A year and half after the October 7th attacks, the "Surge" in Jewish engagement among historically marginalized and underserved Jews is receding faster than the broader community, indicating that additional efforts are needed to engage them, according to new Jewish Federations of North America data presented at the first-ever Jewish Belonging Summit, an event done in partnership with SRE Network.
 

“Growing up, the Jewish community that I found so welcoming was often inaccessible to my brother who is Deaf, and that’s the same kind of problem I fear we are seeing in the data today. It’s concerning that many marginalized groups—who surged even more than others last year—are losing interest faster and reporting less positive experiences," said Mimi Kravetz, Jewish Federations Chief Impact & Growth Officer. "But we still have time to get it right by doubling down on accessibility, welcoming, and inclusion so everyone can fully participate.”

The latest data on the Surge found that 31% of the Jewish community is more engaged than before the attacks of October 7th, 2023. While that figure is over double the estimated level from before the attacks, it is down from 43% the previous year, indicating that the window to engage these members of the community is closing.
  

Whereas the Surge in general dropped 12 points overall, the Surge among LGBTQ+ Jews dropped 28 points, from 49% to 21%; the Surge among non-”White Ashkenazi” Jews dropped 27 points, from 57% to 30%; and the Surge among financially vulnerable Jews dropped 17 points, from 49% to 32%; and the Surge among Jewish households with a person with a Disability dropped 16 points, from 46% to 30%. [Note: 28% of People with Disabilities are surging this year. We did not have ample data to analyze this group in the 2024 survey].

While individuals across these groups were just as likely to offer a positive adjective when asked to give three words about their new experiences in Jewish engagement over the past year, they were also more likely than the general population to select negative words. Financially vulnerable Jews were more likely to use words such as “alienated,” “excluded,” or “turned off” to describe their experiences. People with a Disability, including those who were neurodivergent or who have mental health challenges, were more likely to say that they felt anxious and unsure when showing up in Jewish spaces.

“Creating a culture of belonging for all Jews and their loved ones is one of the most important things our community can do right now to meet this moment,” said Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, who founded Jewish Federations of North America’s Center for Jewish Belonging. “Behind each of these data points is a member of our community who wants to belong, and we must ensure that our processes and procedures work to uplift those who have been historically underrepresented.”

See the full presentation here, and learn more about the most recent Surge data here.