Abstract
More than two years after the first cases were reported in the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have devastating health consequences and cause unprecedented disruption to our personal, professional, and communal lives. Although federal assistance has somewhat moderated the economic impact of the crisis, many individuals and families continue to suffer the economic fallout. Jewish communal organizations continue to consider how best to deploy their programs and resources to meet the needs of affected Jewish households. To assist the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh in this process, the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (ClVIJS) conducted a multipronged study to examine the evolving economic impact of the pandemic and the changing face of economic vulnerability in its catchment communities. Our goal was to enable the Federation and other Jewish agencies to make data-driven decisions to address the immediate and potential long-term economic fallout from the pandemic on Jewish households in the Pittsburgh area, with attention to both those that were vulnerable prior to COVID-19 as well as those with little or no previous experience navigating economic insecurity.