Help us paint the picture of Aussie Jewish life

As the saying goes, two Jews, three opinions. That diversity of thought is one of our community’s great strengths. But we cannot build schools, welfare services, synagogues, security and advocacy organisations on opinion alone. Too often the loudest voices dominate the conversation, whether or not they reflect the reality of Jewish life in Australia. Every so often we need to stop, take stock and look at the evidence.

That is why Gen26 – The Australian Jewish Community Survey matters.

Gen26 is the most significant attempt in a decade to understand who we are as a community, what we need, what we value and where we are heading. It is one of the most important tools we have for planning our future. But it can only succeed if people like you take part.

The survey aims to create a representative portrait of Jewish life across Australia. Its predecessor, Gen17, revealed insights that shaped communal thinking and planning for years to come. It found that almost one in three families interested in Jewish education were prevented from accessing it because of cost.

It identified aged care as the community’s highest priority. It revealed that one in 20 Jews had gone without meals or medicine because they could not afford them. It showed that outside Melbourne and Sydney, more than half of Jewish couples included a non-Jewish partner. And it found that nine out of 10 Jews felt a personal responsibility for Israel’s continued existence.