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Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor Letter ♦ 1 Letter To the Editor: The Summer 2006 issue of Shofar not about intelligence but about cul- includes an article entitled “Smart.” ture. I do make one brief reference Its author, Michael E. Staub, ascribes elsewhere (pp. 23–24) to “some psy- to a 1999 book of mine the following chometric evidence” that Jewish test- opinions: the intellectual achievement takers rank above the norm in verbal of Jews is historically due to their re- aptitude but aren’t so impressive in ligion; continued Jewish intellectual demonstrating visual and spatial achievement will require piety; Jews abilities. Even if that passage could have a monopoly on binary thinking; be distorted to invoke superior Jewish Jewish identity now pivots on faith. intelligence, Staub doesn’t even try to “Get religion,” he paraphrases me as refute psychometric data (or, for that advising, “and maybe your child will matter, to show any awareness of the grow up to be the next Claude Lévi- literature on this topic). As for bina- Strauss . . .” (pp. 5–6). I agree with rism, its centrality to historic Juda- Staub that such views need not be ism—again, a claim that Staub does treated with anything but derision. not dispute—permitted http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies Purdue University Press

Letter to the Editor

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Publisher
Purdue University Press
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 Purdue University.
ISSN
1534-5165

Abstract

Letter ♦ 1 Letter To the Editor: The Summer 2006 issue of Shofar not about intelligence but about cul- includes an article entitled “Smart.” ture. I do make one brief reference Its author, Michael E. Staub, ascribes elsewhere (pp. 23–24) to “some psy- to a 1999 book of mine the following chometric evidence” that Jewish test- opinions: the intellectual achievement takers rank above the norm in verbal of Jews is historically due to their re- aptitude but aren’t so impressive in ligion; continued Jewish intellectual demonstrating visual and spatial achievement will require piety; Jews abilities. Even if that passage could have a monopoly on binary thinking; be distorted to invoke superior Jewish Jewish identity now pivots on faith. intelligence, Staub doesn’t even try to “Get religion,” he paraphrases me as refute psychometric data (or, for that advising, “and maybe your child will matter, to show any awareness of the grow up to be the next Claude Lévi- literature on this topic). As for bina- Strauss . . .” (pp. 5–6). I agree with rism, its centrality to historic Juda- Staub that such views need not be ism—again, a claim that Staub does treated with anything but derision. not dispute—permitted

Journal

Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies – Purdue University Press

Published: Mar 27, 2007

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