Community Scorecard » Chapter 7 – Connections to Israel

The Pittsburgh Jewish community has strong ties to Israel, grounded in religious, cultural, and familial connections. For many Jewish adults, Israel is central to their Jewish identity. Travel to Israel is frequent and friendships with Israelis are common.

Approximately three-fifths (59%) of Pittsburgh’s Jews have been to Israel (Table 7.1a). One-quarter (24%) of Jewish adults have been to Israel once, and a similar proportion (28%) have visited more than once. Seven percent, including the 3% who are Israeli citizens, have lived in Israel at some point.

Travel to Israel has increased since 2002, when 44% of Pittsburgh’s Jews had been to Israel. Pittsburgh’s numbers also represents a substantially higher proportion than among US Jews in general, of whom, as of 2013, 43% had been to Israel.

Those in the Immersed group are the most likely to have been to Israel (86%), followed by those in the Connected group (67%). Among those in the Minimally Involved group, one-sixth (16%) have been to Israel. Three-quarters (73%) of Squirrel Hill’s Jewish residents have been to Israel, including 51% who have visited multiple times or lived there.

Table 7.1a Frequency of Israel travel

	Never	Once	Multiple	Lived/Israeli
Overall	41	24	28	7
Engagement
Immersed	14	21	56	9
Connected	33	28	33	6
Involved	43	20	30	7
Holiday	43	32	10	15
Minimally Involved	84	9	4	2
Region
Squirrel Hill	27	22	42	9
Rest of Pittsburgh	42	25	27	5
South Hills	47	13	29	11
North Hills	43	34	19	4
Rest of region	56	24	16	4

Two-thirds (66%) of inmarried Jews have been to Israel, compared to half (48%) of intermarried Jews and 57% of those who are unmarried. Three-quarters (76%) of Jews ages 18-34 have been to Israel, compared to about three-fifths (57%) of those ages 50 and older and just under half (48%) of those ages 35-49.

Table 7.1b Frequency of Israel travel

(row %; of Jewish adults)

	Never	Once	Multiple	Lived/Israeli
Length of Residence
<10years	29	30	32	9
10-19 years	42	20	27	11
20+ years	43	21	30	6
Household Structure
Inmarried	35	20	38	8
Intermarried	52	31	14	3
Single adult(s)	42	21	27	9
Household with child(ren)	45	17	29	9
No child(ren)	40	24	30	7
Respondent Age
18-34	24	27	43	6
35-49	52	19	22	8
50-64	46	19	24	11
65+	39	26	31	4
Synagogue
Member	26	21	46	7
Non-member	49	23	20	7
Denomination
Orthodox	18	11	60	11
Conservative	29	29	30	12
Reform	44	29	25	2
Other	43	26	23	7
None	51	15	26	8

Pittsburgh Jews’ sense of connection to Israel is strongly correlated with the frequency with which they have visited the country. Of those who have never been to Israel, one-third (31%) feel not at all connected, and 38% feel somewhat or very much connected to Israel. By contrast, only 15% of those who have visited Israel once and 3% of those who have visited multiple times do not feel at all connected to Israel. Of one-time visitors, 63% feel somewhat or very connected, as do 86% of those who have visited Israel multiple times, lived in Israel, or are Israeli.

Aside from travel to Israel, Pittsburgh-area Jews connect to Israel through their family and friends who live there. Over half (53%) of Pittsburgh-area Jews indicate that they have close family or friends living in Israel. Engagement with Israel is further facilitated by fluency in the Hebrew language. Among Jewish adults who are not Israeli, 6% can understand most or all of what they read in Hebrew and another 33% can understand some Hebrew. One-third of Pittsburgh-area Jews say they do not know the Hebrew alphabet, compared to 48% of all US Jews.

Types of Israel Travel

Among those who have traveled to Israel, about one-third (32%) have gone with a Jewish organization on a mission or other sponsored trip, and three-in-ten (28%) have traveled on an educational or volunteer program (Table 7.2a). Two-fifths (40%) of those under age 46 who have traveled to Israel have gone on Birthright Israel trips, representing 9% of the overall adult population. The Connected group has the highest proportion who has gone on a Birthright trip, possibly because Jews from the Immersed group were ineligible, having previously gone to Israel on other peer-group educational trips.

