Jewish College Students in America

Key Findings:

The goal of the study was to gain insights into the identity, motivations, and experiences of Jewish students in college. It aimed to answer questions such as the level of connection Jewish students feel to Jewish life on campus, their desires regarding Jewish experiences, and the influence of the campus political climate on their engagement with Jewish life. Particular attention was paid to the significant number of Jewish-identifying students who have limited or no interaction with organized Jewish activities.

Jewish students come from diverse backgrounds, with about half having one Jewish parent and celebrating both Jewish and non-Jewish customs. While 76% identify as ethnically Jewish, only 43% identify as Jewish from a religious perspective.

Most Jewish students consider their Jewish identity important to them, and they have positive memories of their Jewish upbringing. However, their participation in campus Jewish activities is relatively low, with only 34% attending programs more than a few times a year. Additionally, fewer students consider it important to have a Jewish family or be part of a religious/spiritual community after college.

Jewish students from more traditional backgrounds tend to come from upper-class or upper-middle-class families and spend less time working to earn money in college, resulting in more free time, which they mainly spend on informal socializing. Jewish students are more likely than non-Jewish students to consider their religious/racial/ethnic group's community on campus an important factor in their college application decisions. They also express more interest in exploring religion and culture during college.

Over half of the Jewish students attend Jewish events on campus at least a few times a year, and the majority of them feel a sense of belonging when attending these activities. However, a small percentage may feel excluded due to social dynamics or political viewpoints.

A student's personal attitudes toward their Jewish identity are stronger predictors of their participation in Jewish activities than their family background characteristics. Students who identify strongly as Jewish but had limited exposure to Jewish practice growing up are more likely to participate in campus programs compared to those who had more exposure but weaker identification.

About one-third of Jewish students feel known by a Jewish professional on campus, and a similar proportion wishes for a stronger relationship with a Jewish mentor. Those with a stronger affinity to their Jewish identity and a background of observing Jewish practices desire deeper connections with Jewish mentors.

When asked about the types of Jewish programming they desire, social, cultural, and Shabbat/holiday programming were the most popular among students. Traditional Jewish background students showed more interest in various programming ideas compared to less traditional students.

While most Jewish students do not fear antisemitism, a significant percentage worry about unfair judgments based on their Jewish identity. A small proportion may feel the need to hide their Jewishness to fit in. However, the fear of antisemitism motivates more students to participate in Jewish life than discourages them.

A majority of Jewish students feel that supporting the existence of Israel as a Jewish state carries a social cost. Non-Jewish students also expressed uncertainty or negativity toward befriending someone who supports Israel as a Jewish state. Even among Jewish students who oppose Israel's existence as a Jewish state, many acknowledge the social cost borne by Jewish students who do support it.

Overall, Jewish students expressed satisfaction with their campus Jewish community's relationship to Israel. Engaged students, who were more involved in Jewish activities, tended to feel that the community could be more supportive of Israel. On the other hand, less engaged students, who had lower levels of participation, were somewhat more likely to perceive the community as being too supportive of Israel. Despite these nuanced differences, the study suggests that the overall perception of the campus Jewish community's handling of the Israel issue was satisfactory among the surveyed students.