JEWISH COMMUNITY
AND IDENTITY

Belonging is where strong Jewish life begins.  

When people feel welcomed, respected, and included, they are more apt to engage, form relationships, and feel like part of the Jewish community. 

UJA works to create Jewish communities where everyone feels they have a place, because belonging isn’t about asking people to fit a mold. It’s about expanding Jewish spaces so more people can enter them as they are.

We help make welcoming environments across Jewish life the norm — not the exception. 

HOW WE FORM JEWISH BELONGING 

• 8,200 children and teens with special needs have been served by our local partners
  
  
• 4,900 Jews of Color have received support through services and programs
  
  
• 9,100 people have participated in LGBTQ+ programs

Belonging opens the door. Connection is what happens when people step inside. 

When people are brought together in meaningful ways, relationships begin to form. Shared experiences reduce isolation, strengthen trust, and turn Jewish spaces into where people feel connected and supported.

UJA connects people locally by supporting small groups, congregational engagement, and alternative ways to gather — creating relationships that strengthen individuals and communities. 

By helping people build relationships that endure, we make meaningful connection a lasting part of Jewish life. 

HOW WE CREATE JEWISH CONNECTIONS 

• 10,000 Jewish college students have connected with peers and find community on campus through UJA’s 11 partner Hillels
  
  
• Roughly 15,000 kids have received scholarships for day schools, camps, and JCC programs
  
  
• Synagogue members have built meaningful relationships through small groups that bring people together, deepen engagement, and reduce isolation
  
  
• New spiritual small group communities have created alternative pathways for Jews seeking connection beyond traditional synagogue models

Identity takes shape through experience. When people feel they belong and are connected to others, they are more likely to explore, express, and deepen what being Jewish means in their lives. 

UJA helps create pathways for Jewish identity to grow across life stages — through learning, leadership, culture, shared experience, and connection to Israel. These moments give people opportunities to engage with Jewish values, traditions, and peoplehood in ways that feel meaningful and relevant to who they are and where they are in life.

By investing in experiences that shape meaning and purpose, we help Jewish identity grow for generations. 

HOW WE STRENGTHEN JEWISH IDENTITY 

• 159,000 teens and young adults have participated in Jewish-based leadership programs and youth groups around the world
  
  
• Nearly 30,000 teens and young adults have attended Birthright and other Israel experiences
  
  
• Roughly 15,000 children and teens have received scholarships for day schools, camps, or Jewish community center programs
  
  
• 4,600 children and teens have participated in Jewish educational programs in the former Soviet Union
  
  
• 35 Israeli emissaries have worked with 125 New York organizations, engaging over 392,000 people last year
  
  
• To help Israelis better understand American Jewry, UJA has been working to make diaspora Jewry part of the curriculum in Israeli schools.