what great nation is there that has a god so close at hand as is the Lord our God whenever we call upon Him? Or what great nation has laws and rules as perfect as all this Teaching that I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:6-8)
And now my humble contribution: On one side, there is the study and observance to understand the Jewish mindset, and on the other, the fact of being a minority. Perhaps if we were more numerous, if we were the dominant majority, we wouldn’t stand out. Only in the margins and the desire for self-improvement can we explain this disproportion. And so the Torah says towards the end of our Parashah: “For you are a people consecrated to the Lord your God: of all the peoples on earth, the Lord your God chose you to be His treasured people. It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that the Lord set His heart on you and chose you—indeed, you are the smallest of peoples”
(Deuteronomy 7:6-7)
For more than 3,000 years, God has emphasized that He did not choose us because we are many but specifically because we are few. When there are many, someone else will do it. When we feel secure because we are the «dominant» ones, we don’t feel the need to progress, to grow, to stand out. Another detail in the “Unified Theory of Jewish Genius” that we should not overlook is that we are few. If we were the majority, perhaps history would have been different despite our cultural traits.
The Importance of Humility
And one last, yet fundamental point: humility. The worst thing we could do when we see these statistics is to believe ourselves superior, to become arrogant, to think that the «Jewish genius» is in our DNA and that we are better than others. Quite the opposite. Only from humility can we achieve greatness. And this is exactly what Rashi notes, based on the Talmud (Chullin 89a), in our verse (Deuteronomy 7:7): “Not because you are greater,” meaning: Because you do not consider yourselves great when I bestow good upon you… you consider yourselves small, like Abraham who said, ‘I am but dust and ashes’ (Genesis 18:27), and like Moses and Aaron who said, ‘What are we?’ (Exodus 16:7).” The moment our ego takes over and we start thinking that as Jews we are intrinsically superior or that Israel is invincible, that is the beginning of the end.
These “facts”—Jewish Nobel laureates, Israelis and their unicorns in the U.S., Jewish Hollywood, etc.—should fill us with pride but not with chauvinism. When we believe ourselves to be ontologically superior, we stop striving to improve, we rest on our laurels. As Pirkei Avot says: «Do not say that the Torah is your inheritance» (Pirkei Avot 2:12), meaning each of us must continue to strive to carry on this tradition that should indeed fill us with pride.
Conclusion
As we celebrate these achievements, let us remember that they come with responsibility. It is our duty to continue this legacy, to keep striving, learning, and growing. Let us be proud of who we are and what we have accomplished, but let us do so with humility, always remembering that it is not our greatness but our smallness, our dedication, and our commitment to Torah and mitzvot that have made us who we are.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Uri
