The first comprehensive Orange County Jewish Demography Study launched

The Samueli Foundation in partnership with Brandeis University Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and The Bridgespan Group, launched the results of the first comprehensive Orange County Jewish Demography Study. This is the culmination of more than two years of work undertaken by the Samueli Foundation as a service to the broader Jewish community.

Summary

Demography studies are not new to American Jewish communities. Brandeis experts have conducted over 30 in other cities/regions, including in neighboring San Diego and Los Angeles. The Orange County study follows well-tread research methods and asks questions asked by other Jewish communities to allow for future comparative research. About 85% of the questions in the Orange County survey are asked in every comparable Brandeis study, and 15% were designed specifically for Orange County and/or in response to a post-October 7th environment.

Jon Gould, dean of the School of Social Ecology at UCI said this about our work: “I had the opportunity to speak with the researchers at Brandeis before the study began and was impressed with their skill from the beginning. Looking at the methods and results now, this project is nothing less than remarkable. It is an empirically rigorous piece of research that matches some of the best national surveying on similar subjects.”

What is distinct about the Orange County (OC) Study effort:

• Leadership and funding model: the OC study was fully funded and overseen by a private foundation rather than a local Federation or group of Jewish communal groups

• Inclusivity: the OC study attempted broad inclusivity, both religiously and via participation; for example, it is the first known group to include Chabad Rabbis in its steering and outreach committees

• Rewards for partnering: the OC study funder paid participation grants to Jewish organizations that promoted the study to their mailing lists and generous grant support to steering committee members in recognition of their contributions

• Content: the OC Study piloted new questions on antisemitism, opinions on Israel, and politics in a post October 7th environment, and expanded on questions regarding mental health and affordability

• Added synthesis and narrative work: in addition to the data-table heavy, academic Brandeis report, the Samueli-Bridgespan team took the added step of crafting a more narrative and data-visualized report to make the findings more accessible. This report is the most community-friendly version of the report.

Visit the Orange County Jewish Demography Study to learn more.