Research Archives - Jim Joseph Foundation

Ideas that Influence: Understanding and Supporting the Ecosystem of Jewish Thought Leadership

This study, conducted by Mission Bloom and funded by Maimonides Fund and the Jim Joseph Foundation, addresses a critical challenge: the need for strategic development of Jewish thought leadership beyond serendipitous growth. While cultivating these essential voices is valued, systematic approaches to do so have been limited.

Through interviews with 30 established thought leaders, an informal survey of over 250 Jewish communal professionals, and extensive field analysis, this research mapped a subsection of the landscape of contemporary Jewish thought leadership and explored the experiences of thought leaders influencing public discourse and decision-making in mainstream pluralistic organizations and communities. It reveals distinctive qualities of Jewish thought leadership and identifies crucial support systems required for its strengthening.

Key Findings:

Jewish Thought Leadership Is Distinctive
A Diverse Ecosystem of Voices Exists, Supporting Different Methods of Influence
Development Is Non-Linear and Multi-Pathway
A Complex Ecosystem Sustains and Supports Jewish Thought Leadership —
But Faces Challenges

In addition to key findings and recommendations for the field, the report includes four “deep dives” on specific aspects of the research:

The Nature of Jewish Thought Leadership: Explore the fundamental characteristics, roles, and types of influence that define Jewish thought leadership today, drawing distinctions from related concepts.
Personas and Pathways: Understand the distinct approaches Jewish thought leaders employ, examining their developmental journeys, motivations, and strategic pathways for impact.
Mapping the Landscape: Analyze the human infrastructure and contextual environment that supports or constrains Jewish thought leaders, including mentorship, networks, and institutional dynamics.
Framework for Action: Discover actionable insights and strategic points for cultivating the next generation of Jewish thought leaders and fostering a vibrant future for the field.

View the executive summary, report summary and deep dives for Ideas that Influence: Understanding and Supporting the Ecosystem of Jewish Thought Leadership.

From Calling to Career: Mapping the Current State and Future of Rabbinic Leadership

Access the executive summary and full report: “From Calling to Career: Mapping the Current State and Future of Rabbinic Leadership,” Commissioned by: Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation and conducted by Rosov Consulting

Over the past decade, Jewish leaders have sounded an alarm about the state of the rabbinic pipeline in the United States: the system through which rabbis are identified, trained, placed, and retained in roles of Jewish leadership. While it is widely recognized that the number of rabbis entering the field has not kept pace with communal demand, especially in congregational settings, much of the discourse has relied on anecdotes or incomplete data. To move beyond conjecture, Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation commissioned this study, conducted by Rosov Consulting, to provide the first data-driven picture of the contemporary American rabbinate and rabbinic pipeline. Its goal: to clarify what is happening across the rabbinic pipeline in the US and inform coordinated strategies to strengthen the field.

Key Findings: The State of the Current Rabbinate

Deep meaning and widespread burnout coexist – 97% of rabbis report their work as rewarding, while burnout and emotional overload are forcing exits
Congregational roles remain dominant, but are losing appeal (non-congregational roles are growing yet remain underpaid and structurally weaker)
The rabbinic workforce is aging: (of the 4,144 rabbis active, only 6% are under 35, while 26% are over 65; an age profile older than Christian clergy)

Key Findings: The Future of the Rabbinate

Enrollment has declined at large denominational seminaries but appears to be reaching a new equilibrium
Smaller and non-denominational seminaries are growing
Students entering today are demographically distinct (majority second career; more women; more LGBTQ+; more Jews-by-Choice and those raised in multi-heritage households; more Jews of Color)
The calling remains extremely strong, but practical training and career barriers (financial, time, relocation, career viability) are the most powerful deterrents

Key Insights:

Burnout is the silent emergency shaping the present and the future of the rabbinate.
We are not replacing rabbis fast enough to keep pace with aging exit patterns.
The challenge is not inspiration. The challenge is that the path is too costly, too risky, too hard to access.
Institutional architecture is behind where rabbinic leadership is naturally emerging (nondenominational, multisector, diverse identity, innovation-driven spaces).
The barriers are practical, not ideological. They can be addressed.

