Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies

Building Knowledge of Contemporary Jewry

The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies incorporates the latest social science techniques in the study of contemporary Jewish life. The Steinhardt Social Research Institute develops reliable quantitative data about the US Jewish population.

Local Jewish Community Studies

Using cutting-edge social science methods, we collect, analyze, and report accurate and actionable data that informs community planning and helps animate Jewish life.

Maps in muted colors, overlaid text reads AJPP, State, County, Metro, Demographics

US Jewish Population Estimates

Our American Jewish Population Project includes a detailed interactive map of the US Jewish population with demographic profiles and political views of Jewish adults for states, metropolitan areas, and counties in the United States.

Birthright Israel Research

Our research on Birthright Israel employs rigorous methods to evaluate Birthright's short-term and long-term impact on Jewish young adults.

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Evaluation Research

From studies of Hillel to synagogues and Jewish camp, we document the impact of core programs and initiatives on Jewish community life.

Recent Research Publications

2021 Study of Jewish LA

June 2022

The Los Angeles Jewish community is the 2nd largest federated Jewish community in the United States. Its size and diversity make it unique. The community includes 565,000 Jewish individuals living in nearly 300,000 households. More than 175,000 non-Jews live in households with adult Jews. The community’s diversity is reflected in part by the large number of individuals who are immigrants or children of immigrants. In addition to other markers of personal identity, diversity also encompasses varied expressions of Jewish identity and engagement with Jewish life.

American Jewish Population Estimates 2020: Politics and Partisanship

May 2022

This summary report provides new detailed data on the political views, political party identification, and party leaning of Jewish adults in the United States.

Birthright Israel during Covid-19 report cover

Birthright Israel during Covid-19: Program Impact on Summer 2021 Participants

April 27, 2022

This report documents the impact of Birthright Israel in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the May 2021 Israel-Hamas conflict. The findings draw data collected in pre- and post-trip surveys of US Jewish young adults who applied to go on summer 2021 Birthright Israel trips. The analyses examine changes in attitudes and behaviors among participants and nonparticipants. Despite the disruptions of the pandemic and the lingering tensions of the conflict, overall evaluations of the summer 2021 trips were extremely positive, and the impact of the program remained robust.

Highlights

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Potential Impact on Jewish Young Adults’ Relationship to Israel and Jewish Identity, Leonard Saxe, Graham Wright, Shahar Hecht. In: Kenedy, R.A., Rebhun, U., Ehrlich, C.S. (eds.) Israel and the Diaspora: Jewish Connectivity in a Changing World. Studies of Jews in Society, vol 3. Springer, Cham.

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US Jewish Communities are Commissioning a Flood of New Population Studies — and Figuring Out How to Use Them, ejewishphilanthropy

Who Counts? Leonard Saxe, Jewish Journal

Digital Education Should Only Endure If It Can Replicate Campus Benefits, Leonard Saxe & Graham Wright, Times Higher Education