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Report and Reflecting on Development Nishma Research – The Journeys and Experiences od Baalei Teshuvah Nishma Research The Journeys and Experiences of Baalei Teshuvah November 4, 2019 Sponsored by the Micah Foundation 1 © 2019 Nishma Research – http://nishmaresearch.com Nishma Research – Table of Contents The Journeys and Experiences od Baalei Teshuvah Contents Page(s) Preface, Method Statement, Introduction 3-5 Summary of Key Findings 6-8 Incidence of Baalei Teshuvah 9 Baalei Teshuvah Compared to Frum From Birth 10 Why and How Baalei Teshuvah Became Orthodox 11-14 The Challenges of Becoming Baalei Teshuvah 15 The Continuing Journey; Holding on to the Past 16-17 Comfort in Orthodoxy; Acceptance; Societal Challenges 18-20 How Baalei Teshuvah See Themselves; How They Change; How They See the Future 21-23 What Baalei Teshuvah Want the Rest of Us to Know About Them 24 How Charedi Baalei Teshuvah Differ From Modern Orthodox 25 A Comparative Profile of Converts 26 Demographics – US Modern Orthodox Baalei Teshuvah Respondents 27 Appendix I – Sample Verbatim Responses to Open-Ended Questions 28-36 Appendix II – Survey Questionnaire 37-44 The Study Advisory Group 45 2 About Nishma Research 46 Nishma Research – Preface The Journeys and Our Goal Thank You Experiences od Baalei Nishma conducts independent research in the Jewish • To the study advisory group (see page 45) for their input and Teshuvah community. Our goal is to ask the questions that are on the support, and to other Jewish communal rabbis and lay leaders minds of the community – including difficult questions that who provided survey suggestions. had not previously received attention – irrespective of • To the Rabbinical Council of America , for notifying and preconceptions or agenda, and without judgment. While encouraging the support of their approximately 1,000 member there has been a fair amount of research in the community, rabbis; and to all the shul rabbis who expressed enthusiasm for the types of broad, issues-oriented communal studies that this survey, and who helped us to reach thousands in the Nishma does are quite new. We view the fact that Orthodox community. researchers are starting to provide and share information, • To the community members who took the time to share their in support of thoughtful discussion, to be a positive thoughts. We hope you enjoy reading this report and reflecting on development. the findings. Research Objective Sponsorship Nishma’s 2017 survey of American Modern Orthodoxy This study is sponsored by a grant from the Micah Foundation. The showed a complex and diverse portrait: a community with foundation is directed by members of the Orthodox community, many strengths, concerns, a strong sense of cohesiveness, with the mission of promoting and enhancing Jewish religious life. but also fragmentation around certain views and issues. Disclaimer The findings (http://nishmaresearch.com/social- Nishma Research is solely responsible for conducting this research, research.html) were presented at approximately two dozen the questions asked, the analysis, and reporting. The advisory group shuls and feedback suggested areas for further research, participated in developing the survey questions and advised on the including: (1) A deeper understanding of the journeys and analysis. Rabbis and shuls throughout the US helped by informing experiences of baalei teshuvah; and (2) The future of their members of the survey, but were not involved in the analysis Modern Orthodoxy and how it can continue to thrive in, or reporting of this independent effort. and confront the challenges of, secular society. Mark L. Trencher This report presents findings relating to the first topic and a West Hartford, Connecticut concurrently released report presents findings relating to [email protected] the second topic. http://nishmaresearch.com 3 November 4, 2019 Nishma Research – Method Statement The Journeys and Seeking to reach the broad community of Modern Orthodox (MO) Reaching and obtaining adequate samples from among small Experiences od Baalei Jews, the study contacted synagogues, reaching their rabbis and segments is challenging, and that is why we chose the route of Teshuvah members via communication through the Rabbinical Council of reaching the community through the RCA synagogue rabbis. America (RCA). As shul affiliation is virtually universal among the Based on comparisons with the Pew sample, our MO Orthodox, we see this as an effective way to reach the community. respondents overall appear roughly equivalent with respect to We received 2,629 responses, of whom 1,817 self-identified (survey regional distribution, median age, liberal/conservative political research about Jewish communities in all their variety, like survey balance, and the percentage that are baalei teshuvah. Our research in general, relies on self-identification) as Modern Orthodox sample appears to report somewhat higher levels of education residing in the US, and the findings presented in this report are and income. This survey asked respondents to identify where primarily based on these respondents. Some had self-identified as they fall within the spectrum of Modern Orthodoxy charedi1, Conservative and other non-Modern Orthodox, even (left/center/right), but a baseline measure has never been though they are members of shuls whose rabbis are RCA members. developed for the entire MO population. A community Among the respondents were 888 whom we classified as baalei demographic profile including this measure and others would be teshuvah (having become Orthodox at bar/bat mitzvah age or later), useful for stratified sampling and weighting3 and one Orthodox and who responded to several dozen questions aimed specifically at communal organization has expressed interest in creating such a them and their experiences. This report presents the findings for the resource for future surveys. 744 U.S.-based baalei teshuvah among this group, who currently We follow the guidance of AAPOR4 (American Association for identify as Modern Orthodox. Public Opinion Research) that opt-in surveys are not ideal but The extent to which these samples are representative of the overall may be the best approach, lacking other options. populations from which they derive is not knowable, as no As is true for all surveys, sample respondents should be viewed demographic profile of the community exists. Such profiles exist for with appropriate understanding and caution. The researchers larger denominations of American Jewry (via community, Federation, and study advisors are not coming to this research totally and Pew2 studies), but Orthodoxy – and particularly the Modern ignorant of the population at hand, and existing knowledge may Orthodox and baalei teshuvah – are quite small segments, and this be reflected in some of the commentary. Appropriate statistical small size has implications for researchers. For example, Pew made tests are applied in comparing respondent segments5. over 71,000 phone calls to reach Jewish households, of which only We hope this research will further communal dialogue. 134 were synagogue-attending Modern Orthodox Jews.) 1 Respondent verbatim comments are italicized in this report. Non-English words (e.g., charedi, baalei teshuvah, etc.) are not italicized. 2 See Pew Research “A Portrait of Jewish Americans,” https://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/jewish-american-beliefs-attitudes-culture-survey/ 3 For a basic explanation of stratified sample weighting methodology, see for example: http://www.applied-survey-methods.com/weight.html 4 https://www.aapor.org/ AAPOR_Main/media/MainSiteFiles/AAPOROnlinePanelsTFReportFinalRevised1.pdf 4 5 In surveys of this type, statistical analysis is more germane in comparing respondent sub-groups. For example, we compare men vs. women, older vs. younger, those living in large cities to those in smaller communities, etc. Overall margins of error are less or not meaningful in a web (opt in) survey (see https://www.aapor.org/Education- Resources/Election-Polling-Resources/Margin-of-Sampling-Error-Credibility-Interval.aspx. However, as some readers ask, the figures ±2% and ±4% for the Modern Orthodox and Baal Teshuvah reports, respectively. The number of responses to each question (denoted as “n”) is shown in a footnote accompanying the question text. Nishma Research – Introduction The Journeys and Experiences od Baalei One of the more surprising findings in The Nishma was done because we do not know the percentages of Teshuvah Research 2017 Profile of American Modern Orthodox baalei teshuvah that fall into the Modern Orthodox vs. Jews was the percentage of baalei teshuvah. One-third the charedi segments. Among our US-based baalei (33%) of respondents indicated that they had started to teshuvah respondents, 92% are Modern Orthodox and identify as Orthodox at age 18 or older, and 42% started 8% are charedi. Based upon our observations of the to identify as Orthodox at age 11 or older. community, we believe the proportion of all baalei teshuvah that are currently charedi may well be higher In 2018-2019, as the results of that survey were than 8% and, rather than somewhat arbitrarily assigning presented and discussed at approximately two dozen sampling weights to reflect the representation and shuls, a question very often asked was, “what about impact of the charedi in our data, this report is based on baalei teshuvah?” those currently identifying as Modern Orthodox, with • Why did they move to Orthodoxy? comparative and summary data presented for the • What were the key influencers of their decisions?
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