Gender and Jewish Identity

This paper addresses a dilemma regarding the socialization of males and females to Jewish identity. We show that formal Jewish education is an important influence on Jewish identity, that women have less access to Jewish education, that their Jewish education is less intense, and that the education they do get has less impact on their Jewish identity. Nevertheless, women's Jewish identity is as strong as men's. We explore the contribution of non-formal educational experiences and of denominational affiliation to Jewish identity and discuss other possible answers to the dilemma. Data are taken from the 1991 New York Jewish Population Survey.