Three years after the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, Jewish Americans are still showing up and connecting more to Jewish life. The data suggest this is no longer a temporary reaction to a single moment, but the new shape of Jewish life in America today.  

 

Jewish Federations of North America's third survey of Jewish life since October 7, conducted May-June 2026 among 2,836 Jewish Americans, found that after a dip last year, the “Surge” in Jewish engagement grew or sustained over the past year, climbing seven points to 38%. 

 

"Many people expected the increased interest in Jewish life to fade as time went on, but our data shows the Surge sustaining and even building momentum since last year," said Mimi Kravetz, Chief Impact and Growth Officer at Jewish Federations of North America. "Jewish Americans are actively creating and seeking Jewish life in many different ways, and Jewish institutions, including Federations, are continuing to respond to this need." 
 

What makes it stick 
 

There are two factors clearly at play in the Surge: Israel and antisemitism. 

 

People in the Surge are more likely than those who never Surged to feel emotionally attached to Israel, and to say Israel makes them proud to be Jewish. 

 

“Surgers” are also more likely to say there is "a lot" of antisemitism in the US today and more likely to report being targeted online. Concern about antisemitism is high across the board (65% say there is "a lot" today, up from 45% in 2020), but it runs hotter among those who keep showing up. 

 

For the first time, this year's survey also asked open-ended questions to understand Surge experiences directly, drawing on more than 700 responses.  

 

The clearest findings mirror what we know about building Jewish community in general: informal, social settings, like a Shabbat dinner with friends, were the single most-cited factors people said made them more engaged (named by 241 of 709 respondents). Showing up repeatedly was the next most common (184), because the more people showed up, the more comfortable they felt over time. Peer connection mattered just as much and cut both ways: 117 respondents said a welcoming individual made the difference, while 45 said the absence of one sent them away. 

 

The data also surface factors currently deterring people from staying more engaged. Political tension, around Israel and antisemitism alike, was the single largest barrier respondents named (140 mentions, more than three times the next biggest barrier). And, importantly, they name it from all different sides and perspectives, not just one. People described feeling too critical of Israel for their community, or too supportive of it; others said they were simply tired of the debate taking up space. But most didn't leave Jewish life. They moved within it, finding a different congregation or community that fit. 

 

The Surge lands differently depending on where people started 
 

While nearly all people in the Surge did more socially, the additional ways people connected depended largely on their prior communal engagement. For Jewish Americans who were already connected before October 7, the Surge has meant showing up more at their existing institutions and often taking on more, including through advocacy. Those who were previously less engaged have Surged differently, largely through education, often on their own, through podcasts, news, and other independent sources, as they feel more connected to Israel and to being Jewish than before. 

 

The opportunity ahead 

The data point to real opportunity. Many Jewish Americans who were less engaged before October 7 are still seeking a Jewish community that fits, even if they haven't found one yet. That's a sizable, motivated population Jewish communities can still reach, and this year's findings on what works and what gets in the way offer some insights on reaching them. 

 

Awareness and confidence in community safety also grew in the last year, which may reflect the hard work the Jewish community has done. Fifty-eight percent of Jewish Americans now say they know where to turn if targeted by antisemitism, up from 46% in 2025. Awareness of specific security programs protecting Jewish institutions rose from 39% to 57%, and 60% believe Jewish organizations are effectively providing safety and security for their community, up from 47%. 

 

"The Surge continues because, even amid deep concern about antisemitism and security, that concern is not keeping people away," Kravetz said. "People are still showing up, still learning, and still finding their way into Jewish community. There's a real opportunity to reach even more of them, and we now have lessons from individuals and institutions doing this work on how to sustain this new normal." 

 

The survey was conducted May-June 2026 via text message recruitment among 2,836 Jewish Americans, weighted to be representative of the Jewish community. Topline data is available here. A slide deck summarizing the data is available here. 
 

Methodology: Burson conducted a total of N=2,836 interviews among the Jewish U.S. population from May 4th to May 27th, 2026. It was a 40-minute SMS-to-web survey for the Jewish U.S. population. The margin of error was ± 1.84% for Jewish U.S. adults. Data were weighted to ensure that the Jewish sample was representative. Note: Answer choices may not add up to 100% due to rounding. Full methodology available upon request.