Janet Aronson

The Combined Dataset (CDS) combines data from 29 socio-demographic studies of federated Jewish communities, conducted between 2015-2024 by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University. This CDS includes survey responses from more than 60,000 respondents including information about demographics and household composition; Jewish identity, behaviors, and attitudes; and financial and social service needs.

Although the CDS underlying dataset is not yet publicly available, the authors have created an excel file that reports on key metrics for the dataset as a whole, as well as differences across demographic groups and by community characteristics such as size and region. Individual communities may wish to compare results from their own studies to these national benchmarks. Direct comparisons, that account for recoding to match the variables and subgroups used in this analysis, can be provided to participating communities upon request. CMJS will not share individual community data with other communities.

For inquiries about additional analyses, contact the authors.

The 2024 Northeast Florida Jewish Community Study creates a portrait of the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors of the Jewish community in Northeast Florida.  The study is based on an analysis of data collected from 846 eligible households between April and June 2024. We found the community has grown rapidly, with one quarter of all Jewish adults having moved to the area within the previous five years.

Jewish Maine: The 2024 Community Study is the first ever in-depth assessment of the size and characteristics of the Jewish community throughout Maine, and the first study to cover Southern Maine since 2007. The study provides a comprehensive portrait of the state's 19,000 Jews; their families; their Jewish attitudes, affiliations, and behaviors; their health and financial well-being; and other measures of their engagement in Jewish life.

Jewish Miami: A 2024 Community Study provides a snapshot of today’s Jewish population in Miami and considers trends and developments in Jewish life and engagement. This study is based on an analysis of data collected from 2,686 eligible households between February 5 and June 14, 2024. The study found that there are 69,700 Jewish households in the Miami Jewish community. These households include 151,400 individuals, of whom 130,100 are Jewish. The Jewish population comprises 5% of the total Miami-Dade population, and Jewish households make up 8% of all households in Miami-Dade County. Nearly one quarter of Miami Jewish adults have moved to the area in the past decade, and one third of Jewish adults were born outside of the United States. The share of Miami Jews who are Orthodox is 13%, and nearly half of Miami Jewish children (46%) reside in Orthodox households.

The 2024 Greater St. Louis Jewish Community Study creates a portrait of the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors of the Jewish community in Greater St. Louis. The study is based on an analysis of data collected from 1,771 eligible households between January and April 2024. We found the community is undergoing both reurbanization and exurbanization, with more than one third of households living in the City of St. Louis or outlying areas, farther away from the longstanding suburban center of institutional life.

The 2022-23 Washtenaw County Area Jewish Community Study provides a snapshot of today’s Jewish population in Washtenaw County and considers trends and developments in Jewish life and engagement.  This study is based on an analysis of a rich set of data collected from 955 eligible households between November 2022 and January 2023.  In interpreting the data, it is important to bear in mind the study represents the characteristics and views of community members at that time. During that period, the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic were gradually being lifted. Data were also collected well before the Israel-Hamas war that began in October 2023 and the ensuing rise in antisemitism in the United States. It is likely that attitudes about Israel, concerns over antisemitism, and other markers of Jewish identity shifted from the time of data collection to the time that this report is being written.

The 2024 Jewish Population Study of Northeastern Pennsylvania is the first ever in-depth assessment of the size and characteristics of the Jewish community of Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne Counties in Pennsylvania. This study offers a comprehensive depiction of the 5,500 Jews in Northeastern Pennsylvania, delving into their families; their Jewish attitudes, behaviors, and affiliations; their health and financial well-being; and measures of their engagement in Jewish life.

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. 

A Blueprint for our Future: The 2022 San Diego Jewish Community Study  was conducted by the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University, in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. The principal goal of this study is to provide valid data about the San Diego Jewish community that can be used by communal organizations and their leadership to design programs and policies that support and enhance Jewish life. Valid data are essential to effective decision making, allocation of resources, strategic priorities, community support, robust participation, and outreach. This report is based on data collected from 2,104 Jewish households in San Diego between June and September 2022. Survey respondents were randomly selected from all households in Greater San Diego.

The 2022-23 Greater Portland Jewish Community Study is the first in-depth assessment of the size and characteristics of the Jewish community in Greater Portland and Southwest Washington since 2009. The study also includes a separate mini-report for Lane County, the first scientific study ever conducted of the Jewish community in the Eugene area. The study provides a comprehensive portrait of the 56,600 Jews in Greater Portland and Southwest Washington; their families; their Jewish attitudes, affiliations, and behaviors; their health and financial well-being; and other measures of their engagement in Jewish life.