There is a substantial population of potential future rabbis who would pursue this calling out of love for the Jewish people and a desire to serve, yet are held back by practical concerns. Many of these prospective rabbis are second-career adults with family responsibilities that make current pathways inaccessible. Many of the leaders we most need are the very ones most likely to be shut out. At the same time, many current rabbis face misalignment between workload, institutional support, and long-term sustainability. The work is deeply meaningful, but the emotional demand is profound. These deterrents matter, but they are not immovable. This moment offers a powerful opportunity for the
field to co-create meaningful solutions.

Talent Unlocked: Recruitment Solutions for the Jewish Nonprofit Sector

Access the full report: “Talent Unlocked: Recruitment Solutions for the Jewish Nonprofit Sector,” Leading Edge and PSB Insights, October 2025

Leading Edge and PSB Insights designed this study to learn how the Jewish nonprofit sector could better recruit talent to work in this field. The overarching question guiding this work was, “What’s stopping the sector from recruiting outside talent?”

Key Findings

Compensation is key. When considering a new job, compensation is the top factor for all groups. Mission counts too but salary is still by far the biggest factor.
Jews like Jewish nonprofits — but only when they know them well. Jewish talent isn’t always familiar with Jewish organizations, but when they are, they perceive them positively and are willing to consider working there.
“The Surge” is real — more Jews are interested in working in the sector — but we need to address rising antisemitism to leverage that interest.
Gen Z is here — and they’re different. Gen Z professionals have more varied expectations than other generations, and Gen Z Jews have different relationships to Jewish and pro-Israel organizations.
The biggest barriers for top non-Jewish talent are fit and familiarity. Few non-Jewish workers are familiar with our field and even fewer are likely to consider working in it. But these barriers are surmountable; when people get to know the reality of Jewish organizations, they’re much likelier to consider joining.
Government workers and nonprofit workers are an incredible talent opportunity in this moment. With layoffs affecting the federal workforce and nonprofits, copious skilled and experienced talent is up for grabs.

Access the full report: “Talent Unlocked: Recruitment Solutions for the Jewish Nonprofit Sector,” Leading Edge and PSB Insights, October 2025

The Hope Study: What Jewish Professionals Told Us About Hope in a Time of Crisis

Access the abridged report, the full report, and a webinar of key findings for “The Hope Study: What Jewish Professionals Told Us About Hope in a Time of Crisis,” conducted by M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, October 2025

The Hope Study, conducted by M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, surveyed nearly 950 Jewish communal professionals across North America. Conducted in the summer of 2025, the Hope Study was the largest effort of its kind to understand how Jewish professionals are sustaining—or losing—hope during a time of unprecedented crisis.

The study found that only 24% of Jewish communal professionals often feel hopeful about the future, compared to 82% of the U.S. population, with internal divisions within Jewish communities—not external threats—emerging as the greatest obstacle to sustaining hope. Respondents most often described political disagreements and sensitivities around Israel as the hardest challenges to navigate. Leadership shortcomings were the second most common barrier to hope, while external antisemitism, though deeply affecting personal well-being, was cited less often as undermining professional hope and resilience.

