For Immediate Release:
October 10, 2012

Contact: Jo-Ann Mort
ChangeCommunications
info@communicatechange.com
Tel: 718-954-0352

One million unaffiliated Jews are Jewishly engaged
~Workmen’s Circle supported poll reveals intriguing data~

 

 

For a full report on these findings click here.

 

NEW YORK. For years there seemed to be two choices in Jewish life: a person was either an observant Jew or a cultural Jew, the type whose Jewish engagement begins and ends with watching Woody Allen movies and noshing on corned beef and rye sandwiches. But a national poll conducted by a team led by Professor Steven M. Cohen for the Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring, a national Jewish cultural, educational and activist organization, reveals that many Jews today fit into another category, that of the engaged and congregationally unaffiliated.

This group, according to the survey, makes up 16% of Jews in the United States, or about 1 million of the 6 million Jews in the country. These individuals say that being Jewish is very important in their lives and that they actively seek Jewish expression and engagement outside of a synagogue.

These characteristics put them in marked contrast to other categories of non-Orthodox Jews in this extensive study — the engaged and congregationally affiliated, the congregationally affiliated but unengaged (those who join synagogues but rarely attend), and the unengaged and congregationally unaffiliated.

While the engaged and congregationally unaffiliated are not synagogue members — they typically attend religious services only once or twice a year on average — they still show numerous signs of Jewish engagement. They also tend to be attached to Israel and demonstrate noticeably strong commitments to economic justice and social equality.

They are also exceptional in their progressive political views. Of note, nearly twice as many of the engaged and congregationally unaffiliated Jews compared to others see economic justice issues as important “to a great extent,” identify as pro-labor to a great extent, and see the current federal tax system as unfair.

Furthermore, these individuals tend not to describe themselves as religious, secular, or anti-religious. Rather, they typically identify themselves as cultural Jews and see their Jewish identity as more fluid than others have in previous generations. They frequently self-define as “spiritual.”

Indeed, these Jews are part of a larger national trend, as portrayed in a recent study from the Pew Research Center. According to Pew, one in five Americans do not identify as part of any specific religious denomination. However, many in this group still see themselves as spiritual and say they pray and believe in God.

“Numbering a million, these Jews represent an opportunity for engagement. Their interests and their distinctiveness make them candidates for a deeper involvement in Jewish life, while their social profile explains some of their tendencies to distance themselves from conventional religious life,” said Cohen.

Who are the engaged and unaffiliated?

• As many as 40% are under the age of 35.
• They are more concentrated in the western region of the United States, where a third of them live, as compared with just over a fifth of other American Jews. The west is known for low rates of Jewish communal affiliation, while the eastern United States is known for its relatively high rates.
• Just under half (49%) of the engaged and unaffiliated are married, slightly less than in other Jewish groups. Some18% of them are intermarried and 22% are married to other Jews. They are less likely to have children than other groups.
• Almost half earn under $50,000.
• They most often (51%) identify as liberals — more often than any other group in the survey.

How do they engage Jewishly?

• Most (55%) report that at least half their friends are Jewish. This is somewhat less than among the congregationally affiliated — whether active or not — but substantially more than among those who are unengaged and congregationally unaffiliated.
• Nearly 3 in 5 fast on Yom Kippur, not that far behind the congregationally affiliated (3 in 4) and substantially ahead of the unengaged and congregationally unaffiliated (1 in 3).
• Almost half (46%) “at least sometimes” have a special Friday night meal with family and friends.
• 40% say religion is “very important” in their lives.
• More than any other non-Orthodox group in this study, 56% see themselves as very attached to Israel.

“As this poll demonstrates, there is a real need for a Jewish home for those who do not seek a congregational affiliation. As we in the Workmen’s Circle continue updating our learning centers, summer camp and more, we are aiming to provide such a home for the one million Jews who consider themselves engaged but are not synagogue members,” said Madelon Braun, the president of the Workmen’s Circle.

