Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University

After deliberation, and inspired by the example of Fordham University’s Center for Jewish Studies, the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University has decided to suspend its use of Facebook for the promotion of our research and events. Facebook continues to fail to take strong action as hate groups use its platform to sow division and promote violence. At the same time, Facebook continues to allow misinformation on the election and the pandemic to spread—undermining our democracy and public health.

As a research center focused on the study of contemporary Jewish life, we have been troubled by these developments, which violate our core values. In good conscience, we cannot continue to support the Facebook platform.

To keep updated about news and events organized by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies, please join our mailing list or visit our website. We look forward to sharing with you the results of our work directly.
https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs

JTA profiles our study of the US Jewish electorate: "What’s new here is that the researchers were able to identify not only how Jews vote but where they cast their ballots. The study found that the majority of Jewish adults live in four states — New York, California, Florida and New Jersey."

Find the full study here:https://ajpp.brandeis.edu/documents/2020/nationalprofileofthejewishelectoratein2020.pdf

https://www.jta.org/2020/09/10/united-states/this-map-shows-the-20-congressional-districts-with-the-most-jews

This map shows the 20 congressional districts with the most Jews - Jewish Telegraphic Agency Eight of the districts are represented by Jews, and all but one of them is blue.

Reminder--It's not too late to register for the Tuesday, Sept. 8 webinar on the impact of COVID-19 on 10 US Jewish communities.

Details and registration in the link:
tinyurl.com/brjc-webinar

Join CMJS Director Leonard Saxe and Associate Director Janet Krasner Aronson for a presentation and discussion of our recent study on the impact of COVID-19 on Jewish communities. Hosted by Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz, the discussion will be moderated by Cynthia Shapira, a member of the Brandeis Board of Trustees and a leader of the Pittsburgh Jewish community. Register at https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/researchprojects/brjc/webinar.html

Our new research on the impact of COVID-19 on the Jewish community underscores the emotional toll of the pandemic on Jewish young adults. To learn more about the study, register for our webinar on September 8, 2020: https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/researchprojects/brjc/webinar.html

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/youth-more-affected-by-coronavirus-than-elderly-in-jewish-community-study-638187

Youth more affected by coronavirus than elderly in Jewish community study Seniors reported to have had less stress at the hand of mental health decline caused by social isolation than youth, in addition to more financial ease.

Join CMJS Director Leonard Saxe and Associate Director Janet Krasner Aronson for a presentation and discussion of our recent study on the impact of COVID-19 on Jewish communities. Hosted by Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz, the discussion will be moderated by Cynthia Shapira, a member of the Brandeis Board of Trustees and a leader of the Pittsburgh Jewish community. Register at https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/researchprojects/brjc/webinar.html

"Roughly 64,800 Jews make up the Twin Cities Jewish community, a sharp increase from 2004-era estimates of 40,000 people, according to the newly-released Jewish population study commissioned by the Minneapolis and St. Paul Jewish Federations." Read more of the highlights from the study below and find the full report here: https://www.brandeis.edu/ssri/communitystudies/twincitiesreport.html

Population Study Finds Jewish Community Growth | TC Jewfolk The study shows a community firmly in the norm of Jewish trends across the country.

Just released: The 2019 Twin Cities Jewish Community Study. Check out the report to learn about the 34,500 Jewish households in the Twin Cities and the ways in which community members engage in Jewish life. https://www.brandeis.edu/ssri/communitystudies/twincitiesreport.html

Community Studies - 2019 Twin Cities Jewish Community Study | Brandeis University Janet Krasner Aronson, Matthew A. Brookner, Eliana Chapman, Daniel Mangoubi, Harry Aaronson, Matthew Feinberg, Matthew Boxer, and Leonard Saxe

"The summer of 2020 will be remembered as a time of great personal and national challenge in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, economic turmoil, and social unrest. For Jewish young adults with disabilities, it will also mean the loss of an important opportunity to gain independence, make friends, and participate in a life-changing Jewish rite of passage." https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/for-young-adults-with-disabilities-the-loss-of-specialized-birthright-trips-is-particularly-poignant/

For Young Adults with Disabilities the Loss of Specialized Birthright Trips is Particularly Poignant - eJewish Philanthropy By Fern Chertok and Rachel Minkin A recent JTA story noted the substantial loss to the Israeli economy as a direct result of the cancellation of heritage trips, including Birthright Israel. The losses, however, go well beyond these financial repercussions and for some Jewish young adults they are pa...

