In June 2023, UJA-Federation of New York completed data collection for its decennial study of the New York Jewish population. Only months later, the Jewish community in New York and around the world was shaken by the Hamas attacks of October 7. The 2023 study, released in the spring of 2024, provided a snapshot of the population on the eve of war and a vital baseline for understanding the mark that its events have left on the New York community.
A pulse survey in early 2024 recontacted study respondents to gauge their concerns about antisemitism, attitudes toward Israel, and connection to Jewish community in New York. As expected, we found that the vast majority of Jews in the eight-county area believed that antisemitism had increased from pre-October 7 levels and that Jewish adults expressed heightened concern for their personal safety.
The survey also found that the events of October 7 strengthened feelings of attachment to and support for Israel for many Jewish New Yorkers. However, these sentiments were not universal — some groups were more likely than others to report a weakening sense of connection to Israel. The results of that follow-up study are detailed in “2024 Updates” to the Antisemitism and Israel reports.
Now, in 2025, as the Israel-Hamas war continues in its second year, a subsequent follow-up study was undertaken to provide an up-to-date picture as the crisis in Israel has moved from acute to prolonged. This latest research explores not only views on antisemitism and Israel, but also how Jewish adults are engaging with Jewish life, practices, and community — and how the events of October 7 have shaped their relationships and daily lives.
Over the two-year period covered by the three studies, connection to Jewish community in New York has remained broadly consistent. Just over a third of Jewish New Yorkers feel connected to a New York Jewish community “a lot,” a quarter feel connected “some,” and 40% feel not at all or only a little connected, just about the same as in both 2023 and 2024.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all | 14% | 12% | 13% |
| Only a little | 24% | 24% | 27% |
| Some | 26% | 28% | 25% |
| A lot | 36% | 36% | 35% |
Although connection to Jewish community did not increase in either 2024 or 2025, there was a measurable increase in the salience of Jewish identity in everyday life that began in 2024 and is sustained into 2025. Greater shares of Jewish adults agree a great deal that being Jewish helps them cope in times of crisis (31%), informs big decisions in their lives (37%), and is important to them (62%), compared with 2023 levels.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Being Jewish Helps Me Cope in Times of Crisis | |||
| Not at all | 24% | 20% | 18% |
| Not much | 22% | 19% | 22% |
| Some | 31% | 30% | 29% |
| A great deal | 23% | 31% | 31% |
| Being Jewish Informs Big Decisions in My Life | |||
| Not at all | 22% | 15% | 16% |
| Not much | 20% | 21% | 18% |
| Some | 33% | 30% | 29% |
| A great deal | 26% | 33% | 37% |
| Being Jewish Is Important to Me | |||
| Not at all | 6% | 5% | 4% |
| Not much | 10% | 7% | 8% |
| Some | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| A great deal | 53% | 62% | 62% |
Alongside questions from UJA’s 2023 and 2024 studies, the 2025 recontact survey also added several questions that have been asked in national surveys of the Jewish population since October 7. One such question, polled by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in 2024, asked respondents if they had found a place in the Jewish community where they feel comfortable. Two-thirds of Jewish adults in New York responded affirmatively (either somewhat agree, agree, or strongly agree), in line with rates nationally who agreed with this question.1
| JFNA 2024 | NY 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly disagree | 10% | 9% |
| Disagree | 12% | 15% |
| Somewhat disagree | 10% | 12% |
| Somewhat agree | 22% | 21% |
| Agree | 23% | 18% |
| Strongly agree | 24% | 26% |
| JFNA 2024 | NY 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| NET Disagree | 31% | 36% |
| NET Agree | 69% | 64% |
These feelings of belonging vary significantly across denominational affiliations within the Jewish community: Orthodox Jews are most likely to agree that they have found a place in the Jewish community (96%), followed by Conservative (83%), Reform (72%), and nondenominational Jews (41%). Nondenominational Jews account for 70% of Jewish adults who report that they have not found a place where they belong in the Jewish community (not shown in table).
| Orthodox | Conservative | Reform | Nondenominational/Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET Disagree | 4% | 17% | 28% | 59% |
| NET Agree | 96% | 83% | 72% | 41% |
An individual’s sense of belonging in the Jewish community also varies by his or her political affiliation, with liberal Jews least likely to say they have found a place in the Jewish community where they belong. Just over half (51%) of politically liberal Jewish adults agree that they have found a place in the Jewish community where they belong, compared with 74% of politically moderate and 85% of politically conservative Jewish adults.
| Conservative | Moderate | Liberal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NET Disagree | 15% | 26% | 49% |
| NET Agree | 85% | 74% | 51% |
Drawing on the 2024 JFNA survey, we asked respondents whether, and to what extent, they would like to be more connected to the Jewish community in their area. As with Jewish adults nationally, most Jewish adults in New York desire greater connection to their local Jewish community, with 71% agreeing at least somewhat.