“We are seeing a shift in how American Jews define being Jewish. In the past, those who saw themselves as cultural Jews had a very passive approach to Jewish life. But today they are engaged with Jewish values and look to be part of a Jewish community, although often outside of a congregation. We look forward to creating a community that welcomes this emerging group,” said Ann Toback, national director of the Workmen’s Circle.

Background on the poll

The poll was commissioned by the Workmen’s Circle / Arbeter Ring. The first part of the poll was released on May 31, 2012.

Principal investigators were Professor Steven M. Cohen of the Berman Jewish-Policy Archive @ NYU Wagner (www.BJPA.org), and Professor Samuel J. Abrams of Sarah Lawrence College and Stanford University.

The Washington office of IPSOS, under the direction of Dr. Alan Roschwalb, fielded the survey April 19 – May 3, 2012. Respondents included 1,000 American Jews, by Internet, who had previously agreed to participate in social research conducted by IPSOS. The results were weighted to reflect the American Jewish population with respect to age, gender, regional distribution, educational attainment, marital status, intermarriage status, and Jewish parentage (none, one, two parents).

The survey questions can be found here: www.wcsurvey.org.

For a full report on these findings see click here.

 

About the Workmen’s Circle

The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring was founded in 1900 by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who sought to promote values of social and economic justice through a Jewish lens.

Today, the Workmen’s Circle is creating a cultural and progressive Jewish learning movement through the development of a national network of Workmen’s Circle Learning Centers. The WC Learning Centers will be family-oriented complementary schools that will feature a curriculum that is rooted in celebrating Jewish cultural heritage alongside the expression of social ideals in activism.

These WC Learning Centers will serve to build communities of activists through their programs.

The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that does not support or oppose candidates for political office.

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Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring

Jewishly Engaged & Congregationally Unaffiliated:

The Holy Grail of Jewish Engagement Efforts

Steven M. Cohen

9/19/2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those Jews who are Engaged as Jews while Unaffiliated with Jewish congregational life constitute about a third of congregationally unaffiliated non-Orthodox Jews in the United States, and a sixth of all Jews, and comprise about one million Jewish individuals. We define this critical group as those who say that being Jewish is very important to them, yet who neither belong to synagogues nor attend services very often. They derive, more than others, from weaker Jewish schooling and mixed married parents. Compared with other non-Orthodox Jews, they are more frequently: younger adults, living in the West, non-married, non-parents, intermarried, and lower income. Most of them report that half or more of their friends are Jewish. While none belong to synagogues or even attend services monthly (by definition), they are fairly active in religious ritual. Many see religion as important in their lives, even as many are cultural Jews, and most define themselves as spiritual. They are far more Israel-engaged than the unaffiliated. Politically, most are liberals, with strong commitments to economic justice.

American Jews are rather singular in their nomenclature for those less involved in in-group life than some would prefer. These seemingly wayward souls are called, “The Unaffiliated.” The term has no exact parallel among other religious and ethnic groups. Religious groups use such terms as, “lapsed,” “un-churched,” or “apostate,” terms more neutral and tolerant than “heretic” or “blasphemer” from an earlier era. Among American ethnic groups, few close parallels exist, although “Uncle Tom” has been used to designate African-Americans – and by extension, others – who display insufficient pride and commitment to their racial or national immigrant identities.

The choice of the term, “Unaffiliated,” reflects the importance that Jews attach to formal belonging. Whereas certain religious systems place a premium upon faith – hence, terms referencing belief or the lack thereof – Jews emphasize communal ties, with belief and even behavior of secondary importance.

For Jews and especially those highly involved in organized Jewish communal life, “The Unaffiliated” is less a term of opprobrium than one signaling a social problem. “The Unaffiliated” connotes those who are lost – temporarily or possibly permanently – to the Jewish community, if not the Jewish people. Concern about intermarriage, ineffective Jewish education, and unattractive options for Jewish involvement have fueled the perception of large and rising numbers of Unaffiliated Jews, as well as increasing investment in “reaching” them. As noted a few years ago:

