From the Director

My recent trip to Israel capped an exceptionally productive several months at CMJS. From a first-of-its-kind community studies conference to a number of new reports and journal articles, we have been working diligently to share new data-driven policy relevant findings.   Continue reading

Community Studies Conference 2019

"From Research to Action: Using Community Studies Data for Program Planning and Policy" brought together leaders from 15 Jewish communities in the United States that partnered with SSRI to conduct demographic studies of their local communities. 

Participants discussed lessons from past studies, how data can be used for community goals, and the relationship between community studies and strategic planning.  Learn more .

2018 Greater Palm Beaches Jewish Community Study

Janet Krasner Aronson, Matthew Brookner, Matthew Boxer, Eliana Chapman, and Leonard Saxe

Conducted on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, the 2018 Greater Palm Beaches Jewish Community Study estimates the size of the Jewish community, describes its demographic characteristics, and examines its attitudes toward community institutions, programs, and services. The report also creates a portrait of the multifaceted cultural, communal, and religious expressions of Judaism that constitute Jewish engagement. Learn more. 

Innovating JCCs

Amy L. Sales, Nicole Samuel, Rachel Minkin, and Fern Chertok

The model of the mid-20th century Jewish community center as a brick-and-mortar, full-service, membership-based community organization is increasingly out of step with today's reality. The Innovating JCCs study highlights new ideas in the field that help JCCs become successful 21st century agencies.  The research was initiated and funded by UJA-Federation of New York.  Learn more . 

Contemporary Jewry
CMJS Researchers in Contemporary Jewry

Janet Krasner Aronson, Leonard Saxe, Charles Kadushin, Matthew Boxer, and Matthew A. Brookner

Hanna Shaul Bar Nissim (Ruderman Family Foundation) and Matthew A. Brookner



The Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University is a multi-disciplinary research center dedicated to bringing the concepts, theories, and techniques of social science to bear on the study of contemporary Jewish life.