Many Indians believe it. And it is hard not be believe it. In 2013 when we met for Hostel 7 reunion, Sanjaya Bhargava, the gold medalist from IIM Ahmedabad , announced all of a sudden that Jews are very smart.We were surprised, and nobody followed up on that and we moved on to other topics.
I kept quite because I knew the answer. A few years ago the same thought has flashed in my mind. Lots of my professors at Berkeley were Jews and smart.And one sees investment banks and people with option pricing are mostly people with Jewish names.
Checked internet – my first and last resort for knowledge.
Visited Jewish grouping groups. Many were claiming that they they were much beyond normal intelligence.
Unsatisfied I looked beyond. There is an international test where 16 or so developed nations’ kids compete in sciences and maths. Japan, China, Singapore, and sometimes Finland were near the top, while USA was in the middle. Israel will towards the bottom. Asked a Jewish friend about this. He said because we are relaxed in Israel that we stop studying there. I didn’t buy that.
I read a few more articles after that and my conclusion is that Jews are of average intelligence equal to that of non-Jew whites.
Compared to Indians they are probably higher, it’s a matter of another discussion.