The matter of community formation and sustenance has taken on new urgency,
at least among the leadership of Jewish institutional life. The urgency has arisen in part because of reports of high rates of intermarriage and disaffiliation from (or non-affiliation with) established Jewish institutions, and in part because of reports of deep-seated cultural change (most critically, the declining attraction of civic engagement, formal institutions, and “loyalty” to brand, party, church, or family) that seemed to undermine the traditional Jewish penchant for community, or at least its more conventional forms. (Cohen and Kelman, 2007: 16)

 

In theory, the most Jewishly accessible Unaffiliated are those who demonstrate interest in Jewish engagement, despite the lack of affiliation–that is, those who, for reasons other than lack of interest, have chosen not to affiliate, at least not in conventional terms such as by joining a congregation or regularly attending services, ways in which American Jews and American society have defined as central to Jewish life in America. (Contemporary American Jews may be distinctive in this regard.) The pattern observed among younger American Jews may well apply to some (many?) unaffiliated Jews more generally:

 

The organizational culture of much of Jewish life seems alien, if not alienating. For the most part, few express serious reservations about the mission and objectives of the institutions they eschew. Rather, their feelings of discomfort derive from matters of social culture and aesthetics, and all the subtle yet meaningful elements that point to a way of being Jewish that, while admirable in many ways, is not quite theirs. (Cohen and Kelman 2007: 17)

 

Those who may be termed, “Jewishly Engaged and Congregationally unaffilated” are of keen policy interest, for at least two reasons.
First, their very existence challenges the prevailing assumption that unaffiliated Jews are uninterested in being Jewishly engaged.
Second, they represent a prime target audience for communal outreach. In theory, they stand the greatest likelihood of becoming more involved in Jewish life. As such, learning more about this group can well inform efforts to engage the unengaged and affiliate the unaffiliated.

 

To learn more about the Engaged and Unaffiliated, we draw upon the Workmen’s Circle-sponsored survey of 1,000 American Jews, asking these questions:

 

• Size: How large is the population that is simultaneously engaged as Jews, yet they are unaffiliated with synagogues?
• Demographics: What are the socio-demographic characteristics of this population – their distributions of age, region, family status and so forth?
• Jewish Profile: How are they distinguished from others – both the Affiliated population and the Unengaged population — with respect to their Jewish identity profile? In particular, what clues can we learn about their ways of engaging as Jews that can inform efforts to engage them further?
• Politics: How are they distinguished in terms of their political attitudes and beliefs? Does their profile here suggest either obstacles to their involvement in Jewish life or opportunities to engage them?

 

The Workmen’s Circle Survey of American Jews

The Workmen’s Circle Survey of American Jews was fielded by the Washington office of IPSOS, under the direction of Dr. Alan Roschwalb. A total of 1,000 American Jewish adults responded by Internet.

The survey was conducted April 19 – May 2 2012. We drew our sample from the IPSOS data-base of 1.3 million members throughout the United States. These individuals agree to participate in occasional surveys by invitation. Prospective respondents complete their member registration forms where they provide key demographic information about such things as household composition, income, age, employment status, and so on. This database is updated periodically.

The results were weighted to reflect the US Jewish population with respect to: age, gender, regional distribution, educational attainment, marital status, intermarriage status, and Jewish parentage (none, one, two parents).

 

 

Defining Who is Congregationally Affiliated and Who is Jewishly Engaged

We defined Congregationally Affiliated as someone who met any of the following conditions:

 

• Identifies as Orthodox
• Attends services monthly or more often
• Was active on a synagogue committee or board within the last two years
• Belongs to a congregation

 

We defined Jewishly Engaged as someone who says that being Jewish is very important in their life. That is, the survey asked, “How important is being Jewish in your life, if at all?” followed by four answer choices: Very important, Somewhat important, Not too important, Not at all important. In the entire sample, 43% answered, “Very important.”

 

Five Groups

Using the answers to the foregoing questions, we divided the population into five mutually exclusive groups, as follows:

 

1. The Orthodox: Those who identify as Orthodox. The vast majority are synagogue-affiliated, attend services frequently and are Jewishly engaged.
2. The Congregationally Active: These are non-Orthodox Jews who attend services monthly, or have recently served in a leadership capacity in a synagogue.
3. Congregational Members: Belong to a synagogue, but do not qualify as active, in that they attend services less often than monthly and they have not recently served in a leadership capacity in a synagogue.
4. The Engaged and Unaffiliated: Being Jewish is very important to them, but none are Orthodox, or active in a synagogue community, or even belong to a synagogue.
5. The Unengaged and Unaffiliated: These people – almost half of American Jewry – are not Orthodox, nor active in a synagogue community, nor Congregational Members. Nor do they see being Jewish as very important in their lives.

