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DEMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS SHOW CONTINUED GROWTH, TREMENDOUS DIVERSITY AND DEEP CONNECTIONS TO ISRAEL AND JEWISH LIFE
The Jewish community of Miami-Dade County is vibrant, growing, engaged and diverse, according to Jewish Miami: A 2024 Community Study released today by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. The study’s findings provide a detailed portrait of Miami’s Jewish community, including residents’ demographic characteristics and participation in Jewish communal life. They also detail attitudes about Judaism, Israel and local activities and institutions. They show how Miami stands out among Jewish communities in the US, often surpassing national averages.
Key findings include:
- Population— There are approximately 69,700 Jewish households in Miami-Dade — representing 8 percent of all Miami-Dade households and a 25 percent increase since 2014. These households include a total of 170,300 adults and children, of whom 130,100 are Jewish. (A Jewish household is defined as any household where one or more residents self-identify as Jewish.)
- Newcomers— 25% of Jewish adults are new to Miami in the last 10 years.
- Country of origin— 45% of Miami Jewish households include at least one adult born outside the US.
- Belonging— 97% of Jewish Miami’s adults feel a sense of belonging to the Jewish people.
- Jewish practice— 47% of Miami Jewish adults say that being Jewish is very much part of their daily lives, compared to 27% nationally.
- Israel— 71% of Miami Jews have visited Israel, much higher than the 45% national average. 78% feel emotionally attached to Israel, compared to 58% nationally.
- Antisemitism— Combating antisemitism is a top concern, with 57% of Miami Jewish adults prioritizing it in their philanthropy and volunteering and 40% placing high importance on security in Jewish spaces.
- Intermarriage— The percent of married Jewish adults with a non-Jewish spouse is 24%, significantly lower than the national average of 42%.
- Education— 41% of K-12 Jewish students attend a Jewish day school, compared to 11% nationally.
The study was conducted by the Maurice and Marilyn Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) at Brandeis University in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago. Data were collected from 2,686 eligible Miami-Dade County households between February 5 and June 14, 2024.
“As we do every 10 years, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation commissioned this study to inform our community regarding the planning, organizing and development of programs and services for Jewish Miami,” said Federation Chief Planning Officer Michelle Labgold. “This year, we partnered with the research teams at Brandeis and NORC, who have provided us with valuable information to help our community’s Jewish institutions fulfill our philanthropic and communal responsibilities to all who live, work and play here.”
“The study presents a picture of a strong and highly engaged Jewish community,” said Dr. Janet Krasner Aronson, Associate Director of CMJS at Brandeis University and Principal Investigator for the study. “We value our partnership with the Miami Jewish community and hope that the findings will be helpful for building a vibrant, inclusive and resilient future.”
A Diverse Jewish Community
While different regions of Miami-Dade County have higher concentrations of Jewish households with certain characteristics, the overall picture of Jewish Miami is one of diversity in terms of places of birth, ethnicity, religious practices and political views.
More than one third of Miami Jewish adults (36%) were born outside the United States, with substantial representation from the Latin American (26% of Jewish adults), Israeli-American (19% of Jewish adults) and Russian-speaking Jewish communities (6% of Jewish adults).
While the majority of Miami’s Jews identify as Ashkenazi (76%), 18% consider themselves Sephardi (compared to 6% nationwide) and 1% are Mizrachi.
31% of Miami Jews identify as Reform Jews, 23% as Conservative Jews and 13% as Orthodox Jews — a higher proportion than the 9% national average. In Miami, the denomination Traditional was included to recognize that this is the preferred category for many Jews who were born outside the US and did not grow up with the standard US Jewish denominations. Of Miami Jewish adults, 5% identify their denomination as Traditional.
The Miami Jewish community is divided fairly evenly concerning political views. 35% of Miami Jewish adults identify as liberal, compared to 50% nationally; 34% identify as moderate, compared to 32% nationally and 32% as conservative, compared to 15% nationally.
7% of Miami Jewish adults identify as LGBTQ+, 12% of households include someone who is LGBTQ+ and 7% of households include a transgender individual.
Home to Newcomers
Miami’s Jewish Community is rapidly changing due to a steady influx of newcomers, with 25% of Jewish adults having arrived in the last decade, primarily from New York (26%), Latin America (17%) and elsewhere in the US (17%).
“Miami’s Jewish community is changing every day,” said Robert C. Gilbert, Chair of the 2024 Community Study. “I grew up here and have watched our area’s growth and development over many decades. Our newcomers bring many great things to our community, including new ideas that can benefit us all.”
Regional Differences
The study considered four regions in Miami-Dade County: North Dade, The Beaches, Central and South Dade. Each region has its own distinct personality:
- North Dade— The largest concentrations of Jewish households and Jewish individuals are here, with 33% of households and 39% of individuals. 30% of North Dade’s Jewish residents are age 17 or younger. 37% of Jewish adult newcomers live in North Dade.
- The Beaches— This is the third largest concentration of Jewish households and individuals, with 20% and 18%, respectively. 30% are ages 18-34. 23% of Jewish adult newcomers reside here.
- Central— 16% of Jewish households and 13% of Jewish individuals live in this region, with the largest age groups being 18-34 (22%) and 50-64 (20%). More than half of households (54%) are composed of individuals living alone or with unrelated roommates. 28% of Jewish newcomers call the Central Region home.
- South Dade— The second largest concentrations of Jewish households (32%) and Jewish individuals (29%) reside in South Dade. Nearly half of households (47%) include couples without children, far more than all other regions. Just 12% of Jewish adult newcomers have moved to South Dade.
“We are excited about the many areas of growth, particularly in the Central region, where so many young adults are participating in Jewish life and community,” noted Scott Kaufman, Federation President and CEO. “In fact, 45% of Jewish adults ages 22 to 39 are involved in Jewish organizations. This study shines a light on a bright future for Jewish Miami.”
Some additional information emerged from the study that Federation and community organizations are taking note of:
- An older population— The median age of Jewish adults in Miami is 59, compared to 49 nationally. 31% of Miami’s Jewish population is over age 65, nearly double the national rate (16%).
- Financial struggles— 26% of Miami Jewish households report financial difficulties, compared to 19% nationally.
- Mental health— About two thirds of Miami Jewish households with at least one teen or young adult ages 12-26 (66%) include someone who is currently experiencing social or emotional challenges.
- Health concerns— About one in five Miami Jewish households (21%) include at least one person who has a chronic health issue, mental health issue, special need or disability that affects participation in work, school or activities.
“Jewish Miami: A 2024 Community Study provides us with so many reasons to be Jewish Miami Proud,” said Lily Serviansky, Federation Chair of the Board. “Yet, as our community continues to grow and change, we must be proactive in our planning and investment in communal resources that will ensure a vibrant, inclusive and resilient Jewish future.”
Methodology
In interpreting the data of Jewish Miami: A 2024 Community Study, it is important to bear in mind that the study represents the characteristics and views of community members at the time of the survey. Notably, the data were collected after October 7, 2023.
Comparisons to national data are drawn from the Pew Research Center’s 2020 study, Jewish Americans in 2020, and/or the CMJS Combined Dataset (CDS), which compiles 25 local Jewish community studies conducted between 2015 and 2023.
