A press release issued yesterday by Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring presents some surprising results challenging general beliefs about unaffiliated Jews.
"This
group, according to the survey, makes up 16% of Jews in the United States, or
about 1 million of the 6 million Jews in the country. These individuals say
that being Jewish is very important in their lives and that they actively seek
Jewish expression and engagement outside of a synagogue."
Here in Westchester County, the 140+ members of the Westchester Jewish Council offer countless opportunities for Jewish engagement, many of which are listed on our
Community Calendar and some of which are highlighted in our
bi-weekly newsletter.
If you are looking for way to connect, consider registering for one of the classes being offered by
WAJE (Westchester Jewish Adult Education). From an introduction to Judaism's essentials, to an in-depth study of Torah, Talmud, Ecclesiastes or Job, their courses range from one shot deals to ten week classes.
If you are looking for an evening of music and camaraderie, join us on Saturday, November 17th for
A Night of Music and Joy, presented jointly by Kol Hazzanim and the Westchester Jewish Council with grant support from UJA-Federation of New York/Westchester. The talented Cantors of Westchester will share their rhythm and soul in a program that ranges from traditional to contemporary, Jewish to secular, and rock to rap.
For our member synagogues and organizations, we'd like to know: what programs or events have you sponsored recently that attracted a large percentage of unaffiliated Jews? Please leave a comment!
[ETA: We're so trendy! Tablet Magazine just published their own piece on this topic. Read it
here.]
The press release, in its entirety, can be read here.
One million unaffiliated
Jews are Jewishly engaged
~Workmen’s
Circle supported poll reveals intriguing data~
NEW
YORK. For years there seemed to be two choices in Jewish life: a person was
either an observant Jew or a cultural Jew, the type whose Jewish engagement
begins and ends with watching Woody Allen movies and noshing on corned beef and
rye sandwiches. But a national poll conducted by a team led by Professor Steven
M. Cohen for the Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring, a national Jewish cultural,
educational and activist organization, reveals that many Jews today fit into
another category, that of the engaged and congregationally unaffiliated.
This
group, according to the survey, makes up 16% of Jews in the United States, or
about 1 million of the 6 million Jews in the country. These individuals say
that being Jewish is very important in their lives and that they actively seek
Jewish expression and engagement outside of a synagogue.
These
characteristics put them in marked contrast to other categories of non-Orthodox
Jews in this extensive study — the
engaged and congregationally affiliated, the congregationally affiliated but
unengaged (those who join synagogues but rarely attend), and the unengaged and congregationally
unaffiliated.
While
the engaged and congregationally unaffiliated are not synagogue members — they
typically attend religious services only once or twice a year on average — they
still show numerous signs of Jewish engagement. They also tend to be attached
to Israel and demonstrate noticeably strong commitments to economic justice and
social equality.
They are also exceptional in their progressive
political views. Of note, nearly twice as many of the engaged and
congregationally unaffiliated Jews compared to others see economic justice
issues as important "to a great extent," identify as pro-labor to a
great extent, and see the current federal tax system as unfair.
Furthermore,
these individuals tend not to describe themselves
as religious, secular, or anti-religious. Rather, they typically identify
themselves as cultural Jews and see their Jewish identity as more fluid than
others have in previous generations. They
frequently self-define as “spiritual.”
Indeed, these Jews are part of a larger national
trend, as portrayed in a recent study from the Pew Research Center. According
to Pew, one in five Americans do not identify as part of any specific religious
denomination. However, many in this group still see themselves as spiritual and
say they pray and believe in God.
“Numbering a million, these Jews represent an opportunity
for engagement. Their interests and their distinctiveness make them candidates
for a deeper involvement in Jewish life, while their social profile explains
some of their tendencies to distance themselves from conventional religious
life,” said Cohen.
Who are the
engaged and unaffiliated?
·
As
many as 40% are under the age of 35.
·
They
are more concentrated in the western region of the United States, where a third
of them live, as compared with just over a fifth of other American Jews. The west
is known for low rates of Jewish communal affiliation, while the eastern United
States is known for its relatively high rates.
·
Just
under half (49%) of the engaged and unaffiliated are married, slightly less
than in other Jewish groups. Some18% of them are intermarried and 22% are
married to other Jews. They are less likely to have children than other groups.
·
Almost
half earn under $50,000.
·
They
most often (51%) identify as liberals — more often than any other group in the
survey.
How do they engage Jewishly?
·
Most
(55%) report that at least half their friends are Jewish. This is somewhat less
than among the congregationally affiliated — whether active or not — but
substantially more than among those who are unengaged and congregationally
unaffiliated.
·
Nearly
3 in 5 fast on Yom Kippur, not that far behind the congregationally affiliated
(3 in 4) and substantially ahead of the unengaged and congregationally unaffiliated
(1 in 3).
·
Almost
half (46%) “at least sometimes” have a special Friday night meal with family
and friends.
·
40% say religion is “very important” in their lives.
·
More
than any other non-Orthodox group in this study, 56% see themselves as very
attached to Israel.
“As this poll demonstrates, there is a real need for a
Jewish home for those who do not seek a congregational affiliation. As we in
the Workmen's Circle continue updating our learning centers, summer camp and
more, we are aiming to provide such a home for the one million Jews who
consider themselves engaged but are not synagogue members,” said Madelon Braun,
the president of the Workmen’s Circle.
“We are seeing a shift in how American Jews define being
Jewish. In the past, those who saw themselves as cultural Jews had a very passive
approach to Jewish life. But today they are engaged with Jewish values and look
to be part of a Jewish community, although often outside of a congregation. We
look forward to creating a community that welcomes this emerging group,” said
Ann Toback, national director of the Workmen’s Circle.
Background on the poll
The poll was commissioned by the Workmen’s
Circle / Arbeter Ring. The first part of the poll was released on May 31, 2012.
Principal investigators were Professor Steven M. Cohen of the Berman
Jewish-Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner (www.BJPA.org ), and Professor Samuel
J. Abrams of Sarah Lawrence College and Stanford University.
The Washington office of IPSOS, under the direction of Dr. Alan Roschwalb,
fielded the survey April 19 - May 3, 2012. Respondents included 1,000 American
Jews, by Internet, who had previously agreed to participate in social research
conducted by IPSOS. The results were weighted to reflect the American Jewish
population with respect to age, gender, regional distribution, educational
attainment, marital status, intermarriage status, and Jewish parentage (none,
one, two parents).
The survey questions can be found here: www.wcsurvey.org.
About the Workmen’s Circle
The Workmen’s
Circle/Arbeter Ring was founded in 1900 by Jewish immigrants from Eastern
Europe who sought to promote values of social and economic justice through a
Jewish lens.
Today, the Workmen’s Circle is creating a cultural and progressive
Jewish learning movement through the development of a national network of Workmen’s
Circle Learning Centers. The WC Learning Centers will be family-oriented
complementary schools that will feature a curriculum that is rooted in
celebrating Jewish cultural heritage alongside the expression of social ideals
in activism.
These WC
Learning Centers will serve to build communities of activists through their
programs.
The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter
Ring is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that does not support or oppose
candidates for political office.
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