Danny Nussbaum

Starting in 2020, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation has provided financial support to Federations to collect a standard set of financial related information as part of their community studies. The purpose of standardizing these measures is to facilitate the development of aggregated data across participating communities as well as to support comparisons across individual communities. By aggregating data, the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) can also analyze small groups (such as households experiencing poverty) in cases for which there are insufficient responses in individual studies to support detailed analysis.

The current report presents an analysis of the aggregated data that have been collected as part of this effort. This report includes data from 10 completed CMJS Jewish community studies that collected information as part of the Weinberg grant along with data from two additional community studies that included the Weinberg questions but did not receive the grant. 

Jewish denominations have long been one of the primary lenses used by researchers and communal leaders to view and analyze American Jewish identity and behavior. There are, however, a number of problems with the use of denominational affiliation as an independent variable for understanding contemporary Jewish life. Within denominational groups, there is substantial diversity in individuals’ Jewish behaviors and beliefs. In addition, a growing number of individuals do not identify with a specific denomination. Although, on average, Jewish adults without a denomination are less engaged in Jewish life than those who identify with one of the largest denominations, there is diversity within the no-denomination group as well.
This chapter acknowledges the complexity of denominational identity and provides a data-informed assessment of the degree to which denominational identification continues to be a useful construct to understand the American Jewish experience since 1990. The review is based on reanalysis of national studies and of 25 local Jewish community studies conducted since 2015 by the authors and colleagues at Brandeis University and our research partners. The review begins with a discussion of the denominational identity construct by considering trends in denominational affiliation over time. We then consider the degree to which denominational labels effectively describe Jewish engagement. An alternative, data-driven typology based on self-reported behavior is then applied to identify different groups of Jews to describe engagement. We propose a set of explanations for choosing particular denominational labels. The review concludes with an assessment of the implications of our analyses for understanding how US Jewry identifies and engages with Jewish life.

Abstract In response to Isaac Sasson and Sergio DellaPergola’s commentaries on our assessment of the validity of the Pew Research Center's 2020 estimate of 7.5 million US Jewish adults and children (Tighe et al. 2022), we address key points of agreement and contention in the validity of the estimate; in particular, how the Jewish population is identified and defined. We argue that Pew’s definition of the Jewish population is consistent with major studies of American Jewry, from NJPS 1990 to recent local Jewish community studies. Applying a consistent definition that includes the growing group of “Jews of no religion” with one Jewish parent, as Pew Research Center does, allows for a faithful comparison across national and local studies and a more accurate understanding of levels of Jewish engagement and expressions of Jewish identity.

The Pew Research Center’s survey, Jewish Americans in 2020 , was designed to provide estimates of the size of the US Jewish population, sociodemographic data on issues such as intermarriage, child-rearing, engagement in Jewish communal life, and a description of American Jewish attitudes. A sophisticated sample design was employed to ensure accurate and generalizable assessments of the population. Because Jews are a small sub-group and the US government does not collect census data on religious groups, creating estimates is a non-trivial task. The focus of this paper is on the validity of Pew’s estimate of 7.5 million US Jewish adults and children, 2.4% of the overall US population. The estimate is an important standalone indicator and is the basis for assessments of current Jewish attitudes and behavior. This paper considers the underlying construct of Jewish identity and its operationalization by Pew and evaluates the convergent validity of Pew’s findings. The efforts to define “who is a Jew” in sociodemographic surveys is described, and a set of methodological challenges to creating estimates are considered. The results of this review indicate that Pew’s criteria for inclusion in the population estimate comports with long-standing views of how to assess the Jewish population. Furthermore, Pew’s estimate of 7.5 million Jewish Americans is consistent with other recent demographic studies of the population. Their conclusions about a growing US Jewish population suggest a new narrative of American Jewish life that reflects the diversity of ways in which Jewish identity is expressed.

The 2021 Greater Kansas City Jewish Community Study is the first in-depth examination of the size and characteristics of the Jewish community in the Kansas City-area since 1985. The study provides a comprehensive portrait of the community's 22,100 Jews; their families; their Jewish attitudes, behaviors, and affiliations; their health and financial welfare; and other measures of their engagement in Jewish life. Findings should help the Greater Kansas City Jewish community make critical decisions about the next decade of Jewish life in the region.

The 2020-21 Central Florida Jewish Community Study is the first in-depth examination of the size and characteristics of the Jewish community in Orlando and the surrounding area since 1993. The study provides a comprehensive portrait of the region's 51,400 Jews, their families, and their Jewish behaviors, affiliations, attitudes, and connections to the organized Jewish community. Its findings should help the Jewish community of Central Florida make critical decisions about the trajectory of Jewish life in the region in the coming decade.
The Central Florida Jewish community numbers approximately 68,700 adults and children, including 51,400 Jews, living in 25,500 Jewish households. These households include:
• 41,700 Jewish adults
• 9,700 Jewish children
• 13,400 non-Jewish adults
• 3,900 non-Jewish children