Key insights include:

Internal communal division is the greatest obstacle to sustaining hope. Professionals report that tensions and political disagreement within the community erode their confidence and leave them uncertain about the future, making it harder to feel resilient in their work. Leadership gaps compound this challenge, while external antisemitism was cited less often as a direct threat to hope.
External threats weigh heavily on personal well-being, but less on professional resilience. 65% said the situation in Israel affects their personal well-being, and 59% worry extensively about antisemitism. Yet only 26% reported antisemitism significantly affecting their work performance, underscoring that hope in professional life is challenged more by internal dynamics than external threats.
Belonging and purpose fuel hope. 73% report feeling a strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people often or very often, and 55% said they often feel energized by their work. The most important source of hope, cited by 85%, was the impact of their work on others, followed closely by support from colleagues (73%).
Principled leadership is a key generator of hope. Respondents said they are sustained when leaders provide moral clarity and communicate with conviction, especially in moments of crisis.
Collective supports are valued over individualized ones. 63% requested clear guidance for sensitive conversations, 48% asked for forums to process current events with colleagues, and 44% requested peer support groups. By contrast, 42% prioritized individualized mental health resources. These preferences show that professionals find hope in shared spaces, practical tools, and communal solidarity.

Latin-Jewish Los Angeles: A Secondary Data Analysis of the 2021 Study of Jewish LA

READ THE FULL REPORT

In 2021, the Study of Jewish LA was conducted to provide a broad overview of diverse Jewish life in the Greater Los Angeles region, and reveal valuable preliminary information regarding the specific experiences of distinct Jewish sub-populations; including Latino/a Jews in Los Angeles. The research described in Latin-Jewish Los Angeles: A Secondary Data Analysis of the 2021 Study of Jewish LA seeks to build upon the 2021 study, by conducting an in-depth secondary analysis of the existing data, uncovering patterns and insights that can inform meaningful actions to support and uplift Latino/a Jews within the broader Jewish community. The report’s introduction notes:

Understanding the experiences of Latino/a Jews is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and equitable Jewish communal life. Many Jewish institutions operate within frameworks that primarily reflect white American Jewish cultural norms, inadvertently sidelining Jews from Latin American, Sephardic, and Mizrahi backgrounds. This study illuminates the specific experiences of Latino/a Jews in areas such as racial, ethnic, and cultural identity, household composition, and Jewish engagement. Latino/a Jewish identity is dynamic, shaped by a blend of linguistic, cultural, and historical influences. Bringing these narratives to the forefront, can help reshape communal perceptions of Jewish identity and expand the frameworks through which Jewish belonging is understood and nurtured.

Most importantly, this study is not just about gathering knowledge—it is about taking action. By examining these important facets of Latino/a-Jewish life in greater depth, we are able to provide Jewish organizations, leaders, and advocates with concrete, evidence-informed recommendations to better serve Latino/a Jews in Los Angeles. In the long term, the impact of this work will be measured by how effectively Jewish communal spaces adapt to become more inclusive and representative of all who identify as Jewish. By ensuring that Latino/a Jews feel seen, heard, and valued, we move closer to building a Jewish Los Angeles that truly embraces the richness of its diverse members.

Key Findings:

Community Snapshot: Latino/a Jewish households in LA are diverse, multigenerational, and geographically spread across the city; 40% speak Spanish at home and 30% are foreign-born.
Identity & Values: Judaism is deeply important (74%); core values include family, tradition, ethics, and social justice, with many households raising children Jewish.
Engagement Patterns: About half belong to synagogues or Jewish orgs; engagement is shaped by factors like friendships, intermarriage, converts, and experiences of antisemitism.
Lived Experiences: Focus groups revealed identity complexity, joy in connecting with other Latin Jews, but also challenges of racism, colorism, and access barriers in Jewish spaces.
Recommendations: Increase Latino/a Jewish cultural visibility, expand bias training and leadership opportunities, provide bilingual/affordable education, and adapt programming to interfaith and multigenerational families.

Latin-Jewish Los Angeles: A Secondary Data Analysis of the 2021 Study of Jewish LA, Final report by Jewtina y Co., Lead Investigator Dr. David McCarty-Caplan, March 2025

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

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JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa commissioned 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

BREAKWEEK Impact Summary: Exploring the power of collective rest

R&R: The Rest of our Lives is a future-of-work nonprofit dedicated to fostering thriving work environments. In a new Impact Summary, R&R shares key findings and lessons learned from its BREAKWEEK grant pilot, a synchronous one-week break for organizations to disconnect from work to rest and recharge.

