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Intermarriage and Current Jewish Connections

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In-married Jews maintain more Jewish connections and greater engagement with Jewish life than intermarried Jews (see Table 16). The most significant differences between in-married and intermarried Jews are associated with synagogue membership* and attendance,* memberships in JCCs* and other Jewish organizations,* donations to federation campaigns,* volunteerism under Jewish auspices,* adult Jewish education,* lighting Shabbat candles* and keeping kosher.* Less dramatic but still substantial differences between the in-married and intermarried are associated with having close friends who are Jewish, giving to Jewish causes other than the federation system, holding or attending a Passover seder, lighting Chanukah candles, fasting on Yom Kippur,* and connections to Israel.

Common forms of Jewish engagement among the intermarried revolve around three major Jewish holidays, with more than half of intermarried Jews lighting Chanukah candles, a significant minority attending or holding a Passover seder, and slightly more than a quarter fasting on Yom Kippur. A substantial minority of intermarried Jews are also emotionally attached to Israel, and just under a quarter report that half or more of their close friends are Jewish.

*Topics with asterisks refer to respondents who answered the survey's long form, representing a population of 4.3 million Jewish adults and children.

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