June 10, 2024
Hamas’ massacre of Israelis on October 7, and the war that it started, has unleashed record levels of antisemitism in the U.S. – on college campuses, on social media, and in the streets. Despite the adverse effects of the war on American Jews, AJC’s 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion discovered deepening connections between American Jews, their Jewish identity, and the Jewish state, as well as the importance of strong Israel education in fostering a deep connection to Israel.
Here are five findings from the survey that illustrate how the American Jewish community is feeling after the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
AJC’s 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion, conducted by the research company SSRS, is based on interviews conducted online between March 12 - April 6, 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 1,001 Jews aged 18 or older. The margin of error is +/-3.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
1. Jews Are Deeply – and Increasingly – Connected to Israel
AJC’s 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion found that a majority - 85% - of U.S. Jews think it’s important for the United States to support Israel in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on October 7. This statistic is critically important in light of the persistent narrative that Jews represent a significant percentage of anti-Zionist protesters.
Campus protests, physical assaults, and antisemitic rhetoric online haven’t dissuaded most American Jews from embracing their heritage. In fact, 57% of respondents said they felt more connected to Israel or their Jewish identity after the horrors of October 7. Only 4% said they felt less connected after the attack.
2. Jews Feel the Rise in Antisemitism
Every month of 2023 featured a high-profile antisemitic incident, including bomb threats, violent assaults, and vandalism of sacred spaces.
But since October 7, it has gotten even worse. Following Hamas’ horrific attack, 87% of American Jews think that antisemitism has increased in the U.S. with 55% saying it has increased a lot.
3. Jews Are Concerned About Their Future in America
A century ago, American Jews often called America the “goldene medina,” Yiddish for “the golden land.” Since October 7 though, 7% have considered moving to another country due to antisemitism in the U.S.
The Israel-Hamas war has also affected American Jews’ personal or work relationships in several ways. Overall, 64% of American Jews reported that the horrific event halfway around the world affected, in one way or another, their relationships here at home. More than half (53%) avoided talking about the Israel-Hamas war with other people. More than one in ten (12%) American Jews ended a friendship or relationship with a person because they expressed antisemitic views. And when meeting someone new, 27% of U.S. Jews hid their Jewish identity or chose not to disclose it.
4. The Jewish Vote Hasn’t Changed
When asked about the upcoming presidential election, answers indicated that a lot has stayed the same for the past four years. While there is not a definitive exit poll to measure how American Jews voted, polls commissioned in 2020 by both Democrats and Republicans found that a vast majority of American Jews supported Joe Biden. Similarly, the 2024 AJC survey found that 61% said they would vote for Biden in the upcoming election; 23% said they would vote for Donald Trump.
The 2024 AJC survey found that 49% of American Jews believe Biden would be the better choice for preserving the U.S.-Israel relationship, compared to 25% who favor Trump. Likewise, 55% favored a Biden administration when it comes to combating antisemitism versus 20% who think Trump would do a better job.
AJC is a non-partisan organization that neither supports nor endorses candidates for elective offices.
5. American Jews Need Better Education about Israel
According to AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report, eight out of ten American Jews say Israel is important to their Jewish identity, but our 2024 Survey of American Jewish Opinion found that the vast majority of the American Jewish community lacks the education they need about Israel to process this moment in history adequately.
More than one in five (22%) American Jews said they had received zero formal education about Israel. Those who reported no education about Israel were least likely to say they felt more connected to Israel since 10/7 (35%), followed by those who categorized their education as weak (42%). In contrast, 62% of those who characterized their education about Israel as strong said they felt more connected to the Jewish state since 10/7.
For educational resources on the current conflict between Israel and Hamas and other valuable resources on Israel, go to AJC.org/IsraelHamasWar.
