Matt Brookner

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.

As in the larger society, the Jewish community has suffered widespread health and social disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This chapter describes the results of a set of surveys conducted May–July 2020 to assess the social impact of COVID on the US Jewish community and examine how Jewish organizations have responded to changing needs. Nearly 15,000 individuals recruited from organizational lists in federated Jewish communities completed surveys that focused on economic and mental health issues and the role of Jewish organizations. The findings documented that individuals in difficult financial situations prior to the crisis were more likely to have their financial situations worsen and have more difficulty coping with the emotional challenges related to the pandemic. Consistent with other research on the US population, Jewish young adults have disproportionately suffered mental health consequences during the pandemic. People who were most involved in Jewish life prior to the pandemic participated in online Jewish life more frequently than those who were less engaged. As the pandemic and its fallout continues, organizations will need to continue to respond to emerging human service needs, support online Jewish life, and find ways to facilitate interpersonal connections among community members.