Digital Library
Enrollment Trend Report The Impact of the Israel-Hamas War on Jewish Day School Enrollment in North America
Topic:
General/Other
Principal Investigators:
Amy Adler, Odelia Epstein, Beth Rivkind
Study Date:
2024
Source:
Jim Joseph Foundation
Key Findings:
In the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, the landscape of Jewish day schools and yeshivas in North America has experienced significant shifts. This second Enrollment Trend Report delves into the influx of temporary Israeli students and an emerging trend of interest from public and independent school students for mid-year transfer to Jewish day schools during this time. The report highlights a significant increase in inquiries and temporary enrollments from Israeli students and transfer students from public and independent schools into Jewish day schools and yeshivas in North America following the Israel-Hamas war.
Since the last enrollment trend report, the number of inquiries from temporary Israeli students nearly doubled. Ninety-five percent of schools reported receiving inquiries and/or enrollment from temporary Israeli students interested in transferring on a short term basis to a Jewish day school, and over 1,000 temporary Israeli students enrolled in the schools that responded to the survey.
Four in ten schools received inquiries for enrollment from public school and or independent school students. A rise in inquiries of transfers from public and independent schools to Jewish day schools during this period is attributed to the desire of parents to have their children in a Jewish environment and concerns about antisemitism.
Top reasons schools reported that independent school transfer families provided for transferring: Wanting their child(ren) to be in a Jewish environment (80%); Response from their current school around the war in Israel (50%); Fear of antisemitism in school or community (40%).
Methodology:
The survey administered covers the period from the start of the war in October 2023 to December 8th, 2023. Responses were collected from enrollment professionals and heads of school from 110 schools in the United States and Canada.
Data collection was open for two weeks from November 27th, 2023 through December 8th, 2023. The sample is not fully representative of the field of Jewish day schools and yeshivas.
Profile of Respondents:
Representatives from 110 schools responded to the survey. The findings represent 99 schools in the US and 11 schools in Canada. The greatest number of schools responded from the Northeast (29 schools) and the Western regions (18 schools). Denomination-wise, 44% are Community/Non-denominational, 27% are Orthodox, 14% are Conservative, 11% are Pluralistic and 5% are Reform.