Masa Israel Journey, a joint initiative of the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency and a global leader in cultivating Jewish connectedness through long-term, immersive programs in Israel, today released an extensive report quantifying the impact that programs in Israel lasting four months or longer have on young Jewish adults. Results reveal that long-term programs in Israel can transform young Jewish adults, even those who are largely unengaged from Jewish life, into deeply integrated community members whose impacts are felt locally and internationally.
The study was conducted by Impact:NPO, a consultancy that specializes in measuring the impact of nonprofit programs. Impact:NPO surveyed two thousand four hundred and thirty three young Jewish adults from the United States between August and October 2021. Among the one thousand two hundred and fifty four relevant respondents, four hundred and ninety seven had participated in a long-term Masa program in Israel—called a Fellowship—lasting at least four months between 2009 and 2019; six hundred and thirty two had participated in a short-term program in Israel lasting less than one month; and one hundred and twenty seven had never visited Israel.
Findings from the study, compiled into a comprehensive report, include:
— Eight-in-ten long-term Masa alumni agreed strongly with the statement, “Being Jewish is an important part of my life.”
— Nearly half of long-term Masa alumni regularly donate to Jewish-related charities or causes outside of Israel and a third regularly donate to Israel-related charities.
— Ninety two percent of long-term Masa alumni with children will raise their children Jewish, compared to sixty three percent for short-term program participants.
— Long-term Masa alumni are over twice as likely to feel strongly connected to Jews around the world than individuals who have never been to Israel (sixty two percent vs. twenty six percent).
— One in five Masa alumni (nineteen percent), compared to (five percent) of short-term participants, work for a Jewish organization or educational institution.
— Long-term Masa alumni are far more likely than short-term participants to have returned to Israel since their programs ended. Seventy one percent returned to Israel after their program (vs. twenty five pecent) and forty one percent returned three or more times or prolonged their stay (vs. six percent).
— Two-thirds of long-term Masa alumni regularly participate in Jewish community programs or events.
“This study represents a tremendous achievement and a source of hope for the entire Jewish world,” said Masa CEO Ofer Gutman. “Looking ahead, we now have concrete evidence of the transformative effect long-term programs in Israel has on young Jewish adults. Israel gains devoted advocates, Jewish communities gain engaged members, and collectively, the Jewish world gains leaders committed to cultivating a strong Jewish future.”
The study includes specific insights into a long-term program’s ability to foster meaningful Jewish engagement among unengaged Jewish young adults. The surveyed Masa alumni were segmented into groups based on their attitudes and behaviors. Among the Career Explorers segment—of which forty eight percent did not participate in any formative Jewish experiences such as bar/bat mitzvahs, Jewish summer camp, or Jewish day school growing up—the majority agree strongly that being Jewish is an important part of their identity, that they feel connected to Jews around the world, and that they feel connected to the Israeli people following their long-term Masa program.
“A new generation of deeply engaged Jewish leaders is critical to helping build a bright and strong future for the Jewish community,” said Eric S. Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation of New York. “Masa’s report underscores the tremendous impact of immersive Israel trips for young Jewish adults, especially for those who’ve had less exposure to early-life Jewish experiences. Every year, thousands of Masa alumni return home inspired to lead proud Jewish lives, immensely benefiting their local communities and far beyond.”
The report, “Israel Immersion: The Key to a Strong Jewish Future,” is divided into five sections, demonstrating the multilayered impact of long-term programs.
“Before my Masa program in Israel, I was disconnected from my Jewish roots and felt something was missing from my life. When I moved back to the United States, I knew I wanted to keep nurturing the part of my Jewish soul that blossomed in Israel,” said Charlene Green, a Masa alumnus from 2008 and the Director of Changemaker Growth and Experience at the Jewish Federations of North America. “This led me to find fulfilling employment building Jewish community in North America, sharing the passion and love of Judaism I discovered in Israel. I one hundred percent attribute my lifelong work as a Jewish nonprofit professional to my Masa program.”
