Milwaukee Jewish Community Study
The Milwaukee Jewish Community Study aims to deepen our understanding of who makes up our Jewish community.
AS ONE
Building A Vibrant Jewish Future
Milwaukee Jewish Federation is launched a demographic study of the Milwaukee Jewish community in 2025. The study will provide us with the tools that enable organizations and donors to effectively meet the needs and continue building a vibrant Jewish future. This is one of the most significant undertakings for MJF. Agencies, synagogues, other community organizations, our donors, and our staff need demographic information to help make funding, staffing, and programmatic decisions. The study’s results will inform the next decade of MJF’s and the community’s priorities. Through the study, we will learn more about our community, from the number of children who could attend Jewish schools in the future, to local trends in older adults needs, and everything in between.
MJF has partnered with Brandeis University’s Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and NORC at the University of Chicago to conduct the study. This team has experience conducting over 30 Jewish community studies throughout the country.
We anticipate collecting data from December to March and releasing the study findings in the summer of 2026.
AS ONE
Strengthening the jewish community
The 2024–2025 Milwaukee Jewish Community Study aims to deepen our understanding of who makes up our Jewish community. Where people live, how they identify, and what they need to feel supported, connected, and included.
- Support planning throughout the Milwaukee Jewish Community
- Engaging in and relating to Judaism and the Milwaukee Jewish community
- Identify unmet social service and Jewish engagement needs in the Milwaukee Jewish community
- Learn about our community’s philanthropic behaviors
- Compare data to past local community studies and relevant national studies
Research Study on Jewish Families of Color in Milwaukee
We invited the community to participate in an important research study exploring the lived experiences of Jewish individuals and households. This includes people who identify as nonwhite, mixed-race, or as Jews of Color in the Greater Milwaukee Area. This project is commissioned by the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and is being conducted by, and in partnership with the Tiyuv research team. This study compliments the Milwaukee Jewish Community Study conducted by Brandeis University that was initiated in fall 2024.
We define “JOC Families” as households where at least one member is Jewish and at least one member identifies as nonwhite, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or other People of Color), or as a Jew of Color, recognizing that “JOC” is an imperfect term for a multilayered identity.
We know there may be other ways to have a “JOC Family” and we look forward to learning about them from you!
Our goal is to better understand the identities, community connections, and experiences of these households. We hope to amplify your stories to help Jewish organizations in Milwaukee become more inclusive, equitable, and supportive of our diverse community.
The survey is now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their voice.
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We Shape the Future for the Next Generation
Caring for the needs of the Jewish people and building a vibrant Jewish future in Milwaukee, Israel, and around the world.