For Yahm Levin, a 39-year-old Jewish Democrat from Los Angeles, introducing herself has become complicated.

Levin says she no longer feels comfortable using her first name in progressive circles because revealing she's Jewish — and that she once lived in Israel — often leads to uncomfortable questions. Instead, she introduces herself by her middle name, Shelly.

"I don't really feel comfortable in leftist circles anymore," said Levin, a former librarian. "I just want to be a Jewish American who has a connection to Israel. But I feel like I can't do that. And it's very frustrating. And sometimes a little scary."

Levin is among many Jewish Americans who say they feel politically adrift as the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, has deepened divisions over Israel within both political parties.

A new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found most Jewish adults feel neither party adequately represents them. Nearly two-thirds, 63%, said antisemitism is an "extremely" or "very" serious problem in the United States, yet few believe either Democrats or Republicans strongly support Jewish Americans.

Just 15% said the Democratic Party supports Jewish people "extremely" or "very" well, while 41% said Democrats support them "not very well" or "not well at all." Views of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party were only slightly worse, with about half saying Republicans do not support Jewish Americans well.

The survey of 1,022 Jewish adults also found 77% believe antisemitism has increased over the past three years. By comparison, only 38% of U.S. adults overall view antisemitism as an "extremely" or "very" serious problem.

The political frustration extends across party lines.

Max Sacher, a 27-year-old Jewish Republican from Austin, Texas, said he was disappointed by Trump's recent diplomatic efforts with Iran despite generally approving of the president's support for the Jewish community.

"I feel very lost politically," Sacher said. "I used to have a home. Now I feel like I'm on an island in modern-day politics."

Jewish voters made up about 3% of the 2024 electorate, with 66% backing Vice President Kamala Harris and 33% supporting Trump, according to AP VoteCast.

Ellen Kuberski, a 72-year-old Jewish Democrat from Chicago, said she strongly opposes Trump but has also grown frustrated with Democrats, whom she believes have become too critical of Israel.

"I tend to be more in line with the far left in just about everything else," she said. "But now the far left is attacking the Jewish community. There's enough antisemitism in the world that we don't need politicians on what's supposed to be on our side coming out with that crap."

The poll also highlighted divisions within the Jewish community over Israel. About 36% said supporting Israel is "extremely" or "very" important to their Jewish identity, while another 26% said it is "somewhat" important.

Views of political leaders were similarly mixed. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel, received favorable ratings from 44% of Jewish adults, compared with roughly one-third for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump fared slightly lower, with 29% expressing a favorable opinion.

Many respondents stressed that being Jewish does not automatically mean supporting every Israeli government policy. Roughly 4 in 10 said the United States is too supportive of Israel, while about 3 in 10 believe it is not supportive enough. A similar share said the U.S. is not doing enough to support Palestinians.

For Levin, the debate has become deeply personal.

"Jews and Israel are connected, but they're not synonyms," she said, arguing that misunderstanding that distinction has fueled rising antisemitism.

She recalled recently seeing graffiti reading "Death to Zionists" alongside a Hamas-associated symbol in Los Angeles.

Despite feeling alienated by parts of the Democratic Party, Levin said voting Republican is not an option.

"I mostly shake my head a lot and try to breathe," she said.