Among those not participating in Birthright trips this summer are Jewish young adults with disabilities. Our just released report, “Breaking Barriers: A Look at Birthright Israel Specialized Trips for Participants with Disabilities,” describes what young adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities take away from their Birthright experiences and are, unfortunately, missing out on this summer. https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/researchprojects/birthright/breaking-barriers.html

Breaking Barriers: A Look at Birthright Israel Specialized Trips for Participants with Disabilities | Brandeis University Birthright Israel trips have emerged as the normative “coming-of-age” experience for contemporary Jewish young adults. Birthright Israel has made a commitment to making its ten-day educational experiences accessible for young adults with a variety of specialized needs stemming from life-threaten...

Transforming our campus to eliminate systemic bias Last week, I wrote to all of you saying violence against Black people must stop. The killing of George Floyd by police was inhuman, contemptible, and tragic. We gathered together virtually, and I heard many of you express outrage, fear, and the exhaustion of living with cruel racism in your lives a....

Although much of our world is changing due to COVID-19, research can help us plan for the future. Today, we are pleased to release our study of the Baltimore Jewish community. https://www.brandeis.edu/ssri/communitystudies/baltimorereport.html

Community Studies - Baltimore 2020 Jewish Community Study | Brandeis University Matthew Boxer, Matthew A. Brookner, Eliana Chapman, Harry Aaronson, Daniel Mangoubi, Matthew Feinberg, Janet Krasner Aronson, and Leonard Saxe

Andrea Hoffman, director of conferences and immersives for the Center for Jewish and Israel Education at Hillel International, discusses the possibilities for virtual retreats in the age of coronavirus.
https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/how-to-hold-a-jewish-retreat-in-the-age-of-coronavirus/

How to Hold a Jewish Retreat in the Age of Coronavirus - eJewish Philanthropy By Andrea Hoffman Several months ago, the Advancing Jewish Retreating report confirmed what many of us already knew – retreats can add value to our organizations in ways that traditional professional development seminars and courses cannot. Research has shown that establishing meaningful connectio...

As researchers, how can we ensure that the data we produce is of the highest value for navigating a post-COVID world? Director Leonard Saxe and Associate Director Janet Krasner Aronson offer some suggestions. https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/understanding-the-present-to-plan-the-jewish-future/

Understanding the Present to Plan the Jewish Future - eJewish Philanthropy By Leonard Saxe and Janet Krasner Aronson As we watch the carnage wrought by COVID-19, mourn losses, and witness lives and livelihoods disrupted, it may seem difficult to take stock and look forward. Those with leadership responsibility for the Jewish community face challenging decisions ahead, and....

“There’s a whole list of instructions being given” to engage in social interaction right now, said Sales, who recently retired as associate director of Brandeis University’s Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies. “Does any of that translate to the freewheeling setting of the camps, one that’s supposed to be a safe space emotionally and in all kinds of ways? Can it be done without losing the spirit?”

From cabins to bungalows: Some Jewish overnight camps may become socially distanced family retreats this summer - Jewish Telegraphic Agency Plan B for some camps forced to cancel is akin to the Catskills experience of generations ago.

"Our research report, Advancing Jewish Retreating, was published in January 2020 and intended to spark conversation on Jewish retreats and their promise for the future. Our plan was to hold conversations at conferences, in eJewish Philanthropy, and on webinars. In March, it all came to an abrupt halt." ~ Amy L. Sales and Nicole Samuel. https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/jewish-retreating-in-the-age-of-covid-19-paradox-or-possibility

Jewish Retreating in the Age of COVID-19: Paradox or Possibility? - eJewish Philanthropy By Amy L. Sales and Nicole Samuel Our research report, Advancing Jewish Retreating, was published in January 2020 and intended to spark conversation on Jewish retreats and their promise for the future. Our plan was to hold conversations at conferences, in eJewish Philanthropy, and on webinars. In Ma...

The Atlanta Jewish Times profiles our new study, "All in her Day's Work: Women from Atlanta's Jewish Households in the Workplace." Find the report here: https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/noteworthy/atlanta.html

Study: Jewish Women, Girls Under Pressure Parallels between the anxiety of teens and adult women discovered.

Facts About Coronavirus/COVID-19 for the Brandeis Community Since the coronavirus emerged in January, the university has been tracking developments, making recommendations about travel, and reminding our community that we must be supportive of each other at a time when many are becoming alarmed.

