The Bloomed vs.

Groomed: Alternate
Journeys to Minyan Involvement

Steven M. Cohen
Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion

Conference of Independent Minyanim,

Brandeis University

November 10, 2008

Drawn From:
Emergent Jewish Communities and their Participants:
Preliminary Findings from the 2007 National Spiritual
Communities Study
Steven M. Cohen, J. Shawn Landres, Elie Kaunfer, and
Michelle Shain
Earliest Signs of Intensive Jewish
Involvement

None
13%

Day School
39%

College
23%

High School
25%
 Mean Levels of Jewish Educational
Background for Selected Minyanim
Altshul

Darkhei Noam

Minyan Mirkaz

Pico Egal

Hadar

DC Minyan

Wash Sq Minyan

Other

Tikkun Liel Shabbat

Shtibl

Missin Minyan

Kol Zimrah

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
 Jewish Educational Components for
the Four Groups
attended day school

attended some Jewish school

day high school

youth group

Day School
High School
Jewish summer camp
College
Bloomed
regularly participated in Hillel, other J
org

been to Israel

Israel program 4+ months

understand Hebrew sentence

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
 Measures of Jewish Engagement

being Jewish very important

religion very important

Day School
High School
I'm a "super-Jew"
College
Bloomed

most closest friends Jewish

contributed to a UJA-Federation
campaign, 2006

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
 Measures of Jewish Engagement,
Continued

attended a JCC program in last year

regularly read a J newspaper or

magazine

Day School
attended concerts last year, Jewish or High School
Israeli College
Bloomed

volunteer work last year, Jewish

sponsorship

increased v. decreased J involvement

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
 Measures of Israel Engagement

emtional attachment to Isr ael

Day School
car ing about Isr ael is a ver y imp par t of High School
my being a Jew College
Bloomed

planning to visit Isr ael in next 3 year s

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
 Measures Related to In-Marriage

mixed-mar r ied (of those mar r ied)

have had a r omance with a non-Jew

Day School
High School
Jews should mar r y whoever they love
College
Bloomed

would be upset if child mar r ied a non-Jew

dated only Jews, of those who dated in last

year

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
 Minyan Engagement Measures

attend minyan ser vices mor e than monthly

level of activity in the community

made f inancial contr ibutions

holds leader ship positions in community Day School

High School
College
level of mor ale r e: community Bloomed

f eels attached and connected

have been invited f or a Shabbat meal

have invited other s f or a Shabbat meal

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
 Denomination Raised

Orthodox Conservative Reform Reconstructionist Non- Other

denominational Jewish
Bloomed 7 33 33 0 0 26
College 4 45 28 4 6 12
High 2 60 30 1 5 2
School
Day 44 46 3 0 3 4
School
 Denomination Now

Orthodox Conservative Reform Reconstructionist Renewal Non- Other

denominational Jewish
Bloomed 15 33 8 8 3 26 7
College 8 37 2 2 0 35 17
High 9 41 5 2 1 28 14
School
Day 22 33 0 1 0 32 13
School