| JFNA 2024 | NY 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly disagree | 5% | 7% |
| Disagree | 16% | 12% |
| Somewhat disagree | 12% | 11% |
| Somewhat agree | 33% | 36% |
| Agree | 22% | 21% |
| Strongly agree | 13% | 14% |
| JFNA 2024 | NY 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| NET Disagree | 33% | 29% |
| NET Agree | 67% | 71% |
Denominationally identified Jews are more likely than nondenominational Jews to desire more communal connection, but even among the nondenominational group, 57% report wanting to be more connected to the Jewish community.
| Orthodox | Conservative | Reform | Nondenominational/Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET Disagree | 17% | 20% | 13% | 43% |
| NET Agree | 83% | 80% | 87% | 57% |
Wanting to be more connected to the Jewish community is associated with higher levels of Jewish engagement: Among the most highly engaged Jewish adults (as measured in 2023), 93% agree that they would like to be more connected to the Jewish community.2 In contrast, only 27% of those with minimal Jewish engagement express the same desire.
| Minimally Engaged | Moderately Engaged | Highly Engaged | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NET Disagree | 73% | 34% | 7% |
| NET Agree | 27% | 66% | 93% |
Drawing on the 2024 JFNA survey a final time, we asked respondents whether, and to what extent, they would like to have more Jewish friends. As with Jewish adults nationally, most Jewish adults in New York also want more Jewish friends, with 66% agreeing at least somewhat.
| JFNA 2024 | NY 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly disagree | 4% | 6% |
| Disagree | 13% | 13% |
| Somewhat disagree | 11% | 16% |
| Somewhat agree | 31% | 32% |
| Agree | 26% | 20% |
| Strongly agree | 15% | 14% |
Demographically, the group with the highest desire for more Jewish friends is adults ages 18–29, while older adults are least likely to report wanting more Jewish friends. Notably, prior to the war younger Jews reported having relatively fewer Jewish friends than older Jews, with non-Orthodox adults under 30 more likely than any other group to report having few or no Jewish friends.3
| 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NET Disagree | 27% | 34% | 35% | 40% |
| NET Agree | 73% | 66% | 65% | 60% |
Over the last year and a half, research on Jewish engagement has consistently demonstrated a pattern of renewed interest in Jewish communal life in the wake of the Hamas attacks of October 7.4 This phenomenon, referred to widely as “the surge,” includes people seeking connection with other Jews, learning more about Israel and Jewish life, and engaging more with a Jewish community. While the contours and definitions of the surge vary among studies, it collectively shows a population seeking active involvement with Jewish institutions and practice.
A central thrust of the 2025 recontact study, therefore, centers on how Jewish New Yorkers are engaging with Jewish life today. To explore this, the study included a wide range of questions about Jewish behaviors and activities — some repeated from the 2023 New York study, and others adapted from national research, including the 2020 Pew Research Center study of Jewish Americans. Much like the national research, these New Yorkers show a significant increase in reported participation in Jewish behaviors, which suggests that the surge continues to sustain itself into 2025.
Attendance at Jewish prayer services has increased since 2023. Notably, the proportion of adults who attend once or twice a month rose from 5% to 8%, a small but statistically significant change. Meanwhile, the percentage of those who never attend services declined from 38% to 32%. In contrast, participation in Jewish programs — such as educational, cultural, or social events — has not experienced a statistically significant change. As of 2025, only 24% of Jewish adults report attending such programs at least once a month.
| 2023 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Never | 38% | 32% |
| A few times a year | 28% | 32% |
| Every few months | 6% | 7% |
| Once or twice a month | 5% | 8% |
| At least once a week | 22% | 21% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
| 2023 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Never | 48% | 44% |
| Every few months | 32% | 32% |
| One to three times a month | 10% | 11% |
| Once a week or more | 10% | 13% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
We included in this survey an extensive battery of questions, adapted from the 2020 Pew Study of Jewish Americans, that probe how Jewish adults are participating in Jewish life and community today.5 As shown in the table below, the most common forms of Jewish practice in New York include cooking or eating Jewish foods (82%), following Jewish content on social media (53%), and reading Jewish news or listening to Jewish podcasts (51%).