From 1994-2008, Hillel International’s Steinhardt Jewish Campus Service Corps Fellowship brought hundreds of recent graduates to college campuses to engage uninvolved or under-involved students in Jewish life. The fellowship introduced student engagement methods that have become standard practice in Hillel today. Our new report is the first systematic study of JCSC alumni and the Fellowship’s long-term impact. https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/noteworthy/jcsc.html

"Advancing Jewish Retreating, a robust study undertaken by Amy L. Sales and Nicole Samuel of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, has just been released. We believe this research will replicate the transformational impact of Sales and Saxe’s Limud By The Lake (2002)." https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/jewish-retreating-finally-comes-of-age/

Jewish Retreating Finally Comes of Age - eJewish Philanthropy By Josh Fidler and David Phillips Over the past decade or more, new models of Jewish learning have been formally studied, achieved recognition and, as a result, have been elevated in both importance and attention. Israel experiences, summer overnight camps and outdoor, environmental and experiential...

JUST RELEASED: Advancing Jewish Retreating by Amy L. Sales and Nicole Samuel. Tens of thousands of individuals attend a Jewish-sponsored retreat each year. And yet, despite the great potential and current reach of Jewish retreats, there is little systematic data on the topic. Advancing Jewish Retreating fills that gap. Read the report: https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/noteworthy/retreating.html

“Moment’s 2020 Jewish Political Voices Project is taking a deep dive into the political views of the American Jewish community and bringing you along for the ride.”

Featuring Jewish population data from the American Jewish Population Project ajpp.brandeis.edu

https://momentmag.com/jpvp/

Jewish Political Voices Project | Moment Magazine - The Next 5,000 Years of Conversation Begin Here Welcome to Moment’s 2020 Jewish Political Voices Project. Between now and the presidential election, we will be taking a deep dive into the political views of the American Jewish community and bringing you along.

“These young Jews are broadening what it means to be involved Jewishly and doing it in new ways.” CMJS Director Leonard Saxe quoted in The Jewish Voice.

Millennials Search for Meaning & Authenticity When it Comes to Judaism – Part 1 - The Jewish Voice In an era of declining religious observance, studies show that this particular generation is interested in traditions, heritage, one-on-one gatherings and social justice—just not the old-fashioned institutions of their parents or grandparents By: Deborah Fineblum When Rebekah Paster moved to New Y...

CMJS Director Leonard Saxe looks at Birthright’s impact 20 years since its founding.
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/birthrights-measurable-impact-more-american-jews/
See our full list of research publications on Birthright: https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/researchprojects/birthright/publications.html

Birthright’s measurable impact: More American Jews Two decades after it launched, it’s clear the free trip to Israel helped bring about a 25% rise in the US Jewish population

We are pleased to release the 2019 Cincinnati Jewish Community Study. In addition to providing population estimates, the study describes the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors of the Cincinnati Jewish community. The study considers the findings in light of national trends and, where possible, historical data.

2019 Cincinnati Jewish Community Study | Brandeis University Janet Krasner Aronson, Eliana Chapman, Matthew A. Brookner, Harry Aaronson, Matthew Feinberg, Matthew Boxer, and Leonard Saxe

Did you know that the top US metropolitan areas of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago are home to about 293,000 Jewish adults ages 22 to 32, or about 30% of all Jewish adults ages 22 to 32 in the United States? Learn more about the US young adult population in the research brief cited below and at ajpp.brandeis.edu.

A Look Into Jewish Young Adults in the US - New Demographic Research from Brandeis and Moishe House - eJewish Philanthropy Moishe House, along with the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, have released a research brief, “Jewish Population Estimates: Jewish Young Adults Ages 22 to 32.’ Key findings include: Jewish young adults ages 22 to 32 comprise just over 16% – or ...

Want to learn more about the Jewish community of Greater Denver? The reports and the public dataset from the study are available on our website. https://www.brandeis.edu/ssri/communitystudies/denverreport.html

Greater Denver Jewish community study released - IJN | Intermountain Jewish News The Greater Denver Jewish Community Study: A portrait of Jewish life in the seven-county region was unveiled this week to nearly 200 Denver area Jewish community professionals and lay leaders at an event Dec. 10 hosted by Rose Community Foundation.

On the occasion of Birthright Israel's 20th anniversary, JNS interviews CMJS Director Leonard Saxe to find out what have we learned about the program's impact on Jewish identity and connection to Israel.

Examining Jewish identity and Israel engagement on Birthright’s 20th anniversary - JNS.org Working with experts to create programming that is emotionally, physically and intellectually engaging, the program is continuously navigating how to achieve its objectives with a diverse and ever-changing population of Jewish adults.