Beyond the Pew Report: UNDERSTANDING SMALL TOWN JEWISH LIFE IN AMERICA With Rabbi David Freidenreich

Over a million American Jews – one out of every eight – live in counties with fewer than 10,000 Jews. In some respects, Jews who live outside of major metropolitan areas reflect broader trends captured in national studies like the 2020 Pew Report, but these studies fail to capture distinctive aspects of small town Jewish life. We’ll explore the current state of American Jewishness, with particular attention to dynamics in places like Biddeford.

David Freidenreich, the Pulver Family Professor of Jewish Studies at Colby College, directs the national impact efforts of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life. The Center cultivates vibrant, socially equitable communities rooted in their own sense of place, nourished by transformational learning, and intertwined with the broader Jewish world.