Challenging the Narrative of Jewish Wealth

Written by Jordan Goldstein and Rachel Sumekh
An analysis commissioned by TEN: Together Ending Need on the 2025 Jewish Federation’s National Survey on the Surge. Initial data collected in March of 2025 by Burson Strategy Group.

There is an ongoing narrative that all Jewish people are wealthy. But what about the large percentage who are middle class? And even more so, why are lower-income Jews left almost completely out of conversations in the media and within the Jewish community itself?

This lack of conversation is detrimental: financial and program assistance is limited, while philanthropists are left in the dark about the true levels of disparity. When speaking to Jewish philanthropists and others, we have learned that their donations are spread across many areas—yet only a minor share goes toward low-income Jews.

READ THE REPORT HERE

See coverage of the report in JTA 

JTA: "Our communal definition of Jewish security is too limited. We need a wider one."

About the Study

To add quantitative knowledge about financially vulnerable Jews in the U.S., Jewish Federations of North America funded a 2025 study on Financial Vulnerability.

The study explored:

• Life experiences of financially vulnerable Jews

• Engagement with Jewish life

• The impact of antisemitism

• Effects of October 7th on the community

At TEN, our focus is especially on:

• Experiences with government assistance

• Gaps in Jewish communal support

• How these affect overall experience in the community 

Defining Financial Vulnerability

In this study, financially vulnerable individuals are defined as those who meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Receiving government benefits

• Struggling to pay bills

• Having less than $1,000 in emergency savings

Breakdown of the survey sample:

• 289 (5%) Jewish individuals classified as financially vulnerable

• 909 (16%) non-Jewish individuals classified as financially vulnerable

• 1,588 (27%) Jews not financially vulnerable (“rest of Jewish population”)

• 52%: non-Jewish individuals not financially vulnerable

Demographic Snapshot

• 23% of Jews nationally are considered financially vulnerable

  • 42% receive some form of government benefits

  • 31% struggle to pay bills

  • 28% have <$1,000 in emergency savings

• 30% of the general population is financially vulnerable

  • 33% receive government benefits

  • 41% struggle to pay bills

  • 26% have <$1,000 in savings

Denominational Breakdown

• Reform: 33%

• No denomination: 27%

• Other: 18%

• Conservative: 12%

• Orthodox: 10%

Gender & Marital Status

• 61% of financially vulnerable Jews are women

• 30% are divorced or separated (vs. 11% among non-financially vulnerable Jews)