Key Data from the Survey:

99% of participants had a positive or very positive experience
92% reported reduced stress or burnout
91% want BREAKWEEK to return next year
71% said their productivity improved after returning to work

Qualitative stories behind these numbers:

I finally slept. For real. For the first time in months.
I came back with clarity and more creative ideas than I’ve had in a while.
Knowing everyone was off made it easier to truly disconnect — no guilt, no fear of missing out.

Access the full Impact Summary and a recoded presentation on key findings.

Communicating Across Differences: Resetting the Table’s Contributions to Strengthening Leaders and Communities

Read An Impact Evaluation: Communicating Across Differences – Resetting the Table’s Contributions to Strengthening Leaders and Communities, by Research Success Technologies

The training with Resetting the Table has been transformational for me. We were taught practical and impactful skills and given the space and tools to practice them. When we were first told to engage with people across difference, I realized that I had already anticipated the other person’s stance. But once we actually started, it turns out their opinion was as nuanced as mine and we grew not only in our understanding of the issue, but in our relationship to one another. – A Federation Executive

Resetting the Table (RTT) works to equip community leaders with tools and skills to enable “collaborative deliberation” in the face of strong differences on contentious issues. The goal is to transform ideological disagreement and conflict into an engine of strengthened relationships and problem-solving, ultimately to build healthier communities and a more cohesive, resilient society. For that purpose, RTT has developed a toolkit of processes, including communication skillbuilding workshops, facilitated community dialogues, narrative training for media makers, multi-perspective educational resources, 10-month intensive trainings, 4-6 session professional development and learning cohorts, and decision-making forums. RTT programs have directly reached more than 80,000 participants across the United States, including people who hold vastly different political views as well as professional roles, ranging from clergy from various faith traditions to TV writers to leaders of national and regional community organizations.

In 2023-24, Research Success Technologies conducted an in-depth evaluation focused on RTT’s work with leaders working within American Jewish organizations at the time of their participation. Researchers assessed the cumulative impact of RTT’s training programs and provided insights for the organization’s future development.

The Need for Communication Across Differences
Communication across differences, while challenging, is a vital component of communities, organizations, and pluralistic societies, and of Jewish life in particular. As shown in this report, communication across differences encompasses a wide range of contentious issues that, when not addressed, become the source of potentially destructive division. Common issues inspiring charged differences include political divides, such as the red/blue polarization affecting American society, and differing views on the role of Israel in Jewish life. They also involve generational gaps, where younger and older members may have contrasting attitudes toward politics, current events, tradition, and religion. Denominational differences, spanning Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and secular Jewish identities, require sensitive dialogue. Additionally, communication across differences is essential in addressing interfaith relations, racial diversity, and responses to antisemitism. Bridging these divides strengthens communal cohesion and resilience.

The contribution of RTT’s training for communication across differences came into sharp focus during the period in which this research was conducted. The project’s launch meeting occurred the week following October 7th. The fallout which continues, and its impact on alumni of RTT’s programs, have afforded deep insight into the critical need for communication across differences in this time of historic crisis. This research shows RTT alumni navigating the emotional and ideological reactions to post-October 7th fault-lines by promoting open, empathetic dialogue, particularly as individuals and organizations grapple with differing perspectives regarding the Israel-Gaza war itself as well as responses to the way the war has impacted college campuses, organizations, and communities.

In this time, many Jewish leaders fear directly addressing ideological divisions – both within Jewish life and between Jews and the society around them. This report tells the story of how skillsets and mindsets for communication across differences can transform ideological diversity from a potentially destructive force into a resource for building healthy, cohesive, and resilient organizations and communities. The report also grapples with the difficulties of reaching the ideal and maximizing the impact of communication across differences.