 

Of all Jews in this sample, about 8% are Orthodox. After excluding the Orthodox population, we find that half are Unengaged and Unaffiliated. Just over one in five are Congregationally Active; almost as many (18%) are Engaged and Unaffiliated; and a small number (10%) are simply Congregational Members.

Engaged and Unaffiliated: Home to One Million American Jews

Comprising 18% of the non-Orthodox population, and over 16% of the total adult population, the Engaged and Unaffiliated constitute about one Jewish household in six. With approximately six million or more Jews in the United States, we can estimate that roughly one million Jews reside in Engaged and Unaffiliated Jewish households.

 

Distribution of Engagement-affiliation group

		Percent with the Orthodox included	Percent of non-Orthodox
	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	21	22
	Congregationally Member, non-Orthodox	9	10
	Engaged & unaffiliated, non-Orthodox	16	18
	Unengaged & unaffiliated, non-Orthodox	46	50
	Total	92	100
	Orthodox	8
Total		100

 

 

Youthful, Western, non-Married, non-Parents, Intermarried, Lower Income

Henceforward, comparisons will be limited to the four non-Orthodox groups, with a focus upon the Jewishly Engaged and Congregationally Unaffiliated – or “Engaged-Unaffiliated,” for short.

Relative to the three other non-Orthodox groups, the Engaged-Unaffiliated are distinguished in several ways.
They are more youthful. As many as 40% of the Engaged-Unaffiliated respondents are under the age of 35, as compared with about 25% of the other three groups.

Age by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Under 35	25%	25%	40%	25%
	35-64	53%	44%	37%	52%
	65+	22%	31%	23%	23%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

The Engaged-Unaffiliated are more concentrated in the Western region of the United States, where a third of them live, as compared with just over a fifth of other American Jews. Correlatively, few (29%) of the Engaged and Unaffiliated live in the East which is home to about 40% of the others. The West is known for low rates of Jewish communal affiliation, and the East for its relatively high rates. In other words, the Engaged-Unaffiliated contribute to the character of the regions where they live, and are undoubtedly influenced by them as well.

Region by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
Region	North East	32%	45%	29%	41%
	Midwest	12%	14%	18%	12%
	South	29%	28%	21%	25%
	West	28%	14%	32%	22%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

Just under half of the half (49%) of the Engaged and Unaffiliated are married, slightly less than those in other groups. They also exhibit high rates of divorce and separation, a feature of the congregationally unaffiliated among both Jews and Christians.

Marital Status by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Married	58%	59%	49%	52%
	Never Married	21%	18%	18%	26%
	Divorced or Separated	14%	14%	21%	12%
	Widowed	5%	5%	8%	3%
	Living with someone and/or partnered	2%	4%	5%	8%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

The presence of children is associated with higher rates of congregational membership, for both Christians and Jews. Accordingly, it comes as no surprise that among the Engaged and Unaffiliated, fewer have children at home (25%) than among the congregationally affiliated about a third of whom report children in their households.

Do you have children under 18 living with you? by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
Yes, Children	37%	32%	25%	22%

 

 

Of the Engaged-Unaffiliated who are married (a minority of 40% altogether), almost as many are intermarried as in-married (i.e., 18% vs. 22%). The balance between intermarried and in-married among the engaged-unaffiliated is similar to that among the Unengaged-Unaffiliated. In contrast, among the congregationally affiliated who are married, the in-married are twice as frequent as the intermarried. In this survey, as in numerous other studies, in-marriage is associated with higher levels of affiliation, while intermarriage is more common among the unaffiliated.

