Some young US Jews pulling back from Jewish life due to Israel discourse — study

A new survey by Sense Worldwide, commissioned by the Jim Joseph Foundation, finds that 39% of Jewish young adults have pulled back from Jewish spaces due to recent events, with disagreements over Israel/Palestine discourse a leading reason. Among those, 42% cite lack of nuance, 40% avoid biased messaging, and 48% find conversations hostile. Yet 75% still regularly engage in Jewish activities, mostly informally. The survey polled 2,071 Jewish adults aged 22-40 from December 2025 through April 2026, with a margin of error of +/- 3.4%.

A new survey conducted by Sense Worldwide and commissioned by the Jim Joseph Foundation reveals that nearly four in ten Jewish young adults in the United States have pulled back from Jewish spaces or become more selective about their participation due to recent events affecting American Jews. Disagreements over how Israel and the Palestinians are discussed are a leading reason. Among the 39% who have engaged less, 42% said their views don't align with how Israel/Palestine is discussed and they don't feel there's room for nuance, 40% said they wanted to avoid biased, one-sided messaging, and 48% said conversations often feel hostile, toxic, or unproductive. The survey also found that 75% of Jewish young adults regularly do something Jewish, but most connections are informal, outside synagogues and traditional institutions. Only 30% regularly participate formally. The study surveyed 2,071 Jewish adults aged 22 to 40 from December 2025 through April 2026, with a margin of error of +/- 3.4%. The Jim Joseph Foundation, which commissioned the survey, is a funder of 70 Faces Media, JTA's parent company.