Nearly all forms of engagement appear more common among Jewish adults in New York in 2025 than nationally in 2020. This likely reflects New York’s historically higher rates of Jewish practice and participation, as also shown in the 2023 Jewish Community Study.
| Sometimes/Often (Pew 2020) | Sometimes/Often (NY 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cook or eat traditional Jewish foods | 71% | 82% |
| Follow or engage with Jewish content on social media | N/A | 53% |
| Read Jewish newspapers or seek out Jewish news or podcasts online | 42% | 51% |
| Share Jewish culture or holidays with non-Jewish friends | 62% | 48% |
| Visit a Jewish museum or attend a Jewish cultural event, such as a film, a play, or a musical performance | N/A | 47% |
| Mark Shabbat | 39% | 43% |
| Engage in political activism as an expression of Jewishness | 30% | 38% |
| Engage in any organized adult Jewish education programs, such as a lecture, a class, or a study group | N/A | 33% |
| Wear Jewish jewelry (e.g., Star of David) in everyday life | N/A | 31% |
| Participate in or attend any programs at, or sponsored by, a Jewish Y or JCC | N/A | 24% |
| Participate in activities or services with Chabad | 17% | 17% |
The one behavior that appears less common in 2025 than in the 2020 Pew data is sharing Jewish culture with non-Jewish friends. This is likely a result of Jewish New Yorkers having relatively more Jewish friends than Jewish adults nationally — with 64% of Jewish New Yorkers reporting at least half of their friends were Jewish in 2023, compared with 43% nationally.6
In 2025, respondents were asked whether their participation in various Jewish activities had increased, decreased, or stayed the same since the start of the war. The activities showing the largest increases were those most directly influenced by the war's impact on the New York Jewish community: following more Jewish content on social media (48%), increased involvement in political activism (48%), and reading more Jewish news or listening to Jewish podcasts (45%).
Wearing Jewish jewelry in daily life also saw a notable rise — 28% of those who engage in this practice said they are doing so more since the war began. However, this activity also saw one of the largest declines, with 9% reporting they wear Jewish jewelry less often. This may reflect growing concern about being visibly Jewish in the context of rising antisemitism. In fact, 12% of those who reported feeling unsafe attending places or events in 2024 cited being visibly Jewish as the reason for their concern.
Some activities showed limited increases simply because they were already highly prevalent before the war. For example, cooking or eating traditional Jewish foods — reported by 71% of Jewish adults nationally in 2020 — only increased by 10%. This is an example of a “ceiling effect,” where high baseline participation limits the potential for significant growth.
| Decreased | Stayed the Same | Increased | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook or eat traditional Jewish foods | 0% | 89% | 10% |
| Follow or engage with Jewish content on social media | 5% | 47% | 48% |
| Read Jewish newspapers or seek out Jewish news or podcasts online | 2% | 53% | 45% |
| Share Jewish culture or holidays with non-Jewish friends | 4% | 82% | 14% |
| Visit a Jewish museum or attend a Jewish cultural event such as a film, a play, or a musical performance | 3% | 83% | 13% |
| Mark Shabbat | 2% | 83% | 15% |
| Engage in political activism as an expression of Jewishness | 3% | 49% | 48% |
| Engage in any organized adult Jewish education programs, such as a lecture, a class, or a study group | 3% | 74% | 23% |
| Wear Jewish jewelry (e.g., Star of David) in everyday life | 9% | 63% | 28% |
| Participate in or attend any programs at, or sponsored by, a Jewish Y or JCC | 6% | 78% | 16% |
| Participate in activities or services with Chabad | 9% | 81% | 11% |
As in 2024, most Jewish adults continue to believe antisemitism is rising in the New York area. Compared with 2024, however, a slightly smaller share believe antisemitism is increasing while a larger share believe that it remains the same. Only a small fraction of Jewish adults in New York believe that antisemitism is decreasing, statistically unchanged from 2024 levels.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decreasing | 1% | 2% |
| Staying the same | 19% | 25% |
| Increasing | 80% | 73% |
Levels of concern about antisemitism in specific settings have remained statistically unchanged since 2024. Jewish adults in New York are just as concerned now as they were a year ago about antisemitism in K–12 schools, on college campuses, in workplaces, and in the broader New York area. Compared with 2023, concern in these areas has also stayed relatively stable, with one exception: Concern about antisemitism on college campuses increased following the start of the war and remains elevated at 2024 levels.
The 2025 study also asked about concern regarding antisemitism in the United States more broadly. This broader concern drew the strongest response: Sixty-three percent of respondents said they are very concerned about antisemitism nationally, compared with 45% who said the same about antisemitism specifically in New York. Only 4% reported being not at all concerned about antisemitism in the U.S. overall.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NY Metro Area | |||
| Not at all concerned | 11% | 10% | 13% |
| Somewhat concerned | 39% | 46% | 41% |
| Very concerned | 49% | 44% | 45% |
| College Campuses | |||
| Not at all concerned | 15% | 13% | 13% |
| Somewhat concerned | 34% | 27% | 29% |
| Very concerned | 51% | 60% | 58% |
| K-12 Schools | |||
| Not at all concerned | 20% | 19% | |
| Somewhat concerned | 39% | 41% | |
| Very concerned | 41% | 40% | |
| Workplace | |||
| Not at all concerned | 73% | 76% | |
| Somewhat concerned | 19% | 17% | |
| Very concerned | 9% | 8% | |
| The U.S. as a Whole | |||
| Not at all concerned | 4% | ||
| Somewhat concerned | 33% | ||
| Very concerned | 63% | ||
Among those who are concerned about antisemitism, 26% say they have reconsidered their choice of health or service providers for themselves or their children to some extent. Additionally, 40% have re-evaluated their children's educational or summer program options, and more than half (53%) have reconsidered college choices for their children.
