SURVEY & DATA COLLECTION
My survey was shared via Facebook and had a total of 52 respondents. Their answers to my questions are as follows:
1. Which denomination of Judaism do you identify with?
Orthodox: 12
Conservative: 7
Reform: 26
Non-Denominational: 5
Other: 2
2. Religion is an important part of my life.
Yes: 27
No: 12
It has varied: 13
3. I participate in:
Shabbat (every weekend): 22
Bar/bat mitzvahs: 48
Jewish holidays: 51
4. If you attended Hebrew School, has it made you more religious in college compared to other Jewish peers who did not attend?
Yes: 34
No: 10
Did not answer: 8
5. My religious views are _____ my parents'.
The same as: 29
Slightly different from: 12
Completely different from: 11
6. I have experienced anti-Semitism before.
Yes: 19
No: 15
Maybe, but I'm not sure: 18
7. If your answer to Question 6 was yes, have these experiences made you feel ashamed or more conscious about your religion?
Yes: 11
No: 8
Did not answer: 33
8. Has Jewish extremism made you feel ashamed of your religion?
Yes: 17
No: 35
9. Have you ever been stereotyped based on your religion?
Yes: 38
No: 14
10. In your opinion, what is the largest reason that secularism has grown among Jewish college students in America?
They do not feel connected to their religion: 17
Their moral values contradict the values of the Jewish religion: 3
They are too lazy and/or busy to participate in their religion: 16
They are afraid of being victims of anti-Semitic attacks: 12
They do not want to be stereotyped: 4
The results of this survey highlight many important things. Based on my sample size, about half of all Jewish college students believe that their religion is important, while the remainder are not so sure. Although only half of the respondents see religion as important, the majority of them participate in cultural milestones and experiences such as the bar/bat mitzvah and Jewish holidays. The answers to Question 4 align with my own experiences- that attending Hebrew School increases religiosity later in life, and not attending has an adverse effect. Question 5 also shows how the way someone is raised affects their religiosity- more than half of respondents said that their religious values align with their parents'. This means that if someone is raised to be more or less religious, they will turn out according to how they were raised and will likely raise their children the same way. Although anti-Semitism and Jewish extremism are very real, they do not seem to have the largest effect on religiosity- religious Jews will stay loyal to their religion, regardless of what is happening in the outside world. Question 10 says it all- the majority of respondents believe that the decline in religiosity of Jewish college students has more to do with them not feeling a connection to their religion (based on how they were raised), thus not seeing religion as a pursuit worth their time. While anti-Semitism remains a growing concern, it seems that the best way to increase religiosity among Jewish college students is to get them involved with and excited about their religion from a very young age. Otherwise, by the time they go off to college, they will be firm about staying secular.
1. Which denomination of Judaism do you identify with?
Orthodox: 12
Conservative: 7
Reform: 26
Non-Denominational: 5
Other: 2
2. Religion is an important part of my life.
Yes: 27
No: 12
It has varied: 13
3. I participate in:
Shabbat (every weekend): 22
Bar/bat mitzvahs: 48
Jewish holidays: 51
4. If you attended Hebrew School, has it made you more religious in college compared to other Jewish peers who did not attend?
Yes: 34
No: 10
Did not answer: 8
5. My religious views are _____ my parents'.
The same as: 29
Slightly different from: 12
Completely different from: 11
6. I have experienced anti-Semitism before.
Yes: 19
No: 15
Maybe, but I'm not sure: 18
7. If your answer to Question 6 was yes, have these experiences made you feel ashamed or more conscious about your religion?
Yes: 11
No: 8
Did not answer: 33
8. Has Jewish extremism made you feel ashamed of your religion?
Yes: 17
No: 35
9. Have you ever been stereotyped based on your religion?
Yes: 38
No: 14
10. In your opinion, what is the largest reason that secularism has grown among Jewish college students in America?
They do not feel connected to their religion: 17
Their moral values contradict the values of the Jewish religion: 3
They are too lazy and/or busy to participate in their religion: 16
They are afraid of being victims of anti-Semitic attacks: 12
They do not want to be stereotyped: 4
The results of this survey highlight many important things. Based on my sample size, about half of all Jewish college students believe that their religion is important, while the remainder are not so sure. Although only half of the respondents see religion as important, the majority of them participate in cultural milestones and experiences such as the bar/bat mitzvah and Jewish holidays. The answers to Question 4 align with my own experiences- that attending Hebrew School increases religiosity later in life, and not attending has an adverse effect. Question 5 also shows how the way someone is raised affects their religiosity- more than half of respondents said that their religious values align with their parents'. This means that if someone is raised to be more or less religious, they will turn out according to how they were raised and will likely raise their children the same way. Although anti-Semitism and Jewish extremism are very real, they do not seem to have the largest effect on religiosity- religious Jews will stay loyal to their religion, regardless of what is happening in the outside world. Question 10 says it all- the majority of respondents believe that the decline in religiosity of Jewish college students has more to do with them not feeling a connection to their religion (based on how they were raised), thus not seeing religion as a pursuit worth their time. While anti-Semitism remains a growing concern, it seems that the best way to increase religiosity among Jewish college students is to get them involved with and excited about their religion from a very young age. Otherwise, by the time they go off to college, they will be firm about staying secular.