ABSTRACT
Judaism has always placed tremendous importance on home, family, and especially on children, who are seen as the center of family life. The task of child rearing was primarily the woman's responsibility. The Jewish mother has been given much of the credit for producing the whining, self-indulgent, and "I'm God's gift to the world" daughter, otherwise known as the Jewish American Princess (JAP). The Jewish religion, with its emphasis on abstract thinking, may also account for the Jew's interest and skill in business. It was not merely the worship of an abstract God that could not be seen and the rejection of idol worship, for Christianity and Islam also shared such beliefs. Jews today are far more likely to enter the professions than business-related fields. One major reason for the common perception of Jews as rich is their concentration in retail businesses ranging from grocery stores to large department stores.
