Three out of four Jewish adults in the US say they incorporate Judaism into their daily lives on a regular basis, a new report from Sense Worldwide and released by the Jim Joseph Foundation revealed this month.
Dubbed Project Prism, this study examined how young Jewish-American adults live, especially of those who don't participate in Jewish communal life, as well as the experiences, factors, and key drivers that shape their decisions.
The study involved more than 2,000 Jews between the ages of 22 and 30, across a spectrum of backgrounds, religious identities, and life experiences.
Though 75% of respondents said they had some Jewish element in their life, often with family or friends, 45% said their only participation in Jewish experiences.
These experiences, the report said, include informal participation activities such as celebrating holidays, enjoying Jewish food, or talking about Jewish topics. It also found that informal Jewish participation is a stronger predictor of feelings of connection and purpose than participation in Jewish organizations.
Just participation in activities linked to positive outcomes
Project Prism identified three key factors that hinder young adults from participating more in Jewish life. First, a lack of existing connection can make Jewish life feel distant from their lives and priorities.
Second, young adults said Jewish activities need to be more flexible, manageable and easy to participate in.
Finally, they want spaces where they can engage with complexity and differing perspectives without facing social pressure or penalty.
Moreover, the report found that socially immersive experiences lead to more success in creating a sense of belonging. These experiences involve summer camps, Israel travel programs, youth groups, and Jewish schools. Just attending an event was found to be more conducive to later positive outcomes than whether participants felt a sense of belonging at the event.
“The research gives us a much fuller and accurate understanding of where, how, and why Jewish young adults seek out and experience Jewish life,” said Stacie Cherner, Director of Research and Learning at the Jim Joseph Foundation.
“Now, importantly, we can begin to translate these insights to action. As we continue to support longstanding organizations whose work is affirmed by this data, we’re also learning alongside partners in the field about potential new opportunities the research uncovered."
“The breadth and depth of this data is fascinating and actionable,” said Yonah Schiller, Chief R&D Office at the Jim Joseph Foundation.
“It affirms much of our early R&D research and points towards new needed areas of exploring impact and designing for a new generation in a quickly changing world. A critical mass of Jewish young adults are not engaging in Jewish communal life, yet are also Jewishly activated within family life and trusted and integrated social networks."
"The possibilities for novel and resonant expressions of Jewish life are unlimited. This is an exciting and an inherently creative moment for the future of Jewish life in the US. Creating and supporting new interventions, frameworks, and infrastructures to meet this moment has never felt more critical and urgent.”