Among Americans with engaged contact with Israel, 91% reported feeling commonality with Israeli Jews, compared with 70% among those with distant contact and 42% among those with no contact.
By Shula Rosen
American and Israeli Jews overwhelmingly view themselves as part of a shared Jewish people despite differences between the two communities, according to parallel surveys commissioned by Jewish Federations of North America.
The studies found that 56% of American Jews and 78% of Israeli Jews agreed with the statement, “Jews around the world, regardless of where they live, share a common fate and must act accordingly.”
Among American respondents, 25% strongly agreed and 31% agreed, compared with 42% and 36%, respectively, among Israeli Jews. Ten percent of American Jews strongly disagreed, compared with 1% of Israelis.
Both communities were in complete agreement on the legitimacy of Jewish life outside Israel.
Seventy-two percent of respondents in each country agreed that “The Jewish diaspora is a legitimate form of Jewish life, not a problem to be solved.”
The research also found broad recognition of the role American Jewish philanthropy plays in Israel. Seventy-nine percent of Israelis and 67% of Americans agreed that American Jewish philanthropy in Israel remains important to Israeli society.
Views differed somewhat over the impact of donations following the Oct. 7 attacks.
Sixty-eight percent of Israelis agreed that American Jewish giving after Oct. 7 made them feel that diaspora Jews genuinely cared about Israel. Among Americans, 50% agreed with the same statement.
Asked whether American Jewish financial support following Oct. 7 was critical to Israel’s recovery, 40% of Israelis agreed, compared with 49% of American Jews.
Direct interaction between the two communities was strongly associated with feelings of commonality.
Among Americans with engaged contact with Israel, 91% reported feeling commonality with Israeli Jews, compared with 70% among those with distant contact and 42% among those with no contact.
Travel was also associated with stronger feelings of connection. Americans who had made one trip to Israel were 1.7 times more likely to feel commonality with Israeli Jews than those who had never traveled there.
The figure rose to 3.8 times among those who had visited more than once and 11.2 times among Americans who had lived in Israel.
A similar pattern emerged among Israelis who had interacted with American Jewish communities. Eighty-seven percent of Israelis with engaged contact reported feeling commonality with American Jews, compared with 73% among those with distant contact and 52% among those with no contact.
Israelis who participated in Jewish communal activities while visiting the US were 2.8 times more likely to feel commonality with American Jews than Israelis without those experiences.
Those who had served as a shaliach or worked as camp staff in a US community were 2.6 times more likely to report such commonality.
Jewish Federations of North America commissioned two parallel studies to examine where American and Israeli Jews converge and diverge on questions of Jewish peoplehood.
The US study, conducted by Burson in May and June 2026, surveyed 2,836 Jewish respondents and was the third wave of a national survey of US Jewish life conducted since Oct. 7.
Respondents were recruited by text message, and the results were weighted to be representative.
In addition to standard quantitative questions, the US research incorporated an open-ended qualitative method involving two to four rounds of AI-guided follow-up questions for each respondent, followed by AI-assisted grouping of responses into themes.
The parallel Israeli study surveyed 1,323 Israeli Jewish adults in May 2026. Conducted by Shmuel Rosner, it drew respondents from the Madad Israeli panel and a Haredi panel.
Researchers included shared questions from the US survey where appropriate and adjusted questions when the American framing did not apply.
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!