Demographically, politically conservative and moderate adults are more likely than liberals to be reconsidering health or service providers due to concerns about antisemitism. Additionally, conservatives are the most likely to report re-evaluating their children’s college choices. There are no significant political differences in the likelihood of re-evaluating educational or summer program decisions in response to concerns about antisemitism.
| Reconsidering or Re-evaluating | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Health or Service Providers for You or Your Children | |
| Not at all | 74% |
| Not much | 11% |
| Some | 10% |
| A great deal | 5% |
| Educational or Summer Program Decisions or Options for Your Children | |
| Not at all | 60% |
| Not much | 17% |
| Some | 13% |
| A great deal | 10% |
| College Decisions for Your Children | |
| Not at all | 47% |
| Not much | 15% |
| Some | 15% |
| A great deal | 23% |
After a rise in 2024 from 2023 levels, fear of attending places or events due to safety concerns has declined slightly in 2025, but worry is still high: Nearly half of Jewish adults worry at least sometimes for their safety as a Jew when attending certain places or events.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never | 57% | 46% | 52% |
| Sometimes | 35% | 40% | 39% |
| Often | 8% | 14% | 9% |
Among those who worry about attending places or events out of concern for their safety as a Jewish person, a consistent share across years say that this concern prevents them from doing so. In 2025, 44% of those who worry say it acts as a barrier to attendance.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 39% | 42% | 44% |
| No | 61% | 58% | 56% |
As in previous waves, the 2025 survey asked respondents whether they had personally experienced antisemitism. The frequency of reported experiences in 2025 is not significantly different from 2024. Although the rates also appear similar to those in 2023, they are not directly comparable because the 2023 survey asked about incidents over the past year, whereas the 2024 and 2025 surveys focused on experiences within the past three months.
| 2023 (Past Year) | 2024 (Past 3 Months) | 2025 (Past 3 Months) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 17% | 10% | 13% |
| No | 83% | 90% | 87% |
Jewish adults who reported experiencing antisemitism were given a list of follow-up options to describe the nature of those experiences. The most commonly cited was feeling that the environment was hostile to expressing their Jewish identity — a finding that also topped the list in UJA’s 2021 Covid Impact study.7 Close behind was a new item introduced this year: being expected to answer for the actions of Israel.
Notably, all categories of antisemitic experiences included in UJA’s 2021 COVID Impact Study have shown either significant or moderate increases in 2025. As in previous years, physical attacks remain relatively rare, but about one in five (22%) of those who report experiencing antisemitism in 2025 describe being physically threatened.
| NY 2021 | NY 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| You felt the environment was hostile to expressing Jewish identity | 58% | 72% |
| You were expected to answer for the actions of Israel because you were Jewish | NA | 69% |
| You were called names or insulted because of being Jewish | 38% | 66% |
| You heard colleagues or neighbors make slurs or jokes about Jews | 53% | 57% |
| You personally experienced antisemitic online harassment | NA | 45% |
| You were physically threatened because of being Jewish | 14% | 22% |
| You had personal property vandalized with antisemitic graffiti | 3% | 9% |
| You were physically assaulted because of being Jewish | 5% | 7% |
Attachment to Israel, which rose from pre-war levels in the 2024 study wave, remains at its elevated level in 2025. Nearly two-thirds of Jewish adults in New York (64%) are somewhat or very attached to Israel, which, although similar to the overall attached rate in 2023, in 2025 includes a greater share of those who are very attached to Israel, at 36% compared with 31%.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not at all | 17% | 14% | 18% |
| Not very | 19% | 16% | 17% |
| Somewhat | 33% | 33% | 28% |
| Very | 31% | 37% | 36% |
The 2025 study introduced a new question asking whether respondents have friends or family in Israel. Just over half (55%) of Jewish adults in New York say they do. Not surprisingly, those with personal connections to people in Israel express stronger attachment: Fifty-one percent say they are very attached and 28% report being somewhat attached, compared with just 17% and 29%, respectively, among those without such ties.
