(973) 929-3198 Donate Now About Us > The Jewish Community Study of Greater MetroWest NJ The Jewish Community Study of Greater MetroWest NJ Learn more about the Greater MetroWest population our Jewish Federation serves Register for Informational Meetings Why Now? A Message from our Executive VP and CEO, Dov Ben-Shimon How large is our community? Where does our population live? How do we engage in Jewish life and connect with the Jewish community? What are the needs of our community members, from the youngest to the oldest? How many of us live in poverty or have unmet financial needs? How do we connect to Israel? Who We Are and Where We Live As our Federation approaches its centennial year in 2023, we realized that we needed answers to these and other questions to gain a clear picture of the strong and vibrant Greater MetroWest Jewish community that continues to evolve. So, we partnered with the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (Cohen Center) at Brandeis University to conduct a comprehensive community-wide study and get a clearer picture of our Greater MetroWest Jewish community (Click on the map for a breakdown of our community geography). We now begin the process of assisting the community in realizing the benefits that the study is intended to achieve. We look forward to the wide range of discussions, insights, and initiatives that will emerge from our collective review of the information and help guide us into the next decade. Join an informational session for a deep dive into the community study. Register for an Informational Session Approximately, 29,700 children live in Jewish households 72% of GMW Jewish households have lived in the area for 20 years or more 56,800 Jewish households in GMW Study Overview Start here! This report serves as an introduction to all of the topic reports. It provides key findings, terminology, and a summary of the methodology used in the study. View Report Key Findings This report summarizes the key findings of the study. View Report Children and Jewish Education Key Finding: Approximately 29,700 children live in Jewish households in GMW. An estimated 25,400 (86%) of these children are considered Jewish by their parents. View Report Senior Adults and Health Key Finding: There are 28,200 Jewish adults ages 65+ living in Greater MetroWest. Thirty-eight percent of Jewish senior adults are under age 70, and 21% are ages 80 or older. View Report Philanthropy and Volunteering Key Finding: About two thirds of GMW households donated to Jewish organizations in the past year. About one-in-five Jewish households (19%) donated only to non-Jewish causes, and 13% made no charitable donations. View Report Israel Experiences and Connections Key Finding: About one-in-three (34%) Jewish adults feel very connected to Israel. Most Jewish adults feel some level of connection to Israel; only 11% of Jewish adults feel no connection to Israel. View Report Geography and Residence Key Finding: The largest share of Jewish households are located in Essex County (38%), followed by East Morris (25%), Western GMW (19%), and Union County (18%). View Report Financial Well-Being Key Finding: The largest share of GMW Jewish households described their standard of living as “have enough money” (41%). View Report Jewish Engagement Key Finding: Three quarters of Jewish adults in Greater MetroWest feel that being Jewish is very much a matter of culture, with smaller shares feeling that being Jewish is a matter of ethnicity, community, and religion. View Report Community Connections Key Finding: Just over two thirds (68%) of Jewish adults feel some level of connection to a local Jewish community, and 17% feel strongly connected. View Report Technical Appendix Description of the methodology as well as the Study Instrument and Codebook. View Report See Zip Codes and Geographic Regions View a listing of all the zip codes included in the study and the geographic map. View Zip Codes and Map Connect to Something Greater. Support your community today. MAKE A GIFT Get Our Newsletter We care. We build. We save. Welcome Newcomers Families & Kids Teens 25-45ish Year Olds Professionals Boomers & Seniors Support Advocacy Philanthropy Volunteering Networking Develop Leaders Israel & Overseas Provide Social Services Senior Services Disability Services Career Assistance Chaplain Support Security & Safety Enrich Jewish Life Jewish Education News Calendar Find a Synagogue Holocaust Council Give Donate Make a Tribute Jewish Community Foundation Corporate Partnership Financial Information Contact Us Call our JHelp Hotline to get connected (973) 929-3140|Join Our Team Copyright © 2021 Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ. All Rights Reserved.