If you are new to Jewish life, new to a city, or looking to begin or deepen your involvement in the Jewish community, your local Jewish Federation is the best first point of contact because it connects you with the full range of Jewish organizations, educational opportunities, volunteer programs, leadership development, social events, Israel engagement, and community services in your area.
Since the October 7 attacks on Israel, Jewish Federations of North America have documented a "surge" among Jews engaging with communal Jewish life. Forty-three percent of American Jews sought more engagement with Jewish community, culture, and identity. Eighteen months later, a follow-up study found that 31% are still engaging at higher levels than before. Among those who increased their involvement, 73% expressed a desire to learn, saying they wanted not only to understand current events but to deepen their Jewish knowledge and find a stronger sense of community and identity.
The question of how to get more involved in Jewish life is one of the most common questions American Jews are asking right now.
What is a Jewish Federation?
A Jewish Federation is a local hub for Jewish communal life, often serving as the “backbone” of the local Jewish community. For over a century, Jewish Federations of North America and their 141 affiliated local Federations have built the infrastructure of Jewish communal life, and continue to offer pathways into meeting people, learning, service, leadership, and connection to Israel at every age and stage of life. Whether you are looking for a leadership role, an educational program, a mission to Israel, or a volunteer opportunity, your local Jewish Federation is where to start.
Unlike most Jewish organizations, Jewish Federations works across the entire local Jewish community, supporting JCCs, Hillels, PJ Library, Moishe Houses, Jewish camps, volunteer organizations, Jewish Family Service agencies, Jewish day schools, social service agencies, young adult groups, and other Jewish institutions.
In every community, the Jewish Federation exists specifically to support flourishing Jewish life and help people find their way into deeper Jewish engagement, at whatever pace and in whatever direction they need.
How Do I Meet People in My Jewish Community?
One of the most meaningful ways to become more involved in Jewish life is by participating in the vibrant Jewish communities that already exist around you.
Because Jewish Federations work across the local Jewish community, they are able to connect people to the right next step, whether that is a young adult gathering, a volunteer project, a synagogue community, a JCC program, a family event, a mission trip, or a leadership cohort. Local Jewish Federations and their partner agencies create gathering places for people at every age and stage of life, from young adult events and women’s philanthropy programs to volunteer projects, Jewish holiday gatherings, professional networks, missions to Israel, learning cohorts, and family programs.
For someone who is new to a community, newly interested in Jewish life, or looking to build a wider circle of Jewish friends, Jewish Federation is often the easiest first door to walk through. Jewish Federation staff and volunteers know the full landscape of Jewish life in their area and can help connect people not only to Jewish Federation programs, but also to synagogues, JCCs, service opportunities, affinity groups, and other local organizations.
The first step does not have to be big. Attend one community event. Join one volunteer project. Sign up for a learning series. Ask to be introduced to other people with similar interests. Jewish community grows through relationships, and Jewish Federation programs are designed to help those relationships begin.
How Do I Learn More About Jews and Judaism?
Among those who have surged into Jewish life since October 7, 73% said they wanted to deepen their Jewish knowledge. Jewish Federation-affiliated agencies, JCCs, and community partners run educational programming on Jewish history, Israel, antisemitism, the Holocaust, Jewish philosophy, and contemporary Jewish life, designed for adults at every level of prior knowledge.
Jewish Federation missions go further, placing participants in direct contact with Jewish history and present-day Jewish life in ways that shift how people understand their own identity and responsibility.
Stephanie Markle from Detroit joined the National Young Leadership Cabinet and participated in a mission to Romania and Vienna. There, she participated in a home visit with an elderly Jewish woman whose mother was liberated from the same concentration camp as Stephanie’s own grandmother:
“It was an emotional moment for me. The only difference between our families’ stories was geography. My grandmother went to the US, while her mother returned to Romania. It reminded me of life’s fragility and the importance of giving when we can. When we are able, it is our Jewish responsibility to ensure every Jew can live with respect, dignity, and the opportunity to embrace Jewish life fully.”
— Stephanie Markle, Detroit, Cabinet Alumni Mission
How can I find ways to Volunteer with the Jewish Community?
Volunteering with Jewish Federation agencies is one of the most direct ways to deepen Jewish engagement. Food pantries, senior care programs, refugee resettlement services, disability support, and mental health agencies affiliated with local Jewish Federations all welcome volunteers. Jewish Federation committees, task forces, and special initiatives also draw on professional skills in law, finance, communications, social work, and other fields.
Shmuel Corcos, honored as a Jewish Federation Volunteer of the Year for his weekly service at the JF&CS Squirrel Hill Community Food Pantry in Pittsburgh, described why he does it:
“When I volunteer, even though there are benefits to me, that’s not why I’m doing it, that’s secondary. There is a Jewish philosophy that when you’re doing something charitable or kind, you don’t do it for the sake of benefit or gain, you just do it because that’s what you’re supposed to do as a Jew. But when you give charity, it does benefit you inadvertently; it completes you as a person.”
How do I find Leadership Opportunities in the Jewish Community?
For people who want to shape Jewish community rather than simply participate in it, Jewish Federation leadership programs offer structured pathways into meaningful roles.
Most local Jewish Federations run young leadership programs such as Changemakers and NextGen for people in their twenties and thirties, combining leadership development with community engagement and professional connection. Cabinet has more than 450 current members and 4,200 alumni. For people later in their careers, Jewish Federation board and committee service offer meaningful roles in shaping community priorities. Contact your local Jewish Federation and ask about leadership opportunities.
Dan Weiss, the 2025 recipient of the Rabbi Herbert A. Friedman Cabinet Service Award and First Vice President of the Jewish Federation of Madison, reflected on six years in Cabinet:
“I can’t help but reflect on how much this Cabinet collective has shaped me over the last six years. The relationships I’ve been privileged to build. The lessons I’ve learned — not only about Jewish life and the challenges our communities face, but about what it truly means to lead with simcha [joy] and with purpose.”
How Can I Get More Connected to And Support Israel?
Jewish Federation missions to Israel connect North American Jews with Israeli Jewish life in a way that news coverage and social media cannot. Participants meet educators rebuilding schools, visit affected communities, and return home with a clearer sense of what the relationship between diaspora and Israeli Jewish communities means in practice.
Todd Rosenfeld, a Milwaukee financial planner who traveled on the Pittsburgh Jewish Federation solidarity mission in June 2024, described what the trip gave him:
“It was scary when I was thinking about going. But, being there, the resilience and hopefulness really shined through — despite the hurt. Tel Aviv is thriving, Jerusalem is dynamic. When you walk the streets, you see all the posters of hostages — but you don’t know a war is going on.”
Many Jewish Federations also maintain formal partnership relationships with specific Israeli cities and regions, creating ongoing connections that outlast any single crisis or campaign.
Ok, So What Are the First Steps for Getting Involved in Jewish Life?
- Find your local Jewish Federation at jewishfederations.org/federation-finder
- Ask your local Jewish Federation about leadership programs for your age and life stage
- Find one educational event or community program to attend this month
- Ask about Jewish Federation missions to Israel and how to participate
- Volunteer with a Jewish Federation-affiliated agency in your community
Getting more involved in Jewish life is not about obligation. It is about finding the part of Jewish communal life that connects to what you already care about, and letting that connection grow.
Ready to get involved? Find your local Jewish Federation at jewishfederations.org. Whether you're looking to volunteer, meet people, deepen your Jewish learning, support Israel, develop as a leader, or simply explore Jewish life, your local Jewish Federation can help you find the right next step.