A new survey by Jewish Women International found that young women experienced major disruption to their dating lives in the aftermath of Oct. 7, with some now seeking out Jewish partners
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Rear view of a young couple sitting side by side on a bench in a city park during autumn.
Nearly half (47%) of young Jewish women reported dating less as a result of increased antisemitism and other negative consequences of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, according to a new survey by Jewish Women International.
Over one-third (36%) of respondents said they’ve ended existing romantic relationships due to these dynamics, while 18% said they’ve stopped online dating altogether.
Many of the Jewish American women surveyed, who were between the ages of 20 and 34, reported other negative impacts to their romantic relationships including strained conversations (75%), arguments (53%) and decreased contact or connection (39%).
One respondent described ending a relationship over “our differing levels of Zionism” and while another experienced “tension in our relationship” on the “first anniversary of Oct. 7.” One said she “ultimately ended my relationship with my partner because he was always so angry about Gaza but never showed any anger toward antisemites, toward Hamas, or even to an antisemitic gunman who killed two of my peers.”
A vast majority (71%) of respondents said they’d changed what they’re looking for in a dating partner in the aftermath of the attacks, which for several meant seeking out exclusively Jewish partners,
“I decided to only date Jewish to avoid any blatant antisemitism, and also to ensure that there would be common ground,” one wrote. “Before October 7, like, sure, I wasn’t opposed to going on a date with someone who wasn’t Jewish, and exploring that opportunity. And now — not really so much,” another said. “Felt deeper connections to Jews I know and are strangers. Exclusively wanted to date only Jews,” another wrote.
Jewish singles have been grappling with the impact of increasingly heated antisemitic rhetoric on dating apps and among potential romantic interests for years now, as several told Jewish Insider in 2024 that they too had pivoted to seeking a Jewish partner as they waded through politically charged rhetoric on dating profiles.
Even more than their dating lives, survey respondents experienced negative impacts to their mental health (75%) and friendships (74%), with 80% reporting decreased contact in their platonic relationships. For those on college campuses, 68% said their sense of belonging was damaged in the aftermath of Oct. 7, and 63% said the same of their relationships with their classmates.
In professional settings, 39% of respondents said they’d felt pressured to minimize their Jewish identity and 18% said they’d removed Jewish content from their resumes. Several said in written responses that they’d been drawn to work in Jewish advocacy by their experiences.
“JWI has dedicated significant time and resources to a comprehensive national survey of the impact of antisemitism and misogyny on young Jewish women. Based on our findings, young Jewish women feel disenfranchised in the workplace, ostracized in social circles, and compelled to erase their Jewish identities for fear of personal safety,” said Meredith Jacobs, CEO of JWI, who added that the organization will focus its programming on “post-traumatic growth.”
“As the mothers of the next generation of the Jewish diaspora, the support these women receive will directly impact the future of Jewish peoplehood,” Jacobs continued.
The 514 respondents were largely reached through JWI’s networks, including focus groups at the organization’s leadership conference, between Nov. 11-Dec. 22, 2025.
The resolution also criticizes Paul Ingrassia, a Trump administration official who said in a group chat that he has a ‘Nazi streak’
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks at a press conference following recent elections as the government shutdown continues in Washington, DC on November 5, 2025.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and nearly all Senate Democrats are set to introduce a resolution on Monday condemning neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson for hosting Fuentes on his show.
The legislation also highlights that Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts defended Carlson and Fuentes and notes that the Trump administration nominated an official who expressed affinity for the Nazis, referring to Paul Ingrassia.
The resolution comes weeks after Carlson’s friendly sit-down with Fuentes prompted a reckoning in the conservative movement over antisemitism on the far right and its normalization in certain circles. Schumer reportedly sought Republican backing for the resolution, but no Republicans have signed on at this point.
The resolution outlines Fuentes’ long history of overt antisemitic activity, as well as the series of antisemitic comments that Fuentes repeated on Carlson’s podcast. It highlights Carlson’s failure to “push back on or reject the claims made by Fuentes” and that Carlson “at times even validat[ed] his framing.” It also notes that Carlson was a keynote speaker at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
The legislation states that the Senate “strongly rejects the views of and platforming of Nick Fuentes” and “condemns the effort by Tucker Carlson to platform and mainstream Nick Fuentes.”
The resolution also specifically highlights that Roberts posted a video defending Carlson and attacking those criticizing him — accusing Roberts of employing “antisemitic dog whistles” — as well as for refusing to take down the video even as he as apologized for portions of it.
It calls on “all elected officials, thought leaders and community leaders to reject and condemn white supremacy and antisemitism whenever and wherever they occur.”
And it highlights that President Donald Trump nominated Paul Ingrassia — who said in an unearthed group chat that he has a “Nazi streak in me from time to time” — for an administration post and has since named him to a different role in the administration after his nomination was withdrawn. The resolution does not specifically name Ingrassia.
The resolution is being sponsored by every Senate Democrat.
The legislation has been supported by a series of Democratic-affiliated and progressive-minded Jewish groups, including Democratic Majority for Israel, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Jewish Democratic Council of America, Jewish Women International, the Union for Reform Judaism, Hadassah and the National Council of Jewish Women.
“The platforming of individuals who promote hateful, antisemitic, and white supremacist rhetoric is dangerous and entirely at odds with American values,” JWI CEO Meredith Jacobs said in a statement. She said that Congress “must forcefully condemn any attempt to mainstream antisemitism” and other hatred and “the fact that such condemnation is not universal underscores the very real and present danger that these ideologies are gaining ground in our society.”
JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick said that antisemitic and white supremacist extremism “threatens every single one of our communities and the core of our democracy – yet we’ve seen political leaders continue to embrace and platform this deadly hate and those who peddle it, like Nick Fuentes” and urged all senators to support the resolution.
DMFI urged the Senate to “send a powerful message that there is no place for these hateful ideologies in our society by passing this measure.”
Halie Soifer, the CEO of JDCA, condemned Republicans for not signing onto the resolution.
“This issue should not be partisan, yet not one Republican has joined this resolution, and the President of the United States has refused to condemn Fuentes, Tucker Carlson’s platforming of Fuentes, and the hate they’ve espoused,” Soifer said in a statement. “We’re deeply concerned about Republicans placing politics above efforts like this one to combat white nationalism, antisemitism, and hate, and strongly encourage them to join this effort.”
UPDATE: This article was updated to reflect that the legislation’s findings highlight Heritage Foundation president Kevin Roberts’s defense of Carlson and Fuentes but the resolution does not specifically condemn him.
To mark the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the Jewish Insider team asked leading thinkers and practitioners to reflect on how that day has changed the world. Here, we look at how Oct. 7 changed Israel’s relations with the world
NEW YORK — October 13, 2023: The Israeli flag flies outside the United Nations following Hamas’s deadly attack on Israel (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)
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