The Advantages of Community: Wellbeing in communal living and a look into the Jewish Community

Abstract

With today’s technology, people across the globe can connect like never before. Although there are some who are finding meaning in this ability, there is a major problem across the world: people are lonely. An antidote to this problem is building strong communal ties. This paper examines the importance of communal living by highlighting some of the benefits that often are associated with having a strong sense of community. Specifically, three main areas are discussed: high rates of volunteerism, increased happiness, and a decrease in mortality. The paper then examines how religious communities may be an archetype of a healthy community. It then dives deeper into the Jewish community and discusses key findings of the American Jewish community and the larger global Jewish community. Finally, it discusses areas in which more research could be done to explore more specific benefits of religious community life.