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 55% |
| No | 45% |
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Not at all | 10% | 28% |
| Not very | 10% | 26% |
| Somewhat | 28% | 29% |
| Very | 51% | 17% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
Pride in Israel — first measured in the 2024 study — remains largely unchanged in 2025. Sixty-two percent of Jewish adults in New York say they somewhat or strongly agree that Israel makes them feel proud to be Jewish.
Younger adults reported the lowest levels of agreement with the statement. Politically moderate and Orthodox Jewish adults also report some increases in the extent to which they agree that Israel makes them proud to be Jewish, while in 2025, a smaller proportion of politically liberal Jewish adults reported that Israel makes them proud to be Jewish, compared with 2024.
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly disagree | 22% | 23% |
| Somewhat disagree | 16% | 15% |
| Somewhat agree | 23% | 26% |
| Strongly agree | 39% | 36% |
Comfort expressing views about Israel in Jewish spaces continues its downward trend compared with before the war. The share of Jewish adults who are uncomfortable discussing Israel in Jewish spaces, which did not differ significantly between 2023 and 2024, has risen to 26% in 2025, including 11% who are very uncomfortable expressing their views regarding Israel in Jewish spaces. Comfort discussing Israel is particularly lower in non-Jewish spaces compared with both 2023 and 2024: Forty-seven percent of Jewish adults feel uncomfortable expressing views about Israel in non-Jewish spaces in 2025, compared with 43% who did in 2024 and 35% in 2023.
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very uncomfortable | 7% | 10% | 11% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 13% | 12% | 15% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 28% | 24% | 26% |
| Very comfortable | 52% | 54% | 48% |
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NET Uncomfortable | 20% | 22% | 26% |
| NET Comfortable | 70% | 78% | 74% |
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very uncomfortable | 10% | 18% | 15% |
| Somewhat uncomfortable | 25% | 25% | 32% |
| Somewhat comfortable | 39% | 38% | 35% |
| Very comfortable | 26% | 19% | 18% |
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NET Uncomfortable | 35% | 43% | 47% |
| NET Comfortable | 65% | 57% | 53% |
In addition to repeating certain questions from the 2023 and 2024 studies to assess change over time, the 2025 study also sought to measure the impact of the events of October 7 on New Yorkers’ Jewish identities with new questions that asked them to reflect on changes in their lives since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Just under half (49%) of Jewish New Yorkers report that their attachment to Israel has become stronger since the events of October 7, while 39% report no change and 11% indicate that their attachment has weakened.
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| It has become weaker | 11% |
| It has not changed much | 39% |
| It has become stronger | 49% |
The overall increase in attachment since October 7 is evident across all denominational affiliations, though less so among nondenominational Jews, who are the most likely to report no change in their level of attachment to being Jewish. Strengthened attachment to being Jewish is especially common among those who identify as politically moderate (70%) and conservative (62%), compared with just 33% of liberals.
| Became Weaker | Not Changed Much | Became Stronger | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denomination | |||
| Orthodox | 2% | 39% | 58% |
| Conservative | 8% | 32% | 60% |
| Reform | 10% | 25% | 65% |
| Nondenominational | 17% | 47% | 36% |
| Political Affiliation | |||
| Conservative | 0% | 38% | 62% |
| Moderate | 2% | 28% | 70% |
| Liberal | 20% | 47% | 33% |
Most Jewish adults who have Jewish friends feel similarly close to those friends in 2025 as they did before the war (69%). Reform and nondenominational Jews are more likely to report becoming more distant from their Jewish friends (8% each), compared with Orthodox (0%) or Conservative (1%) adults. The same is true for liberal Jews (11%) compared with politically conservative (2%) or moderate (1%) Jewish adults.
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| More distant | 6% |
| Stayed about the same | 69% |
| Closer | 22% |
| I don't have any Jewish friends | 4% |
| More Distant | About the Same | Closer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denomination | |||
| Orthodox | 0% | 70% | 30% |
| Conservative | 1% | 71% | 28% |
| Reform | 8% | 68% | 24% |
| Nondenominational | 8% | 74% | 18% |
| Political Affiliation | |||
| Conservative | 2% | 70% | 28% |
| Moderate | 1% | 67% | 32% |
| Liberal | 11% | 74% | 16% |
Most Jewish adults who have non-Jewish friends likewise feel similarly close to them in 2025 as they did before the war (82%). However, twice as many Jewish adults report becoming more distant from their non-Jewish friends as report becoming closer to them (8% vs 4%). No significant differences were observed among specific subgroups, whether by denomination, age, or political affiliation.
