Many familiar American elites and wealthy individuals hail from Jewish families. Some of these include the founder of the tech giant Oracle, Larry Ellison, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Nearly half of the world’s wealthiest entrepreneurs are Jewish, and prominent financial companies such as Goldman Sachs and Solomon Brothers were founded by Jewish individuals. In fact, 50 percent of Wall Street’s elite are Jewish.
Why do Jewish families produce so many successful individuals? The answer lies in their well-established model of early childhood education.
The education and wealth values of Jewish families
Books are sweet
In Jewish households, as soon as children begin to understand the world around them, mothers open the Bible, drip a little honey on it, and invite the child to kiss the honey on the Bible. This ritual signifies that books are sweet, encouraging a love for learning from a young age.
Wisdom forever follows you
Jewish home education often presents children with this puzzle: “If one day your house is destroyed and your wealth is gone, what would you take with you?” If a child answers with money or possessions, the mother goes on to say: “There is a treasure that has no shape, no color, and no smell. Do you know what it is?” If the child cannot answer, the mother says: “My child, what you should take is not money or possessions, but wisdom. Because wisdom cannot be taken away from you, as long as you are alive, wisdom will always be with you.”
Parents must be humble
A famous Hebrew educational proverb is: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This embodies the idea that parents must carefully observe their children and provide opportunities for them to creatively live out their lives. Parents’ mission is not to tell their children what to do or become, but to “be humble before their wisdom.”
Emphasis on critical thinking
Jews place a high value on knowledge and talent. They believe that ordinary learning is merely imitation without innovation. Learning should be based on critical thinking, composed of doubt and questioning. Thus, Jewish families pay special attention to intellectual exchanges with their children, encouraging them to engage in conversations and discussions with adults and to delve into learning and research.
Jewish view on wealth
Children initially do not understand the meaning and value of money, but they are aware of their personal needs. Therefore, Jewish parents start to explain the concept of money as soon as children begin asking for things, emphasizing that earning money is hard work. If parents do not explain this, children may assume that they can always get what they want from their parents, potentially leading to unchecked desires in the future.
Jewish family wealth education timeline
At age 3, parents begin teaching children to recognize coins and banknotes. By age 4, children learn simple calculations. At age 5, children understand what money can buy and where it comes from. By age 7, they can read price tags and understand the concept of “money can be exchanged for goods.”
At age 8, children are taught to earn money by working and saving it in a bank. By age 9, children can make a weekly spending plan and know to compare prices when shopping. By age 10, they understand the importance of saving money each week for larger expenses. At age 12, they can see through the illusions of advertising, set and implement spending plans for over two weeks, and understand the correct terms to use for banking services.
Managing finances by following teachings in the Talmud
There is a common saying among Chinese people: “Wealth does not pass three generations.” However, globally renowned Jewish families often boast wealth spanning 200 to 300 years. This enduring wealth can be largely attributed to Jewish attitudes toward money and wealth education. Jews have a clear stance on money. The cultural inheritance of wealth relies on the Talmud, the central text of Jewish law and theology. The Rockefeller family, symbolizing the spirit of American capitalism, is a prime example of how Jews utilize the teachings of the Talmud.
Setting up trust funds
The trust fund is the Jewish “grand financial plan.” Through the detailed specifications of the trust plan, the better the children perform, the more resources they can receive. For example, if the offspring of the family go to college, they can receive some money; if they marry and have children or start a business, they can receive some funds. On the other hand, a family member who does not perform well will not receive money. This way a large family estate will not be easily wasted by an unworthy descendant, and can be left for future generations who deserve it.
Israel, the country that loves to read
To Israelis, reading is an indispensable part of life. On average, every Israeli buys 10 to 15 new books a year, and their reading volume far exceeds this number. A survey by UNESCO showed that, in terms of per capita ownership of books and publishing houses, as well as the proportion of books read per capita each year, Israel surpasses every other country in the world, being the global leader.
Why is the reading volume of Jews so high? Firstly, Jews respect reading and knowledge, and this respect is passed down from generation to generation. Secondly, it relates to Israel’s cultural policy and strong support for public reading institutions. Israel has over 1,000 public and university libraries, of which about 400 are academic and specialist libraries. This makes Israel the country with the most books per capita in the world, with an average of one library for every 4,000 people, and libraries and bookstores are among the busiest and most crowded public places.
Thirdly, reading time is guaranteed. In Israel, from Friday evening to the Sabbath day (Saturday), one cannot touch anything involving fire or electricity. Public transport is suspended, most shops and restaurants close, but bookstores welcome a constant stream of customers. Therefore, the large reading volume of Israelis, in addition to the Jewish people’s emphasis on education, is also due to religious reasons — many people are accustomed to spending the Sabbath reading.
The inheritance of 4,000 years of Jewish culture, over a hundred years of the movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish homeland, and half a century of modernization have provided endless sources and motivation for Israel’s literary creativity. There’s an old saying in Israel: “Man cannot live by bread alone.” Israelis use this to motivate themselves, making Israel the nation that loves reading the most.
While this article discusses some cultural practices common in many Jewish families, it’s important to note that Jewish individuals and families are diverse, with a wide range of experiences and beliefs. Factors such as geographical location, personal and familial history, and varying interpretations and practices of Judaism all contribute to this diversity. Jewish success is not monolithic, and it is not solely determined by the cultural practices discussed in this article. Jewish individuals and families, like all other people, are shaped by an intricate interplay of various cultural, historical, socioeconomic, and personal factors.
Translated by Audrey Wang
