Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States: Identities, Experiences, and Communities

August 25th, 2025

JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa, released the first-ever national demographic study of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States, conducted at NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service under the direction of Dr. Mijal Bitton. As part of the research, scholars at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University conducted a review of existing quantitative data from national and community studies on Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the U.S. Researchers also closely examined four distinct communities—the Syrian community in Brooklyn, NY, the Persian community in Los Angeles, the Bukharian community in Queens, NY, and the Latin Sephardic community of South Florida. Key findings from Sephardic & Mizrahi Jews in the United States: Identities, Experiences, and Communities:

An estimated 10% of Jewish Americans identify as Sephardic or Mizrahi.
27% of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews are considered economically vulnerable, compared to 18% of Ashkenazi Jews.
Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews tend to be younger, with a median age of 48, compared to 56 for Ashkenazi Jews.
88% of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews report that being Jewish is somewhat or very much a part of their daily life, and 69% donate to Jewish organizations.
Sephardic identity primarily originates in ancestry and religion.
31% of Mizrahi Jewish Americans hold Israeli citizenship, compared to 5% of Ashkenazi Jews.

“The research is more than just insights and data; there’s a roadmap here that we hope will be a catalyst for change,” said Sarah Levin, Executive Director of JIMENA. “Jewish communal leaders and educators can include Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews—and our history, traditions, and current customs—in meaningful, equal ways that reflect the diversity of the Jewish people.”

Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States: Identities, Experiences, and Communities, Dr. Mijal Bitton, August 2025