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| More distant | 8% |
| Stayed about the same | 82% |
| Closer | 4% |
| I don't have any non-Jewish friends | 6% |
Findings from this study are consistent with recent AJC research showing that the events of October 7 have impacted Jewish adults’ personal and professional relationships.8 Just over half of Jewish adults in New York say they have avoided discussing the Israel-Hamas war with someone, and 20% have concealed their Jewish identity when meeting someone new. Additionally, 15% of Jewish adults in New York report losing a friendship or relationship due to disagreements about the war.
| AJC 2024 | NY 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| I have avoided talking about the Israel-Hamas war with someone. | 53% | 53% |
| I have hidden my Jewish identity or chosen not to disclose it when meeting someone new. | 27% | 20% |
| I have lost a friendship or relationship because we disagree about the Israel-Hamas war. | 13% | 15% |
Most Jewish New Yorkers do not report changes in their membership or affiliation with synagogues or other Jewish worship communities since the events of October 7. Four percent of Jewish adults report changing, joining, or leaving a synagogue, shul, minyan, or Jewish worship community.9 Among those Jewish adults who report changing their synagogue membership, 40% report joining a synagogue while 60% left or changed synagogues.
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 4% |
| No | 96% |
Since the events of October 7, the Jewish community in New York has become more conservative. While most Jewish adults (65%) report that their political leanings have not changed, 22% report that they have become more conservative, while 13% have become more liberal.
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| More liberal | 13% |
| About the same | 65% |
| More conservative | 22% |
The shift toward increased conservatism is more pronounced within the Orthodox community, which was already more conservative than the non-Orthodox population in New York. Among non-Orthodox Jews, political shifts are more evenly split, with 16% becoming more liberal and 17% more conservative.
Looking back at respondents' political views from 2023, the trend toward conservatism is primarily seen among those who were already conservative or moderate. Only 5% of those who identified as liberal in 2023 have become more conservative by 2025, while 26% have become more liberal. In contrast, among those who were conservative in 2023, 46% report becoming even more conservative, and virtually none have shifted toward liberal views.
| More Liberal | About the Same | More Conservative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denomination | |||
| Orthodox | 6% | 59% | 35% |
| Non-Orthodox | 16% | 67% | 17% |
| Political Affiliation | |||
| Liberal | 26% | 69% | 5% |
| Moderate | 1% | 71% | 28% |
| Conservative | 0% | 54% | 46% |
In the months following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the start of the war in Gaza, Jewish institutions in New York and around the country were met with a swell of people in search of participation and belonging amid the uncertainty and upheaval in the United States and Israel. Research from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in the spring of 2024 confirmed the anecdotal reports: Jewish people from all backgrounds and at all levels of engagement were demonstrating an increased interest in Jewish community and Jewish life. This phenomenon, known as “the surge,” captured Jewish communal conversations and called on Jewish organizations to meet the moment for the substantial number of Jews who have stepped forward since October 2023.
In this report, we begin with a careful look at the JFNA research that defined the surge. We show its size and its characteristics, and how it’s changed since early 2024, both definitionally and in magnitude. We then turn to UJA’s research on Jewish engagement since 2023, showing that there is a surge in New York as well that is both significant and ongoing.
After October 7 and the start of the Israel-Hamas war, JFNA conducted several polls of Jewish Americans to understand how they were feeling about issues related to the war and Jewish community. Evidence of a surge in Jewish engagement emerged from a survey conducted via text message from February 23 – March 12, 2024. JFNA defined the surge as those who “sought to or have engaged more with Jewish life,” based on self-reported changes in behavior to the questions below:
Compared to a few months ago, to what extent, if at all, have you:
Anyone who answered “more than a few months ago” to at least one item was included in the surge. Initially, JFNA excluded the most highly engaged Jews from the surge analysis — on the assumption they were already active — but later included them. As a result, the 2024 surge was reported as either 30% (excluding the highly engaged) or 43% (including them).
JFNA fielded the next survey wave from March 5 – March 24, 2025, using the same recruitment method and a similar survey instrument. The 2025 surge definition was based on responses to the following set of questions:
Since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7th 2023, has there been a time where you:
Those who answered "yes" to any item were then asked whether their current level of engagement is higher, lower, or similar to pre-October 7 levels. This follow-up captured both sustained and temporary increases in engagement. JFNA reported that 31% of Jewish adults qualified as part of the surge in 2025, including those who were already highly engaged.
| JFNA 2024 | JFNA 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| % of all Jews surging | 43% | 31% |
| % of less than very engaged only | 30% | Not reported |
Of those identified in the 2024 surge, about 72% reported continued higher engagement in 2025. However, drop-off was greatest among those who had been only somewhat or not very engaged before October 7. Among the previously somewhat engaged, the share currently surging dropped from 50% in 2024 to 37% in 2025, while among those previously not very engaged, 22% are currently surging, down from 43% in 2024.