 

Marital group by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Non-married	65%	67%	60%	36%
	Intermarried	12%	11%	18%	31%
	In-married	23%	23%	22%	33%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

The Engaged-Unaffiliated report a rather low income profile. Almost half earn under $40,000, almost double the proportion found among other non-Orthodox Jews.

 

Income (in 000’s) by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Under 25	7%	3%	28%	12%
	25-40	20%	13%	19%	12%
	40-60	18%	18%	12%	26%
	60-85	12%	18%	11%	25%
	85-125	22%	30%	18%	15%
	125-175	10%	9%	8%	5%
	175+	10%	10%	4%	5%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

The Social Demography of the Jewishly Engaged and Congregationally unaffilated:

In reviewing the various characteristics associated with the Engaged-Unaffiliated, a clear pattern emerges. They tend to lack those characteristics typically associated with the congregationally affiliated; alternatively, they exhibit many of the same characteristics associated with the Unaffiliated. Thus, the Engaged and Unaffiliated are more often: younger, located in the West, non-married, intermarried, childless or empty nesters, and lower income. If one wanted a quick profile of the congregationally affiliated, all these characteristics could be reversed: middle-aged, located in the East, in-married parents with children home and affluent. To be sure, not all the Engaged-Unaffiliated display all these characteristics associated with low affiliation. However, they do carry these traits, so to speak, far more than the affiliated population.

Socially Connected, Moderately Religious

The Jewishly Engaged and Congregationally unaffiliated present a seeming paradox. Although they are unaffiliated with congregations, their levels of religious (or seemingly religious) activity are not all that different from the congregationally affiliated. At the same time, Engaged and Unaffiliated substantially part company with their counterparts, the entirely Unengaged and Unaffiliated.

These patterns extend beyond the religious domain to their social relationships, that is, the proportion of their friends reported to be Jewish. Among the Engaged-Unaffiliated, most (55%) report that at least half their friends are Jewish, somewhat less than among the affiliated – whether congregationally active or not – but substantially more than among the Unengaged and Unaffiliated.

 

Closest friends Jewish by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	All or almost all are Jewish	13%	5%	4%	2%
	Most are Jewish	20%	19%	16%	7%
	About half are Jewish	32%	43%	35%	28%
	Most are non-Jewish	31%	24%	28%	50%
	Non are Jewish	3%	9%	17%	14%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

Furthermore, a clear majority (62%) of the Engaged and Unaffiliated report a major religious denominational identity. While fewer do so than among the non-Orthodox Affiliated (just over 80%), the Engaged and Unaffiliated substantially surpass the Unengaged (34%). In this respect (and others reported below), the Unaffiliated may be detached from congregations, but by and large they do not feel detached from religious Judaism or the Jewish religion.

 

Jewish religious denominations by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Conservative	38%	36%	23%	7%
	Reform	39%	42%	38%	27%
	Reconstructionist	1%	7%	2%	0%
	Non-denominational	3%		6%	1%
	Secular Jewish	4%	1%	4%	6%
	Culturally Jewish	4%	7%	4%	13%
	Just Jewish	8%	8%	7%	42%
	Not Sure	2%		16%	4%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

In fact, consistent with the theme of significant religious connection among the Engaged but Unaffiliated, we find that nearly 3 in 5 fast on Yom Kippur, not that far behind the affiliated (3 in 4) and substantially ahead of the Unengaged-Unaffiliated (1 in 3). We find similar patterns for having a special Friday night meal with family or friends, a practice observed by almost half (46%) of the Engaged-Unaffiliated group, about the same as the congregationally affiliated who are inactive Congregational Members, and three times the proportion (15%) of unengaged-unaffiliated who report this practice.

 

On Yom Kippur, usually fast at least part of the day by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
Yes	77%	75%	59%	34%

 

 

Sometimes have a special meal Friday night by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
Yes	62%	48%	46%	15%

 

 

Asked directly about the extent to which religion is important in their lives, the Engaged-Unaffiliated profess almost as much religiosity as the Congregationally Active group. Among the Engaged-Unaffiliated, 40% say religion is “Very important,” not far from the 46% among the Congregationally Active group and significantly higher than among inactive Congregational Members of whom just 25% answer likewise. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE PROPORTION IS FAR LOWER among the Unengaged-Unaffiliated, just under 3% OF WHOM SAY that religion is very important to them.

