Launched by JDC-ICCD in 2008 the European Jewish Community Leaders’ Survey is an ongoing research project aimed at identifying the priorities, sensibilities and concerns of Europe’s top Jewish lay leaders and community professionals, taking into account the changes that European Jewry has gone through since 1989. Conducted every three years using the same format, the survey seeks to identify trends and their evolution in time.

The survey asks Jewish lay leaders and community professionals a range of questions, seeking their views on the major challenges and issues concerning European Jewish communities and their expectations for how their community’s situation would evolve over the next 5-10 years. Respondents include: executive directors and programme coordinators as well as current and former board members of Jewish organizations, rabbis from the various religious denominations, principals of Jewish schools and professionals in education, directors or owners of newspapers and publications of communal content, intellectuals, academics as well as significant community donors.

Four European Jewish Community Leaders’ Surveys were conducted in 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2018 and received overwhelming participation and valuable insight. The Survey team was directed by Dr. Barry Kosmin (Trinity College), who has conducted several large national social surveys and opinion polls in Europe, Africa and the U.S., including the CJF 1990 US National Jewish Population Survey.

For the ICCD, building a clearer understanding of the outlook and priorities of top decision-makers and opinion-leaders is therefore an intrinsic part of JDC Europe’s efforts to advance informed, strategic Jewish community development across Europe.