As many of us have learned or experienced, young adulthood is an incredibly formative time as our Jewish identities evolve. We stop “doing Jewish” the way our parents did and start determining what this means for ourselves. Is the synagogue where I grew up the right fit for me now? Do I want more Jewish friends? Should I be doing more “Jewish things” at home, or maybe just different things?
The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Genesis Philanthropy Group, Jim Joseph Foundation and Maimonides Fund led national research on young adult Jewish engagement in 2020 and published their learnings.
“Key findings from the research indicate that young Jews overwhelmingly engage or aspire to engage in Jewish life, and perhaps in different ways than previous generations. Family and friends, nostalgia and guilt, the importance of spirituality over religion, and geographic distance all play a role in Jewish engagement and connectedness to Jewish communities. Young Jews are, on the whole, intellectually curious, compassionate, active in their communities and in exploring new activities, and generally proud of being Jewish. And while many young Jews aspire to be more involved in Jewish life and rekindle the positive Jewish experiences of their youth, some struggle to find the right connection points.”