 

How important is religion in your life, if at all? by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Not at all important	2%	7%	6%	31%
	Not to important	11%	18%	15%	41%
	Somewhat important	42%	51%	40%	25%
	Very Important	46%	25%	40%	3%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

However, the Engaged-Unaffiliated seldom translate religious feeling into synagogue service attendance. As a general rule, they attend just once or twice a year or a little more often. While attending less often than the congregationally affiliated, they are far less likely than the unengaged-unaffiliated to absent themselves totally from religious services .

 

How often do you attend Jewish religious services? by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Once a week or more	20%
	2-3 times a month	23%
	Once a month	27%
	A few times a year	14%	74%	25%	7%
	Once or twice a year	8%	18%	47%	23%
	Never	9%	8%	28%	70%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

Paradoxically, despite claiming religion is “very important,” very few engaged-unaffiliated describe themselves as religious. At the same time, neither do they call themselves secular, or anti-religious – terms which are also not widely favored by the Affiliated-Unengaged.

 

To what extent do you see yourself as a religious Jew by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
To a great extend	18%	3%	12%	<1%

 

 

To what extent do you see yourself as a secular Jew by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
To a great extend	22%	20%	14%	16%

 

 

To what extent do you see yourself as anti-religious by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
To a great extend	1%	3%	1%	6%

 

 

However, they do frequently describe themselves as cultural Jews (41% “to a great extent”), almost as must as the affiliated and far more than the Unengaged-Unaffiliated. Perhaps most surprising is that a majority (56%) of the Engaged-Unaffiliated see themselves as “spiritual.” In this regard, they are truly distinguished from all three other groups of non-Orthodox Jews, be they affiliated or Unengaged-Unaffiliated.

 

To what extent do you see yourself as a cultural Jew by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
To a great extend	48%	48%	41%	26%

 

 

To what extent do you see yourself as spiritual by Engagement-affiliation groups

	Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
To a great extend	34%	15%	56%	13%

 

 

Prior research has demonstrated that Jews who see themselves as spiritual are more likely to have married non-Jews or to have had non-Jewish parents. That is, their parents were mixed married, or these are people who came to Jewish identity by conversion or through personal choice without conversion.

Indeed, the Engaged-Unaffiliated (along with the Unengaged-Unaffiliated) report relatively high rates of parents who are non-Jewish. While 37% of the Engaged-Unaffiliated report that at least one of their parents was non-Jewish, about 20% of the affiliated so report.

In addition, the Engaged-Unaffiliated report low levels of Jewish schooling. As many as a third had not Jewish schooling of any sort in their childhood (similar to the Unengaged-Unaffiliated, and far more than among the Affiliated).

 

Number of Parents who are/were Jewish by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	None	6%	10%	8%	5%
	One	15%	5%	29%	25%
	Two	79%	85%	63%	70%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

As a child, what was the main type of Jewish schooling you received, if any? by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	A day school	8%	5%	10%	3%
	A “shule” or secular school or school that emphasized Jewish	9%	10%	4%	4%
	Another type of Jewish school that met afternoons or weekend	39%	51%	32%	30%
	A Sunday school	29%	21%	22%	22%
	None	16%	14%	32%	41%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

Israel-Engaged

Far being totally unengaged from being Jewish, the Engaged-Unaffiliated are not only moderately associated with Jewish religiosity, and widely see themselves as spiritual, they also are relatively engaged with Israel.

More than any other non-Orthodox group in this study, the Engaged-Unaffiliated see themselves (56%) as very attached to Israel. In contrast, among the Unengaged-Unaffiliated, only 14% answer in like fashion. The Engaged are twice as likely as the Unengaged (58% to 29%) to so regard themselves as pro-Israel.

Other Israel-related indicators present the same pattern, one we have seen many times above: The Engaged-Unaffiliated resemble the affiliated, and differ dramatically from the Unengaged-Unaffiliated.

