The interesting case of Arkansas's Chosen People

In today's New York Times there is a heartwarming tale of a group of Jews summoned to be world domination consulta-I-mean-just-plain executives at Wal-Mart's head-quarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Soon enough, the Jews were exposing the wide-eyed locals to latkes, dreidels, yamulkes and the ugliest Synagogue in a very long recorded history. In fact, the local community was so enthralled with the customs of their new neighbors, Bentonville's first Bar Mitvzah in recent memory was broadcast to the whole county. The local DJ's knew little of Bar Mitzvah tradition, but they did know this:

"Jesus was Jewish," one D.J. noted in a dispatch from the reception at a local hotel. The other remarked, "I love Seinfeld."*

This comment hit home because I've had a couple experiences when I've been talking to someone who hasn't come across many (if any) Jews in their life and, upon learning I'm Jewish, has told me how much they like Seinfeld.

I always want to say, "I'll make sure to tell him you do."

But what's interesting about this is not that Seinfeld the man or the show is Jewish. It's that the show Seinfeld is so secular. It's blatantly nihilistic and amoral, yet the characters are lovable, basically good and live by their own well-established code.

The initial knock on Seinfeld was that it would never play in the "heartland." The rest is television history.

I keep hearing, from my fellow secular East Coast elite types, that the country is "getting more and more religious." I've always disagreed with this. I think it's probable that religious people in the country have become more outspoken (in keeping with the look-at-me secular mores of the day) but overall, the country only gets more secular.

If you need any proof, it is that they still enjoy Seinfeld in Benntonville, Arkansas, yet the folks in Jerry and the Gang's old neighborhood were never even into the Left Behind Series.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

*Jesus and Jerry, now those are some quotable Jews.