Who We Are and Where We Live
As our Federation approaches its centennial year in 2023, we realized that we needed answers to these and other questions to gain a clear picture of the strong and vibrant Greater MetroWest Jewish community that continues to evolve. So, we partnered with the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (Cohen Center) at Brandeis University to conduct a comprehensive community-wide study and get a clearer picture of our Greater MetroWest Jewish community (Click on the map for a breakdown of our community geography).
We now begin the process of assisting the community in realizing the benefits that the study is intended to achieve. We look forward to the wide range of discussions, insights, and initiatives that will emerge from our collective review of the information and help guide us into the next decade.
To get the ball rolling, we held a series of targeted informational session for a deep dive into the community study.
Approximately, 29,700 children live in Jewish households
72%
of GMW Jewish households have lived in the area for 20 years or more
56,800 Jewish households in GMW
Study Overview
Start here! This report serves as an introduction to all of the topic reports. It provides key findings, terminology, and a summary of the methodology used in the study.
View ReportChildren and Jewish Education
Key Finding: Approximately 29,700 children live in Jewish households in GMW. An estimated 25,400 (86%) of these children are considered Jewish by their parents.
View ReportSenior Adults and Health
Key Finding: There are 28,200 Jewish adults ages 65+ living in Greater MetroWest. Thirty-eight percent of Jewish senior adults are under age 70, and 21% are ages 80 or older.
View ReportPhilanthropy and Volunteering
Key Finding: About two thirds of GMW households donated to Jewish organizations in the past year. About one-in-five Jewish households (19%) donated only to non-Jewish causes, and 13% made no charitable donations.
View ReportIsrael Experiences and Connections
Key Finding: About one-in-three (34%) Jewish adults feel very connected to Israel. Most Jewish adults feel some level of connection to Israel; only 11% of Jewish adults feel no connection to Israel.
View ReportGeography and Residence
Key Finding: The largest share of Jewish households are located in Essex County (38%), followed by East Morris (25%), Western GMW (19%), and Union County (18%).
View ReportFinancial Well-Being
Key Finding: The largest share of GMW Jewish households described their standard of living as “have enough money” (41%).
View ReportJewish Engagement
Key Finding: Three quarters of Jewish adults in Greater MetroWest feel that being Jewish is very much a matter of culture, with smaller shares feeling that being Jewish is a matter of ethnicity, community, and religion.
View ReportCommunity Connections
Key Finding: Just over two thirds (68%) of Jewish adults feel some level of connection to a local Jewish community, and 17% feel strongly connected.
View ReportTechnical Appendix
Description of the methodology as well as the Study Instrument and Codebook.
View ReportSee Zip Codes and Geographic Regions
View a listing of all the zip codes included in the study and the geographic map.
View Zip Codes and Map