An Impact Evaluation: Communicating Across Differences – Resetting the Table’s Contributions to Strengthening Leaders and Communities, Ezra Kopelowitz Ph.D., Hadar Franco Galor Ph.D., Jack Gillis M.A. and Kristine Leduc, Research Success Technologies, February 2025

Impact Through Information Influence

This 2025 project by SubCulture Systems explores the impact of new media—including social media, podcasting, and online videos—on reaching and influencing key stakeholders by asking “How does new media influence stakeholders, particularly through reach and exposure frequency, and what are the resulting impacts on behavior and attitudes?” Key activities included a compilation of research on new media’s reach and effectiveness into a literature review, development of frameworks to assess investments, strategies proposed for real-world testing, and identification of potential New Media advisory group members.

“Impact Through Information Influence,” SubCulture Systems, January 2025

Jewish Educators Returning from Israel: Reconceiving Israel Education in the Midst of Seismic Events

Between February and June 2024, the Jim Joseph Foundation supported a partnership between The Jewish Education Project and The iCenter, aided by M² and the Jewish Agency for Israel, to bring 324 educators on short trips to Israel as part of 13 different groups. These trips were launched with the goal of helping educators and educational leaders connect with Israelis, see for themselves the ways in which Israel has changed since October 7, 2023, and engage in joint reflection on what these changes mean for their work and for their responsibilities as Jewish educators.

Findings
The findings from this study relate to two broad themes: first, those concerned with the contribution of the trip to the participants’ work as Israel educators and the ways in which they have incorporated their learnings in their educational practice. And second, what Israel education looks like today in the settings from which participants come, what the participants seek to accomplish, what has changed over the last 12 months and whether those changes have been informed by their trip experience. The report weaves back and forth between these two foci, considering what has changed in the field and what contribution these trips have made to the changes that educators note.

Impact of the Trip
A major part of the survey explored the extent to which the educators’ trips have shaped both the participants’ own practices and their organizations’ approaches to Israel education. While a majority (57%) reported having “incorporated what I learned into my practice,” 30% were still in a planning phase (“I have some ideas and am getting clear what it would take to actualize them”), and 13% are still in a contemplation phase (“I am thinking about how best to do this, but I don’t have concrete ideas yet”). This constitutes a marked change from the weeks immediately after the program when close to half of the participants were still in a planning phase and only a quarter had implemented their learning. Even so, these reactions still underline the extent to which educational change is a slow-moving process.

Interviews with camp educators suggest that their work was more immediately shaped by the trip than those in most other sectors. These educators returned to North America ahead of the summer camp season, needing to consider what, if anything, they would do differently during the coming months. Educators in other settings did not face such pressing deadlines. They are only now implementing changes in the early part of a new academic year.

Jewish Educators Returning from Israel. Reconceiving Israel Education in the Midst of Seismic Events, Rosov Consulting, November 2024

Responding to the Fallout From October 7th: From Crisis to Opportunity

Since the events of October 7th, 2023, Jewish educators have found themselves at the center of an unprecedented challenge, guiding learners through a landscape shaped by intense emotions and complex questions. The research findings show that Jewish educators are experiencing considerable emotional strain, with many expressing anxiety and despair as they navigate teaching in the post-October 7th environment. Educators also report their learners experiencing similar negative emotions including confusion, anger, and isolation in response to the unfolding events. Many feel unprepared for addressing the crisis within their existing frameworks, revealing gaps in training and resources to navigate these challenging topics.

This moment, while difficult, offers a unique opportunity for rethinking how Jewish education responds to crisis and challenge whether involving Israel, or other areas of life that involve emotional challenge and/or the need to address diversity of opinion and behavior. In such moments, individuals must respond to the world around them, and Jewish educators should see themselves as a resource and guide for doing so. Our focus here is the post-October 7th crisis, and the way Jewish educators are responding.