In both the 2024 and 2025 reports, JFNA found that the largest shares of those in the surge were single young adults (ages 18–34) and midlife adults (ages 55–74, without children). These groups also represent the largest segments of the overall Jewish population, both in New York and nationally, meaning they are not disproportionately represented in the surge. Table 2 below compares the demographic makeup of the surge population nationally with that of the general New York Jewish population. However, because the underlying data are not publicly available, it is not possible to determine whether age, marital status, or family status are independently or jointly associated with higher rates of surging.
| JFNA Life Stage | % of Surge (JFNA 2024) | % of Surge (JFNA 2025) | % of NY Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18–34 Single | 21% | 21% | 20% |
| 18–34 Married | 12% | 8% | 4% |
| 18–34 With Children | 2% | 7% | 4% |
| 35–54 Single | 6% | 10% | 5% |
| 35–54 Married | 5% | 6% | 7% |
| 35–54 With Children | 16% | 10% | 14% |
| 55–74 With Children | 6% | 2% | 4% |
| 55–74 Midlife | 25% | 29% | 28% |
| 75+ | 7% | 8% | 14% |
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100% |
In 2024, UJA conducted a recontact study that repeated select questions about Jewish engagement from the 2023 Jewish Community Study of New York. The surge analysis focused on identifying an increase in connection to the New York Jewish community, defining participants as part of the surge if their 2024 responses indicated a stronger connection than in 2023.
A key limitation of this approach is the “ceiling effect”: Individuals who were already “a lot” connected in 2023 could not register further increases. To address this, surge rates were calculated both for the full population and separately, excluding those who were already maximally connected in 2023. While one in five Jewish adults (21%) reported a higher level of connection in 2024 than 2023, nearly a third (31%) of those who were not at all, not very, or somewhat connected reported an increase in connection in 2024
| NY 2024 | Less than "a lot" in 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decreased | 11% | 10% |
| Stayed the Same | 69% | 58% |
| Increased | 21% | 31% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
The study identified several demographic groups that were especially likely to show increased connection to the Jewish community. These include adults ages 30–49, those who were “not very” or only “somewhat” attached to Israel, and those who reported being “not at all” or only “a little” connected to the New York Jewish community in 2023.
Unlike the largest demographic groups identified in the JFNA analysis, these groups are notable not necessarily for their size, but for experiencing a disproportionately high rate of increased connection relative to their share of the population.
As the war extended into its second year and continued to affect the New York Jewish community, UJA conducted a second follow-up with study participants to assess how their views — particularly regarding Jewish life — had changed since before the war. To ensure continuity, the 2025 survey again measured connection to the Jewish community in New York and replicated the 2024 analysis of changes in reported connection.
Table 4 presents the share of Jewish adults whose reported connection in 2025 was higher than in 2023, both among all Jewish adults and excluding those who were already highly connected. Compared with 2024, there is no meaningful decline in the surge: about one in five Jewish adults remain more connected than before the war, and 29% of those who were not most connected in 2023 report increased connection — virtually unchanged from the previous year.
At the same time, it is important to note that alongside the surge, a growing segment of Jewish adults report feeling less connected to the New York Jewish community. In 2024, 11% reported decreased connection; by 2025, that figure had risen to 16%.
| NY 2025 | Less than "a lot" in 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decreased | 16% | 15% |
| Stayed the Same | 65% | 56% |
| Increased | 19% | 29% |
| Total | 100% | 100% |
A key goal of the 2025 research was to better understand the nature of the surge and the behaviors that define it. To do so, we added a question asking Jewish adults how their participation in nearly a dozen Jewish practices had changed since before the war. Using this expanded list, we defined a new surge population: those who reported an increase in one or more specific behaviors since the war began.
More precisely, we identified three concentric surge groups to reflect different levels of engagement. The broadest group includes anyone who reported an increase in at least one of the 11 practices (see Appendix, page 12, for the full list). The second group excludes increases in reading Jewish news, following Jewish content on social media, or engaging in political activism — activities that may reflect short-term interest rather than sustained engagement. The third group includes those who reported increased participation in Jewish communal institutions or programs, such as attending Jewish museums, cultural events, adult education, JCCs, or Chabad.
Overall, 54% of Jewish adults reported increased engagement in at least one activity. About one-third reported increased engagement excluding news, social media, or activism, and one in five reported increased participation in Jewish communal life.
| NY 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Any Jewish behaviors | 54% |
| Behaviors excl. news/social media/political activism | 33% |
| Communal Jewish engagement | 20% |
Our research on the surge in New York in most cases did not show any age patterns, but variation did emerge by denomination and prior Jewish engagement — two closely linked traits. Those most likely to experience a surge are already connected to Jewish life, including adults with denominational affiliations, high levels of prior engagement, or synagogue membership. The surge is also more pronounced among individuals who became more politically conservative since the war began, compared with those whose views stayed the same or became more liberal.