 

To what extent do you see yourself as pro-Israel by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	To a great extent	66%	52%	58%	29%

 

 

Have you ever been to Israel? by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Yes, 3 or more times	12%	13%	17%	3%
	Yes, twice	11%	15%	9%	2%
	Yes, once	21%	23%	17%	12%
	No	56%	50%	58%	83%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

How emotionally attached are you to Israel? by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Not at all attached	4%	9%	2%	19%
	Not very attached	10%	7%	6%	26%
	Somewhat Attached	34%	39%	36%	41%
	Very attached	52%	46%	56%	14%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

How important are Israel and the Palestinians by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Extremele important	58%	48%	66%	34%

 

 

Liberals for Economic Justice and Social Diversity

The political realm represents one more area where the Engaged-Unaffiliated distinguish themselves. In terms of political identity, they most often (51%) identify as liberals – more often than any other group in the survey.

Moreover, on numerous issues, they are more likely to assume a progressive, or at least liberal stance, than those who are affiliated or those who are Unengaged-Unaffiliated.

 

Political Identity by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Conservative	13%	31%	20%	17%
	Moderate or not sure	38%	29%	29%	41%
	Liberal	49%	39.8%	51%	42%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

The Engaged-Unaffiliated describe themselves as pro-labor in greater proportion than either the affiliated or the unengaged. They also surpass all other groups in the extent to which they describe themselves as environmentalists or leftists.

 

To what extent do you feel each applies to you: Pro-Labor by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	To a great extent	16%	14%	25%	12%

 

 

To what extent do you feel each applies to you: Environmentalist by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	To a great extent	22%	23%	30%	20%

 

 

To what extent do you feel each applies to you: Leftist by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	To a great extent	9%	8%	15%	6%

 

 

Given their readiness to affirm these social identities, it is no surprise that almost half (47%) of them describe the federal tax system as “not fair at all,” in contrast with less than 30% of others. consistent with the evidence of progressive tendencies, they tend more than all other groups to describe the rights of workers as an extremely important issue.

Most dramatic are the results for describing economic justice issues as extremely important. here the engaged-unaffiliated substantially differ from others, as just over half of them (52%) are vitally concerned about economic justice as compared with one-quarter to one-third (26% to 33%) of the other groups.

 

How fair do you think our present federal tax system is? by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Not fair at all	23%	18%	47%	30%
	Not too fair	50%	61%	29%	47%
	Moderately Fair	23%	17%	24%	22%
	Very fair	4%	3%	1%	1%
Total		100%	100%	100%	100%

 

 

How important are Rights of workers by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Extremely importantl	32%	29%	40%	33%

 

 

How important are Economic justice issues by Engagement-affiliation groups

		Congregationally Active, non-Orthodox	Congregational Member, non-Orthodox	Engaged & unaffiliated,non-O	Unengaged & unaffiliated,non-O
	Extremely importantl	29%	33%	52%	26%

 

 

 

Conclusion

The Jewishly Engaged and Congregationally unaffiliated are, by definition, uninvolved in organized Jewish religious life. They are not Congregational Members, nor do they attend services very often, typically about once or twice a year. Nevertheless, notwithstanding their absence from the synagogue, they display numerous signs of Jewish engagement, starting with their defining feature: they all regard being Jewish as very important to them. Their lack of religious affiliation is clearly not due to a lack of interest in things Jewish. Rather, their social profile (youthful, Western US, low-income, non-parents, mixed parentage, etc.) explains a good deal of their paradoxical stance: distant from synagogues, but, not from other forms of Jewish religious life and spiritual pursuits.

A large minority identify as cultural Jews and, at the same time and in about the same number, they are somewhat identified religiously. By their own testimony, they are very frequently spiritual. They are very Israel-engaged. Moreover, they are predominantly situated on the center-left of the political spectrum, in fact to the left of other non-Orthodox American Jews. They declare strong commitments to economic justice issues, including tax fairness, labor and environmentalism.

With one million Jews living in such households, these Jewishly Engaged and Congregationally unaffiliated represent an opportunity for recruitment and mobilization. Their interests and their distinctiveness make them candidates for involvement.