Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) this month released the 2025 Greater Boston Jewish Community Study, one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys our community has conducted, revealing a connected, supportive community with strong ties to Jewish culture and practices.
“At a time when there are so many things that divide us, there continues to be so much that unites our vibrant, multidimensional Jewish community,” said Rabbi Marc Baker, CEO and president of CJP.
Among the key findings, 80% of Greater-Boston-area Jews made charitable donations in the past year, underscoring strong values of tzedakah (charity) and responsibility for one another and the broader world.
“For me, the Jewish community is kind of like a family,” said one focus group participant. “And we can all kind of relate to each other, especially nowadays, with what we’re going through. And having that sense of people around you that you can relate to, you feel comfortable and safe.”
In addition to rigorous data collection, CJP conducted follow-up conversations with dozens of participants to provide context and meaning to the findings. While community studies have been conducted by CJP every 10 years since 1965, this year marks a turning point in how — and how often — CJP will collect data.
“To best serve our community, we need to really see and know our community,” said Shani Wilkes, CJP’s associate vice president of research and evaluation. “This study is no longer a once-in-a-decade event; rather, it is a critical milestone in an ongoing process of research, listening, and learning.”
The study can be best understood through five key storylines:
The Greater Boston Jewish community is dynamic, evolving, and multidimensional with shared interests and commitments that unite us. More than one-third of Jewish adults do not identify with any denomination or define themselves as “cultural Jews,” and in Jewish households with children, 65% identify as interfaith. Nearly one in five households regularly speak languages other than English, and one in four households have at least one person with a disability.
Jewish life is thriving, even as significant barriers limit participation for some. Two-thirds of Jewish adults have attended events hosted by Jewish organizations in the past 12 months, and most (86%) observe or celebrate Jewish holidays throughout the year. Seventy-nine percent said being Jewish was “very” or “somewhat” important to them. The study also found that one in three said they were not aware “at all” of Jewish events, activities, or programs in Greater Boston.
Significant numbers of community members report concerns about safety, security, and well-being. More than one in three people are changing their daily routines due to fears of antisemitism. A third of Jewish households reported experiencing economic adversity, and 14% of Jewish adults experience frequent loneliness, depression, or anxiety.
The community is deeply committed to Israel, though the nature of that commitment varies widely. Eighty percent feel Israel ought to be the nation-state of the Jewish people, and nearly 70% said having a connection to Israel is an important part of being Jewish.
Significant generational differences exist around Israel, antisemitism, well-being, and expressions of Jewish identity. Thirty-eight percent of adults aged 18–29 identified as anti-Zionist, compared to 11% of those 45 and older.
“This suggests that younger generations are experiencing and making sense of this world in very different ways,” Baker said. “How our community engages with this data can either divide us further or strengthen the social fabric of our community.”
“What comes next is more important,” he added. “It is our time to build a community that reflects our highest values and aspirations, that is connected to Israel and the Jewish people, and that remains resilient, strong, and joyfully Jewish for decades, and generations to come.”
Read the Key Findings and visit the 2025 Greater Boston Jewish Community Study website.