The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies incorporates the latest social science techniques in the study of contemporary Jewish life. The Steinhardt Social Research Institute develops reliable quantitative data about the US Jewish population.
Using cutting-edge social science methods, we collect, analyze, and report accurate and actionable data that informs community planning and helps animate Jewish life.
Our American Jewish Population Project includes a detailed interactive map of the US Jewish population with demographic profiles and political views of Jewish adults for states, metropolitan areas, and counties in the United States.
Our research on Birthright Israel employs rigorous methods to evaluate Birthright's short-term and long-term impact on Jewish young adults.
From studies of Hillel to synagogues and Jewish camp, we document the impact of core programs and initiatives on Jewish community life.
October 31, 2023. The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies is conducting a series of studies to understand how American Jews are reacting to the Israel-Hamas war. This study is lead by Prof. Leonard Saxe, the Director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. We have been contacting individuals by text message and by email. Invitations were sent to individuals who applied or went on Birthright. If you have any questions about this study please call 781-736-3821 or email isrlstudy@brandeis.edu.
April 2025
Jewish Miami: A 2024 Community Study provides a snapshot of today’s Jewish population in Miami and considers trends and developments in Jewish life and engagement. This study is based on an analysis of data collected from 2,686 eligible households between February 5 and June 14, 2024. The study found that there are 69,700 Jewish households in the Miami Jewish community. These households include 170,300 individuals, of whom 130,100 are Jewish. The Jewish population comprises 5% of the total Miami-Dade population, and Jewish households make up 8% of all households in Miami-Dade County. Nearly one quarter of Miami Jewish adults have moved to the area in the past decade, and one third of Jewish adults were born outside of the United States. The share of Miami Jews who are Orthodox is 13%, and nearly half of Miami Jewish children (46%) reside in Orthodox households.
March 2025
The 2024 Greater St. Louis Jewish Community Study creates a portrait of the characteristics, attitudes, and behaviors of the Jewish community in Greater St. Louis. The study is based on an analysis of data collected from 1,771 eligible households between January and April 2024. We found the community is undergoing both reurbanization and exurbanization, with more than one third of households living in the City of St. Louis or outlying areas, farther away from the longstanding suburban center of institutional life.
February 2025
The Jewish Futures Project (JFP) has been following a panel of respondents who applied to go on a Birthright Israel trip between 2001 and 2009. The panel includes Birthright participants, and others who applied to the program but did not go. The findings from the JFP’s seventh wave document the stability of Birthright’s impact on many domains of Jewish life, including participants’ relationship to Israel and their Jewish religious and social engagement. A particular area of exploration is Birthright’s impact on choices participants make about the Jewish education and socialization of their children.