Teenagers who are active in the Jewish community — through day schools, supplementary schools or summer camps — are far more likely to have a positive view of Israel in general and of its war against Hamas specifically than those who are less engaged, according to a new study by Mosaic United that was shared with eJewishPhilanthropy.

Mosaic United, an organization jointly backed by both the Israeli government and private philanthropy that aims to strengthen ties between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, has been exploring how the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s resulting wars in Gaza and Lebanon have shaped the perspectives of Jewish teens globally, according to Alana Ebin, director of Mosaic United’s Teen Travel Pillar. 

Mosaic’s global survey, developed in collaboration with the Tovanot Institute, collected 1,600 online responses. Approximately half were discounted on the basis of being incomplete, duplicate or suspect for not meeting survey requirements. Of the remaining surveys, 80% of the respondents were from the United States. The surveyors chose to focus on teenagers because of a perceived gap in coverage of that demographic, Ebin said. 

“There has been a lot of attention given to other demographics, specifically college campuses, but it was our sense and feeling that there was a lot going on in high schools and with Gen Z at large,” Ebin told eJP.

The survey specifically aimed to assess post Oct. 7 attitudes towards Israel, Judaism and antisemitism among the target population, according to Ebin. Within the survey, engagement or “Jewish background,” is defined as participation in Jewish day schools, supplementary schools, or summer camps. Forty percent of respondents met the survey’s criteria for “low engagement.”  

“This is a very unengaged group that we don’t usually get to [speak with]. And there were just really clear differences between those that didn’t come from highly engaged backgrounds and those that did,” Ebin told eJP. 

For instance, 87% of respondents with a “high” Jewish background score reported feeling a connection to Israel, with 67% describing themselves as Zionists. Among those with a “low” Jewish background score, 67% reported feeling a connection with Israel, and 48% described themselves as Zionists.   

Ebin noted that the overall largest discrepancies in teens’ responses were found across geographic location, age and Jewish engagement. Respondents from the U.S, younger respondents and those with lower Jewish background scores were less likely to have a positive view of Israel and the Israel-Hamas war. 

When presented with the statement, “I sympathize with Hamas,” 65% of Jewish teens with low levels of Jewish background agreed. In comparison, 6% of those with high Jewish backgrounds agreed with the statement.

Teens who had visited Israel reported a closer connection to the country than those who hadn’t, the survey found. While over 80% of respondents who had visited Israel reported feeling a connection to the country, less than 60% of those who hadn’t visited did. 

“It’s a pretty definitive statement on the power of Jewish engagement. More activities equals stronger, more engaged Jews, with prouder Jewish identities and also stronger connections,” said Ebin.

The study also highlighted the impact of close relationships with Israeli Jews on the teens’ Jewish identities, Ebin said. Participants who had relationships with family and friends in Israel, called mifgashim in the context of the study, reported higher levels of connection to Israel and their Jewish identity in the wake of Oct. 7. According to Ebin, these relationships help teens resist disinformation and social pressure. 

“You can pit a 10-second TikTok against a living, breathing person and a person will win every time. There’s just no replacement for interpersonal relationships,” said Ebin. 

The organization plans to present the full survey findings to partners and interested parties at a webinar on Monday.