East Bay Jewish Community Study - Jewish Federation of the ...

Family Life and the Jewish
Community
People of all faiths become more involved in religious life when they have children. Providing a
religious education is a primary motivation for many parents and it drives synagogue
membership, volunteering and other informal Jewish activity. There does not appear to be an
unmet need for relevant activities for parents interested in providing their children with a Jewish
experience. Moreover, many Jewish residents from interfaith families are simply not interested
in providing their children with a formal Jewish education.
Specifically:
• Family life drives a great deal of Jewish involvement, particularly for parents of bar and
bat mitzvah-age children. Parents of younger children are more likely to say they are
involved in Jewish life, to belong to a synagogue, and to volunteer.
• Most parents who want to give their children a Jewish education say they are already
doing so. There are a significant number of parents, particularly those in interfaith
families, who do not want to provide their children with a Jewish education.
• While some express concerns about cost, cost does not seem to inhibit participation for
a majority of parents who want to provide formal Jewish education. Not surprisingly,
lower income parents have a harder time affording a Jewish education for their children.
• Most agree that the activities provided for younger children are sufficient.
69