Table 7.2a Types of Israel travel

	Birthright (under 46-years-old)	Education/volunteer	Federation/org. mission
Overall	40	28	32
Engagement
Immersed	48	43	35
Connected	56	18	50
Involved	24	11	21
Holiday	45	39	16
Minimally Involved	-	14	22
Region
Squirrel Hill	55	31	30
Rest of Pittsburgh	61	22	40
South Hills	16	29	21
North Hills	15	23	39
Rest of region	11	6	44

Table 7.2b Types of Israel travel

(% of Jewish adults who have been to Israel)

	Birthright (under 40-years-old)	Education/volunteer	Federation/org. mission
Length of Residence
<10years	69	20	28
10-19 years	55	31	27
20+ years	18	25	36
Household Structure
Inmarried	50	22	45
Intermarried	59	15	24
Single adult(s)	31	34	21
Household with child(ren)	40	27	38
No child(ren)	45	24	33
Respondent Age
18-34	51	26	19
35-49	17	26	47
50-64	n/a	29	40
65+	n/a	18	37
Synagogue
Member	44	32	45
Non-member	43	19	24
Denomination
Orthodox	18	54	20
Conservative	57	29	37
Reform	57	17	47
Other	51	29	31
None	31	15	21

Emotional Connection to Israel

Feelings of connection to Israel are intimately tied not only to Israel travel, but also to Jewish engagement. The strongest connections to Israel are found among the Immersed group (63% very much) and the Holiday group (34% very much) (Table 7.3). About three-quarters (76%) of Jewish residents of the outer suburbs are somewhat or very much connected to Israel, more than in any other area in Greater Pittsburgh. Contrary to the popular stereotype, adults ages 18-34 are among the most connected to Israel in the Greater Pittsburgh Jewish community, with two-fifths (40%) feeling very connected.

Table 7.3 Emotional connection to Israel

(% of Jewish adults who have been to Israel)

	Not at all	A little	Somewhat	Very much
Overall	17	21	30	33
Engagement
Immersed	9	5	23	63
Connected	9	27	38	26
Involved	21	18	29	32
Holiday	17	24	25	34
Minimally Involved	36	42	11	11
Region
Squirrel Hill	14	22	26	39
Rest of Pittsburgh	29	20	29	21
South Hills	10	30	17	43
North Hills	16	23	35	26
Rest of Region	8	15	37	39
Length of Residence
<10years	21	28	28	23
10-19 years	23	24	27	27
20+ years	15	20	28	36
Household Structure
Inmarried	12	20	33	35
Intermarried	39	23	23	15
Single adult(s)	10	24	24	41
Household with child(ren)	29	26	21	24
No child(ren)	14	21	29	36
Respondent Age
18-34	16	21	23	40
35-49	35	20	22	22
50-64	10	27	26	36
65+	13	20	34	33
Synagogue
Member	6	18	32	44
Non-member	23	24	26	27
Denomination
Orthodox	2	1	20	77
Conservative	10	16	32	42
Reform	15	24	38	22
Other	17	20	23	40
None	27	30	18	25

News about Israel

Almost half (48%) of Pittsburgh-area Jews follow news about Israel at least once a week (Tables 7.4a and 7.4b). Those who have lived in Israel or have been there multiple times follow news more closely, with two-fifths (40%) and one-fifth (21%), respectively, following news about Israel daily. The Immersed group members follow Israel news most closely, with one-third (35%) following news on a daily basis. About one-fifth of Jewish residents of Squirrel Hill (21%) also follow news about Israel on a daily basis.

Table 7.4a Following news about Israel in past month

(row %)

	Never	Less than weekly	Less than daily	Daily+
Overall	24	28	35	13
Engagement
Immersed	7	23	36	35
Connected	21	29	39	11
Involved	22	32	33	13
Holiday	43	42	11	4
Minimally Involved	44	12	42	2
Region
Squirrel Hill	25	30	24	21
Rest of Pittsburgh	28	27	34	12
South Hills	10	24	56	9
North Hills	34	29	26	11
Rest of Region	27	33	31	9
Length of Residence
<10years	31	31	26	12
10-19 years	25	35	26	14
20+ years	23	27	37	14
Household Structure
Inmarried	21	31	28	21
Intermarried	43	22	28	7
Single adult(s)	18	29	45	8
Household with child(ren)	42	23	20	14
No child(ren)	20	29	37	14
Respondent Age
18-34	30	31	33	7
35-49	36	26	24	13
50-64	17	29	39	15
65+	20	24	36	19
Synagogue
Member	18	25	36	22
Non-member	28	30	32	9
Denomination
Orthodox	6	27	24	43
Conservative	17	31	39	12
Reform	28	31	30	10
Other	19	28	39	14
None	31	24	36	9

Table 7.4b Following news about Israel in past month

(row %)

	Never	Less than weekly	Less than daily	Daily+
Travel to Israel
Never	36	26	32	6
Once	21	32	37	10
Multiple	15	27	37	21
Lived	5	36	19	40
Connection to Israel
Not at all	55	25	18	3
A little/somewhat	25	32	38	5
Very much	8	25	35	32

Community Connection to Israel

About one-quarter (23%) of Jewish adults in Greater Pittsburgh can correctly identify Karmiel- Misgav as the community’s partnership region in Israel. Another 25% are aware of a partnership region but cannot identify it. Five percent believe there is no partnership region, and almost half (46%) are not sure if there is a partnership region.

Chapter 7 – Connections to Israel