>People often talk about the remarkable affinities between

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>People often talk about the remarkable affinities between Italians and Jews. They point to the emphasis placed by both groups on the importance of the traditional family, which is often guided by an authoritative mother figure. They direct our attention to frequently striking resemblances in physical appearance, to a common love of food and a fondness for talking about it. We are told that members of both groups tend to have strong personalities and to be highly opinionated; that impoverished, unschooled immigrants, both Jewish and Italian, were prepared to work very hard to create a better life, cherishing education as the key to upward mobility for their children. Of course, these are all stereotypes, and it is easy to cite exceptions without end in either group. Yet there is widespread recognition of the broad validity of the characterizations. Should we ascribe all the apparent similarities between Italians and Jews to mere coincidence, or is there perhaps something more to it?