Washtenaw County Area Jewish Community Study:
Data-Driven Collaboration
The Results Are In
On this page, you can explore the results of the 2022-23 Washtenaw County Area Jewish Community Study.
There are links to: a Highlights document, the full 160-page report, a methodology overview, technical appendices, and an executive summary.
What’s Next
While the study itself is complete, the community’s work to translate data into action is just beginning. This report is the starting point for introspection, deeper conversation, and collaborative strategic planning.
A Community Visioning and Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by volunteers Robin Pollak and Megan Bernard, has begun to meet to develop a new community vision and strategic plan. This plan will be generated over the course of many months, using the valid data of the study as a foundation to identify a set of communal values and goals, and a strategic plan to enhance local Jewish life.
The planning process will be conducted in partnership with volunteer leaders, community organizations, program providers, and the community writ large to explore the data, identify new questions, and continue to learn about communal needs and desires.
Want to be part of shaping the next steps for our community? Contact Eileen Freed at eileenfreed@jewishannarbor.org.
Highlights
An easy-to-read overview of the most important findings.
Full Report
160 pages of results
Methodological Overview
In-depth information on how the study was conducted
Technical Appendices
Includes: Methodology, Analysis, Study Instrument, Codebook, and Recruitment Material
Executive Summary
A list of key findings from each chapter of the full report
Addendum
An additional memo exploring the “temporary” populations in Washtenaw County
Public use data set
The full public use data set can be accessed on the Brandeis website here. Available for download in both SAV and DTA file formats.
Comparison charts
The Comparison Charts are an Excel file that provides details on responses to survey questions for subgroups in the Jewish community. Learn more in an overview here and download the Excel file here.
About the Community Study
The Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, in partnership with local Jewish communal organizations and congregations, commissioned the 2022-23 Washtenaw County Area Jewish Community Study to provide a current portrait of the local Jewish community and to give needed insight to build the most welcoming, innovative, and vibrant Jewish community possible.
This study serves a number of important functions. The data it yields will provide a dynamic understanding of who comprises our Jewish community, how they identify, where they are located, and how many Jewish families and individuals call Washtenaw County home. Most importantly, the study will help us learn about the gaps in Jewish communal programming and services and barriers to affiliation and participation in our Jewish institutions.
The results of the study were presented publicly at a community Town Hall on April 15, 2024. At the Town Hall, attendees heard a presentation of the study’s key findings and discussed questions, opportunities and challenges raised by the data. In addition to the community-wide conversation, small-group meetings with community leaders were conducted, allowing for deeper exploration of topics like social services, congregational life, community engagement and youth/teen education and engagement.
It is important to note that data for this study were collected from November 2022 to January 2023, well before the October 7, 2023 attacks and ensuing war in Israel and Gaza. It is possible that some results might have differed if they had been collected after October 7, especially in the areas of antisemitism and Israel.
The Players
A diverse group of over 60 volunteer and professional leaders served on the Community Study Planning, Implementation, and Next Steps Committees, chaired by volunteers Barry Nemon and co-chaired by Randy Milgrom.
The research team was a collaboration of two preeminent research institutions: Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University and NORC at the University of Chicago. This team, led by Dr. Janet Aronson and Professor Leonard Saxe at Brandeis University, and Dr. David Dutwin and Evan Herring-Nathan at NORC, combined CMJS’s extensive experience conducting dozens of Jewish community studies over the last two decades with NORC’s expertise using the most advanced research methodologies.
This study was made possible by the foresight and strategic vision of Directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, which recognized the importance of convening this project, and by the community partner organizations who understood how crucial this data and analysis would be, and will be, to the future of our community. Generous financial support was received from Beth Israel Congregation, JCC of Greater Ann Arbor, Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Ann Arbor, Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County, Jewish Federations of North America, and Temple Beth Emeth. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation provided a significant grant to understand the racial and ethnic diversity of our community and to collect data about financial insecurity.
Additionally, the following communal organizations provided valuable input and encouragement throughout this process: Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan, Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation, Chabad House of Ann Arbor, Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, Jewish Communal Leadership Program at UM, Jewish Cultural Society, and Pardes Hannah.
Finally, this study would not have been possible without the participation of the over 900 households who responded to the survey to provide data on a diverse and thriving Jewish community in Washtenaw County.
If you have questions, please contact Eileen Freed at eileenfreed@jewishannarbor.org.
The Community Study is made possible with financial support from:
