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Israelis and Israeli- Americans Living in the United States

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Israelis and Israeli- Americans Living in the United States Israelis and Israeli- Americans Living in the United States )Perceptions, Attitudes and Behavior) Purpose • Examining the types and levels of connection to Judaism and Israel of Israelis who live in the U.S. • Examining how the length of time in the U.S. affects connection to Judaism and Israel. 2 Methodology • The survey was conducted using the internet, among 1598 recipients who currently live in 40 U.S. states. 817 of them view themselves as Israelis, and 781 of them view themselves as Israeli-Americans. • There is no data that enables examining representativeness of the sample or conducting weighing to fix deviations. • It is possible that some of the recipients replied according to social norms, and not necessarily according to their real attitudes and believes. 3 Introduction: Self Identity When did you move to the U.S.? Self-Definition Less than 5-10 years 10-20 years Over 20 years 5 years ago ago ago ago Israelis 83% 71% 55% 27% Israeli-Americans 17% 29% 45% 73% • The “Israeli” self-definition decreases as the length of stay in the U.S. increases. The major turning point is after 10 years. • Therefore, the sample was divided to 2 groups: - Live in the U.S. up to 10 years. - Live in the U.S. more than 10 years. 4 Connection to Israel 5 Feel in some sense that Israel is mine Up to 10 Over 10 years in the years in the U.S. U.S. Strongly 79% 78% agree Somewhat 19% 18% agree Total agree 98% 96% 6 Knowing Hebrew Children of the recipient 99% Recipient 96% 78% 93% 48% 76% 53% 29% 25% 26% 19% 12% 17% 6% 1% 4% Up to 10 years Over 10 years Up to 10 years More than 10 years Mother tongue Good level Mother tongue Good level Resonable level Resonable level • There is a large decrease in the number of people who know Hebrew among the second generation. 7 Relatives in Israel Up to 10 Over 10 years in the years in the U.S. U.S. Have strong relationships 95% 89% with relatives in Israel 8 Frequency of Visits to Israel Up to 10 Over 10 years in the years in the U.S. U.S. At least once 82% 69% every 2 years • There is a decrease in the number of visits to Israel as stay in the US increases (from 82% to 69%). 9 Social Circle • Participants were asked: your social circles includes mostly… (Israelis or former Israelis who live in the U.S.; American Jews; Non-Jews; American Jews and former Israelis alike; Jews and non-Jews alike.) Up to 10 Over 10 years in the years in the U.S. U.S. Includes 51% 33% mostly Israelis • As the length of stay in the U.S. increases, the number of recipients whose social circle includes mostly Israelis decreases (from 51% to 33%). 10 Intention of living in Israel in the future 45% 40% 39% 30% 28% 11% 5% 2% Up to 10 years Over 10 years Definitely yes Probably yes Probably no Definitely no • As length of stay in the U.S. increases, the will to definitely live in Israel in the future decreases (30% vs. 11%). 11 Interest in Israel’s politics & internal issues 34% 39% Somewhat 80% 86% interested Very interested 52% 41% Up to 10 years Over 10 years • The level of interest in Israel’s politics and internal issues increases as the stay in the U.S. increases (52% vs. 41% who are very interested). 12 Need to be an “Ambassador” for Israel 13 Jews in the U.S. influence on Israel’s strength Up to 10 years Over 10 years Strengthen 32% 42% significantly Strengthen 42% 43% somewhat Total 74% 85% Strengthen • The longer the stay in the U.S., the feeling that Jews in the U.S. strengthen Israel increases. 14 Need to defend Israel when it is criticized Up to 10 years Over 10 years Strongly agree 64% 75% Somewhat 26% 19% agree Total need to 90% 94% defend Israel and show its positive sides • As the length of stay in the U.S. increases, the need to defend Israel when it is criticized increases (from 64% who greatly 15 agree to 75%). Israel is a controversial issue, and I prefer not raise it in conversations Up to 10 years Over 10 years Somewhat 28% 25% disagree Don't agree at 51% 55% all Total disagree 79% 80% 16 Criticize Israel in conversation with non-Jews More than 10 years Up to 10 years 1% 22% 31% 78% 67% 2% Say positive things Say positive things Criticize Israel Criticize Israel Both Both • As the stay in the U.S. increases, the tendency to criticize Israel decreases (from 33% to 23%) and the tendency to say only positive things increases (from 67% to 78%). 17 Should American Jews publicly stand for Israel, even if they criticize it? 80% 65% 55% Extremely agree 35% 30% Somewhat agree 25% 25% Somewhat disagree 12% 10% 8% Don't agree at all Up to 10 years Over 10 years • As the length of stay in the U.S. increases, the opinion that American Jews should publicly support Israel even if they criticize it increases (65% vs. 80%). 18 Effect of a presidential candidates’ attitude toward Israel on the will to vote for them Up to 10 Over 10 years years Extremely 43% 60% Somewhat 26% 24% Total – has 69% 84% an effect • As the length of stay in the U.S. increases, the effect of a political candidates’ attitude toward Israel on the will to vote for him or her increases. 19 Jewish and Israeli Identity 20 Importance of Jewish Identity Up to 10 Over 10 years years Very 78% 87% important Somewhat 17% 11% important Total 95% 98% Important • As the length of stay in the U.S. increases, the importance of Jewish identity increases (from 78% whose Jewish identity is very important, to 87%). 21 Feeling Israeli Up to 10 years Over 10 years Feel very Israeli 75% 67% Feel somewhat 22% 29% Israeli Total who feel 97% 96% Israeli • Feeling Israeli is common in both groups. However, its intensity decreases the longer the stay in the U.S. 22 Mixed Marriages 17% Recipient 8% Recipients' 4% Children 0% Up to 10 years More than 10 years • As the length of stay in the U.S. increases, the rate of mixed marriages – marriage to a non-Jew – increases (from 4% to 8%). • Among those who have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years, there is a significant increase of mixed marriages 23 among the second generation (from 8% to 17%). Going to Synagogue Up to 10 Over 10 years years Go to Synagogue at 18% 28% least once a month 24 Religious Denomination 46% 41% 33% 24% 22% 17% Up to 10 years More than 10 years Orthodox Conservative Reformist 25 Attending Jewish Schools Up to 10 years Over 10 years All my family 29% 32% members Some of my 18% 15% family members Total family members who 47% 47% go to Jewish Schools 26 Being a Jew and affiliation to the State of Israel Up to 10 years Over 10 years Strongly agree 50% 69% Somewhat agree 24% 19% Total - agree 74% 88% • As the length of stay in the U.S. increases, the feeling that there is an affiliation between Judaism and the state of Israel increases (from 74% to 88%). 27 Participation in events affiliated with Israel Up to 10 Over 10 years years Participation in events 70% 76% affiliated with Israel 28 Participation in Jewish organizations’ activities Up to 10 Over 10 years years Participate sometimes or 61% 66% often 29 Would participate in more activities if… Up to 10 years Over 10 years Would participate in more activities if they 87% 82% were in Hebrew Up to 10 years Over 10 years Would participate in more activities if they 89% 87% were in Israeli spirit/culture 30 Israelis and Israeli-Americans Living in the United States Perceptions, Attitudes and Behaviors Selected Findings Summary INTRODUCTION: 1. Method and Sample The survey was conducted using the Internet between October 23rd, 2013, and November 3rd, 2013. The recipients' contact details were taken from the lists of the Israeli-American Council, the Israeli House, and other organizations. 1595 self-defined Israeli or Israeli-American recipients completed the survey. 2. Analysis The analysis was conducted separately for each of the following two groups: recipients who view themselves as Israeli or Israeli-American and have lived in the U.S. for up to 10 years and those who view themselves as Israeli or Israeli-American and have lived in the U.S. for over 10 years. 3. Notes The sample does not necessarily represent the population of Israelis and Israeli-Americans in the U.S. There is no data that enables examining whether the sample is representative, nor data that enables weighing and correcting sampling biases. Therefore, the report will demonstrate comparisons between different groups of recipients, and will rarely refer to the data as a whole. It is likely that some of the answers express the "social desirability" effect, meaning the desire to act according to social norms. Therefore, some of the answers regarding connection to Israel and/or Judaism might be biased. With that, if there is such a bias, it represents existing norms. SELF IDENTITY: It seems that there is a difference between those who view themselves as Israeli and those who view themselves as Israeli-American. This difference is probably due to their length of stay in the US: Length of stay in the U.S.
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