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.

It also found that in 2017, most Australian Jews did not see antisemitism as a major problem.

A decade later, much has changed. The question is, how much?

Gen26 will help us answer that question.

Whether you are highly observant or completely secular, deeply involved in communal life or largely disconnected, your experience is part of the story. If you are Jewish and live in Australia your voice belongs in this picture.

Gen26 is a substantial survey. It asks meaningful questions because it seeks meaningful answers. But it is also one of the simplest and most valuable contributions you can make to the future of Jewish life in Australia this year.

The survey explores more than 30 aspects of Jewish life in Australia. Some questions are practical and factual: Do you light Shabbat candles on Friday night? Can you read Hebrew? Have you visited Israel? Do you have relatives who survived the Holocaust? Have you experienced antisemitism?

Others are more personal: How connected do you feel to Jewish life? What are your views on Jewish education? How attached are you to Israel? Do you ever feel alienated from the community? Do you believe in God? Do you buy kosher food?

These are questions only you can answer.

The past decade has been one of the most consequential in recent memory. We have lived through a global pandemic, October 7 and its aftermath, and closer to home, the tragedy at Bondi Beach. Yet through it all, Jewish life has continued. We have celebrated births, bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and milestones. We have sustained our institutions, preserved our history and strengthened our culture.

Now is the time to understand how these experiences have shaped us.

For Gen26 to be truly accurate it must reflect the full diversity of Jewish Australia. A survey completed only by those who are highly engaged in communal life tells us a great deal about that group, but much less about everyone else.

If you think a survey like this is not really meant for you, you may well be the person we need to hear from the most.

Whether you live far from the “traditional centres” of Jewish life, share your home with a partner of another faith or none, are a young adult finding your own path or feeling disconnected from synagogues and communal organisations, your participation helps bring the picture into focus. So please take part. Then, encourage someone else to do the same.

Gen26 is a nationwide study conducted jointly by the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University in Melbourne and the Jewish Communal Appeal in Sydney. It is open to anyone aged 18 or older who considers themselves Jewish and currently lives in Australia.

All responses are confidential. Your answers will be reported only as part of the broader findings and will never be linked to you personally.

If there is something about Jewish life you want decision-makers, community leaders and future generations to understand, Gen26 is your opportunity. The survey takes approximately 30-40 minutes to complete and can be answered on a mobile phone, computer or tablet.

Whatever your personal circumstances, beliefs or level of communal involvement, this is your chance to help create the most complete picture.

Don’t leave it to the loudest voices to tell your story.

Monash University research affiliate Dr Adina Bankier-Karp and JCA research consultant Dr David Graham are leading Gen26 – The Australian Jewish Community Survey.

Further information: gen26.com.au