| % of Any Surgers | % of Non-News / Social Media / Politics Surgers | % of Communal Surgers | % of Jewish Adults in NY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | ||||
| 18–29 | 21% | 24% | 23% | 22% |
| 30–49 | 29% | 29% | 35% | 28% |
| 50–64 | 25% | 24% | 24% | 22% |
| 65+ | 25% | 23% | 18% | 28% |
| Denomination | ||||
| Orthodox | 20% | 23% | 31% | 23% |
| Conservative | 17% | 16% | 17% | 15% |
| Reform | 23% | 28% | 23% | 19% |
| Nondenominational | 40% | 33% | 29% | 43% |
| 2023 Jewish Engagement | ||||
| Low | 19% | 14% | 7% | 24% |
| Moderate | 46% | 46% | 48% | 45% |
| High | 36% | 40% | 45% | 31% |
| 2023 Synagogue Membership | ||||
| Nonmember | 52% | 49% | 38% | 60% |
| Member | 48% | 51% | 62% | 40% |
| 2023 Political Identification | ||||
| Conservative | 19% | 21% | 23% | 25% |
| Moderate | 31% | 36% | 40% | 30% |
| Liberal | 51% | 42% | 37% | 45% |
| 2025 Change in Political Identification | ||||
| More conservative | 32% | 38% | 46% | 22% |
| About the same | 50% | 49% | 44% | 65% |
| More liberal | 18% | 13% | 10% | 13% |
Although the JFNA and UJA surveys differ in methodology and how they define the surge in Jewish engagement, some basic comparisons are still possible. JFNA’s findings indicate a surge that is durable but slightly declining in size. Our study found that the share of Jewish adults in New York who reported an increased connection to the Jewish community since October 7 remained stable from 2024 to 2025.
Direct demographic comparisons are more difficult, as JFNA releases limited demographic detail beyond broad age and life-stage categories. However, using UJA’s behavioral surge definition — excluding news, social media, and political activism — the size of the surge is comparable: 33% in New York and 31% nationally.
While most of this report explores the surge — those who report greater engagement — in the national and New York data, an alternative way of identifying the groups who are most in need of communal resources in this moment involves a different set of questions from the survey. Our study asked respondents their agreement with three statements drawn from the 2024 JFNA poll:
In these items, we can see who is looking for more connection in this moment, and whether these individuals are currently finding that connection and belonging in the Jewish community. Although those who are seeking additional connection or Jewish friends tend to be among the more connected and engaged, the study shows that many who are seeking Jewish ties have not yet found a place in the Jewish community where they feel comfortable.
Among those who report that they have not found a place in the Jewish community, about half indicate that they would like to be more connected to the Jewish community and/or have more Jewish friends. This group accounts for nearly one in five Jewish adults in the New York area (18%).
| 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Found a place in the Jewish community | 64% |
| NOT found a place in the Jewish community | 36% |
| Would like to be more connected / have more Jewish friends | 18% |
| NOT Would like to be more connected / have more Jewish friends | 18% |
| Total | 100% |
As Table 8 shows, these individuals, here labeled “seekers,” are distributed across the age spectrum, in rough proportion to the overall population. They tend to be non-denominational (67%) and more liberal (66%), and display fewer Jewish behaviors than the average Jewish adult in New York.
| % of Seekers | % of Jewish Adults in NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | ||
| 18-29 | 19% | 22% |
| 30-49 | 28% | 28% |
| 50-64 | 27% | 22% |
| 65+ | 25% | 28% |
| Denomination | ||
| Orthodox | 4% | 23% |
| Conservative | 9% | 15% |
| Reform | 19% | 19% |
| Nondenominational | 67% | 43% |
| Political Affiliation | ||
| Conservative | 14% | 25% |
| Moderate | 20% | 30% |
| Liberal | 66% | 45% |
| Jewish Practices | ||
| Attends services monthly | 6% | 27% |
| Attends Jewish programs ever | 25% | 52% |
| Average number of Jewish behaviors | 3.7 | 4.7 |
While we cannot determine how many of these seekers are motivated by the events of October 7 versus a pre-existing desire for connection, the distinction may be less important. Data from both the "surgers" and "seekers" point to a significant portion of the Jewish population actively looking for connection and identity affirmation during a time of uncertainty.
The events of this period have profoundly reshaped Jewish communal life. Engagement is no longer driven solely by religious or cultural interest, but increasingly by a need for safety, identity, and collective solidarity in response to external threats. This transformation calls for a more dynamic and responsive approach from Jewish organizations.
Looking ahead, Jewish institutions have both an opportunity and a responsibility to build on this momentum. Sustaining the surge will require inclusive strategies, empathetic outreach, and a commitment to creating meaningful, accessible Jewish experiences that reflect the evolving needs of the community.