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.
Using cutting-edge social science methods, we collect, analyze, and report accurate and actionable data that informs community planning and helps animate Jewish life.
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.
Our research on Birthright Israel employs rigorous methods to evaluate Birthright's short-term and long-term impact on Jewish young adults.
From studies of Hillel to synagogues and Jewish camp, we document the impact of core programs and initiatives on Jewish community life.
July 2025
This study explores how faculty at US universities think about contentious political issues and how these issues are addressed in the classroom. The report examines the political identities and viewpoints of faculty, their levels of political activism, their concerns about being targeted because of their political views, their approach to addressing current political controversies in the classroom (climate change, racism in America, Donald Trump and American democracy, Russia-Ukraine, and the Israel-Palestine conflict), and the extent to which they hold hostile views about Jews and Israel. The study is based on a survey conducted in spring 2025 of more than 2,200 faculty at the 146 Carnegie-2021 classified R1 universities, who taught undergraduates in the 2024-25 academic year. This study provides insights about the role faculty play in shaping the climate on campus, in light of the intense focus on viewpoint diversity and antisemitism at US universities and ongoing related federal investigations and funding cuts to university programs.
July 2025
This report explores the impact of financial insecurity on the college trajectory of Jewish young adults. The findings are based on survey data collected in spring 2024, from 2,164 Jewish respondents, and from 19 in-depth follow-up interviews conducted in spring 2025. All respondents were ages 23-24 years old at the time of data collection. The report examines how those who grew up with the most financial need (16% of all respondents) compared to their peers who grew up in more affluent circumstances with respect to their journey from high school to college and beyond.
June 2025
Jewish Maine: The 2024 Community Study is the first ever in-depth assessment of the size and characteristics of the Jewish community throughout Maine, and the first study to cover Southern Maine since 2007. The study provides a comprehensive portrait of the state's 19,000 Jews; their families; their Jewish attitudes, affiliations, and behaviors; their health and financial well-being; and other measures of their engagement in Jewish life.