New study: Jewish identity stronger among Israelis in New York than American-born brethren

Israelis living in New York are much more connected to their "Jewishness" than American-born Jews, according to a new study released earlier this week by United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York. The surprising results might be partly due to the relatively high percentage of Orthodox Israelis in the area. The study claims that Israelis "far outscore" Americans in terms of synagogue attendance, kashrut observance, participation in Jewish charity events, volunteering to aid needy Jews, visiting Jewish museums and Web sites, as well as in membership in Jewish community centers.

The study showed that 60 percent of Israelis in New York light Shabbat candles and maintain a kosher home. Nine out of 10 light Hanukkah candles, fast on Yom Kippur and view Jewish education for their children to be "of supreme importance." Seventy-two percent maintain close ties with Israel.

The divorce rate is lower among Israelis in New York than among American Jews, the study continued. "More than 96 percent were married with 40 percent having four to five family members and 15 percent six or more, which points to a large proportion of Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox families in the New York Israeli population," the authors of the study stated. According to a breakdown of religious affiliation, which was based on two separate surveys, some 41 percent of Israelis in the Big Apple consider themselves Orthodox. On the other hand, less then 10 percent of American Jews identify themselves as Orthodox, according to Yeshiva University historian Dr. Jeffrey Gurock, who just published a book, "Orthodox Jews in America."

The study, conducted by Prof. Steven M. Cohen and Dr. Judith Weinstein to enable UJA to create effective programming for Israelis in New York, also revealed surprising data about their numbers. While previously it was estimated that 1.5 million Israelis live in the East Coast metropolis, the study showed the actual number to be 41,000. This estimate includes Jews born in Israel as well as those who lived there for at least one year.