Alef: The NEXT Conversation

10: "Geniushood"

This week we introduce issue #10: “Geniushood”

…

“Geniushood” is not actually a word. Seriously. Go ahead, look it up. We’ll wait.

Told you.

So what is it? And what, you might wonder, does it have to do with being Jewish?

Glad you asked.

Winston Churchill, who many people consider to be a genius in his own right, once said:

“Some people like the Jews, and some do not. But no thoughtful man can deny the fact that they are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world.”

Many people think of Albert Einstein first when they think of Jewish genius. And, sure, maybe Churchill had a penchant for the German-Jewish physicist, but we like to think that he had something more than just “E=MC*2″ in mind when he uttered the words above. That’s why, when titling this issue, we needed a word that wasn’t just limited to a high I.Q.; we needed a word that suggested the hard work, the study, and yes, maybe even the natural talent, that Churchill found so impressive in the Jewish people.

So, in the fashion of many literary greats who have come before us, we made one up – not simply genius, but “Geniushood.”

Of course, the suggestion of an inherent Jewish “Geniushood” is a bit of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the term Ashkenazi Intelligence has its own entry in Wikipedia and the ratio of Jewish Nobel Laureates to Jewish people is eyebrow-crinklingly high. On the other hand, calling Jews inherently smart plays into stereotypes that have gotten us into trouble in the past.

The question of how we found ourselves walking this line between truth and stereotype has many answers. Beyond genealogy, the Jewish people have a long and rich history of appreciating education. At the same time, in the battle of nature versus nurture, the role of the classic, finger-waving Jewish parent cannot be ignored either. A few years ago, New York Magazine took a stab at explaining the prevalence of Jewish intelligence and published an article about why the Jewish community excels. Their professional opinion, citing a lifetime of social segmentation, and in some cases discrimination, is fascinating, but it tells us very little about what we as Jews think of all this fanfare over the alleged  size of our brains.

For the next two weeks, Alef will be featuring stories that explore the idea of “Jewish Geniushood.” Is it good? Is it bad? Is it even real? You’ll read stories about certifiable “geniuses” and see what happens when we disappoint our families, who, of course, expect each of us to be “Little Einsteins.” Maybe we’ll confirm Churchill’s theory, and maybe not. But, whatever the outcome, we hope you”ll take the time to strap on your thinking caps and enjoy Issue 10: “Geniushood.”

-Alef

Photo by Foxtongue, licensed under Creative Commons.

“Geniushood”  Posts
An Issue of Pride
Not Special
What is a Jewish Intellectual?
The Career Choice
Under Pressure?

Tags: Ashkenazi Intelligence, Churchill, Einstein, Genius, jew, jewish, Nobel Laureates, Smart

Posted by Emily.Comisar@birthrightisraelnext.org, Monday, February 15th, 2010, 2:57 pm, "Geniushood".