The power of the events playing out is such that educators realize they need to respond. Events include the war in Israel, the ideological prism through which the war is covered in the media and accompanying public discourse amplified by the 2024 Presidential election, the increased diplomatic isolation of Israel, and the sharp rise of antisemitism. The post-October 7th events are existential in nature, causing many Jews to assess their relationship to the Jewish People, to the society around them and to Israel.

As with any crisis or challenge there are diverse Jewish reactions as to how to understand and respond. Drawing on the survey data we show there are currently three approaches among Jewish educators to Israel.

Solidarity: A focus on nurturing a love for Israel, meaning positive emotional bonds.
Criticism: A mirror image of the solidarity approach with the emphasis on enabling criticism of Israel as
legitimate Jewish expression.
Complexity: A third approach, which works to strike a balance arguing that to educate a love of Israel, requires learners not only to form positive emotional bonds but also to formulate their opinion and ability to discuss with others Israel in all its social and political complexity.

The tendency of most educators is to embrace one of the solidarity, complexity or criticism approaches, which we argue is not productive for forging a constructive response to the post October 7th crisis, or any other emotional crisis or challenge. Either solidarity or criticism when taken alone cannot enable education to strengthen emotional bonds between Jews who hold different opinions in the face of crisis. Alternatively, complexity cannot stand as a goal unto itself, as the creation of positive bonds between Jews and Israel is a core goal of Jewish education.

Currently the dominant approach to Israel in Jewish education only emphasizes “solidarity,” educating for love of Israel. The result is that many Jewish educators are unprepared for responding to intensely negative events that require consideration of a complex social, moral and political reality and divisive Jewish communal environment. Many Jewish educators are expressing feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, unsure of how to tackle the negative intensity of their personal emotions and those of their learners.

We call for an integrative approach that emphasizes forging positive emotional bonds between Jews while recognizing the need to enable learners to grapple with both complexity and criticism. Our call is for educators to lead the integration of Israel into Jewish life as a positive force for Jewish belonging and identification. In a moment of crisis, can Jewish educators bring learning and engagement with Israel to serve as a source of constructive bonding between Jews, rather than a catalyst for division?

For this purpose, we draw on the research data to advocate for an integrative model of Jewish education in which Israel in integrated into all areas of the discipline. In so doing educators facilitate (1) Jewish bonding and (2) complex thinking. Educators nurture their learners’ consciousness of belonging to the Jewish People and enable each to develop a robust self-understanding of their desired Jewish life in relationship to other Jews, Israel and the society in which they live.

The Fallout from October 7th: From Crisis to Opportunity, Ezra Kopelowitz Ph.D., Shlomi Ravid Ph.D., Iris Posklinsky Ph.D.,
Jonathan Golden Ph.D. and Jake Gillis M.A., The Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education & Research Success Technologies, November 2024

View a presentation on the report’s key findings. View A Call for Action: Jewish Education on Israel – Post-October 7th.

Reimagining Hebrew School: Research Summary

This research by Sense Worldwide in late 2024 was phase one of a larger emergent strategy project designed to address how we might reinvent or supercharge the supplemental, elementary age Jewish learning experience so that it deeply resonates with and is widely adopted by “the 70%.” The 70% are defined as those North American, non-orthodox, self-identifying Jewish and Jewish+ families who currently choose not to affiliate with traditional Jewish institutions or enroll in traditional supplemental Jewish education. (Note: because this research phase is part of a larger project, the Strategic Hypothesis represents recommendations for applying the findings).

The comprehensive research phase involved several components: a literature review; Global Mind Expansion Sprint; interviews with seven category, cross-category and cultural experts and change-makers; identification of the foundational building blocks for meaningful childhood experiences, modern values and parenting principles; and ethnographic deep dives with 18 unaffiliated families.

The research revealed a diverse set of needs and pain points for the 70% which are distributed over the life cycle of a family unit.

“Reinventing Hebrew School: Research Summary,” Sense Worldwide, December 2024