The Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) has published its Voice of the Jewish People survey for July 2024.
The survey reveals significant trends among US Jews regarding confidence in Israel's victory, optimism about the country's future, donations to Jewish institutions, and personal security feeling.
According to the survey findings, US Jews show higher confidence in Israel's ability to win the war compared to Jews in Israel itself. 55% of US Jews rated their confidence in Israel's victory at high levels (4 or 5 on a scale of 1 to 5), compared to 41% of Jews in Israel. Only 19% of US Jews expressed low confidence in victory (rating 1 or 2), compared to 35% of Jews in Israel.
Likewise, optimism about Israel's future is also higher among US Jews. The survey also examined the level of optimism of the panel participants regarding three Jewish circles: the community in the US, all Jews worldwide, and the State of Israel. The findings indicate that the level of optimism about the future of the State of Israel is higher compared to the level of optimism about the future of the Jewish people and the future of Jews in the US.
A key finding shows that optimism increases as respondents are more conservative and religious. For example, regarding the future of the State of Israel: those leaning towards "conservatives" rated their optimism at 4.27 (on a scale of 1-5), the "very conservatives" at 4.11, compared to 3.22 among those who define themselves as "leaning liberal" and 2.88 among those who define themselves as "very liberal."
Regarding the future of world Jewry, the "very conservatives" rated their optimism at 3.52, compared to 3.01 among the very liberals. Regarding the future of the American Jewish community: the "very conservatives" rated their optimism at 2.86, compared to 2.97 among the "very liberals."
The survey shows that there has been a significant increase in donations by Jews to Jewish organizations. More than half of the respondents (almost two-thirds) reported that they are donating more to Jewish organizations in the US since October 7. This trend reflects increased involvement in supporting Israel and efforts against antisemitism across the political spectrum. For example, 57% of Jews who define themselves as "very liberal," and 74% of those who define themselves as "center" report donating more to American Jewish organizations than they usually would.
In the wake of October 7, there has been a significant increase among US Jews who prefer their children to study in Jewish schools over general public schools. The most significant change occurred among Jews who define themselves as "leaning liberal" or "center" and belong to the conservative stream or do not belong to any religious stream ("no stream"). About one-fifth of these, 19% of the "leaning liberal" and 20% of those who define themselves as "center," have changed their mind and now think it is better for US Jews to study in Jewish schools.
Despite recent events, the personal security feeling of American Jews has not changed significantly compared to previous months. However, a significant percentage still feel threatened - 41% of Reform Jews, 41% of Conservative Jews, and 41% of Orthodox Jews reported feeling less secure due to the war in Israel.
According to Dr. Shuki Friedman, Vice President of the Jewish People Policy Institute, "The survey findings indicate a strengthening of the connection between US Jews and Israel following the war. The high confidence in Israel's victory and optimism about its future, alongside the increase in donations and support for Jewish education, highlight growing solidarity. However, the continuing sense of insecurity points to the need for ongoing attention to the challenges of the Jewish community in the US."