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FAQs on American Jews, by Arnold Dashefsky, Ira Sheskin and Ron Miller, 2008
The FAQ data series on American Jews is based upon comparative data initially compiled by Dr. Ira M. Sheskin for his Jewish community study reports and originally published by the Data Bank in 2001 as How Communities Differ: Variations in the Findings of Local Community Studies. Drs. Dashefsky, Sheskin and Miller have revised and updated these tables for this online series, which will be updated as new Jewish community studies are completed. All tables are based on studies available at the Data Bank.
#1 - U.S. Jewish Population Estimates (PDF) includes number of Jewish households, number of all people living in these
households (including non-Jews), and Jews — for approximately 50
American Jewish communities. These estimates were based upon data from Jewish community
surveys which utilized random digit dialing (RDD) as part of the survey
design and population estimation process. (Last Updated: 6/09)
#2 - Intermarriage Data (PDF) was created in response to the many inquiries on intermarriage that the Data Bank receives each year. Typical questions relate to intermarriage rates, percentages of Jews who are married to non-Jews, percentage of children with intermarried parents being raised as Jews and percentage of intermarried couples who are members of a synagogue. Almost every national and local community Jewish study archived at the Data Bank includes data on these topics. FAQ Tables 2, 2a, 2b and 2c in the Data Bank’s FAQ series respond to these frequently asked questions by summarizing data from approximately 50 American Jewish communities which have included RDD (random digit dialing) as part of the sampling design. (Last Updated: 1/09)
FAQ Supplement (PDF): Please also see the FAQ supplement which provides a list of community studies that were used to compile the FAQ, the year the study was completed, and the associated Principal Investigator(s).
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AJS Conference Presentations - 2009
We have archived and posted two presentations from the 2009 Association for Jewish Studies conference in a Data Bank-sponsored session titled "Measuring Identity and Religiosity Among American Jews: Demographic and Sociological Implications from National and Local Community Studies." The slide presentations have been posted by the authors and the Data Bank in order to allow researchers who could not attend the conference to see the materials. The presentations should be viewed as works in progress. We anticipate that the authors may revise the presentations in the near future, perhaps for journal publication.
The Impact of Geographic Mobility on the Jewish Community 2009
The Impact of Geographic Mobility on the Jewish Community 2009 by Sid Groeneman and Tom W. Smith of the The National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC), presents the results of secondary analyses of three sources of data on the American Jewish community. The analyses were designed to understand the impact of the mobility of Jewish persons and Jewish households on the fabric of Jewish life.
Jewish Population Survey of Congressional Districts: 2000 and 2006
Jewish Population Survey of Congressional Districts: 2000 and 2006 by Dr. David Paul, reviews data estimates of the Jewish population for each congressional district for 2000 and 2006 Congresses. The study record includes a main report with a summary of findings for 2000 and 2006 as well as a basic introduction to the analytical process used. There are also six supplemental spreadsheets of data available for download. .
Welcoming Synagogues Project: Preliminary Results from the 2009 Synagogue Survey on Diversity and LGBT Inclusion
Welcoming Synagogues Project: Preliminary Results from the 2009 Synagogue Survey on Diversity and LGBT Inclusion (PDF) by Drs. Caryn Aviv, Steven M. Cohen and Judith Veinstein explores the level of inclusiveness that American synagogues have for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jews. The study was sponsored by The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew Union College-JIR (IJSO) and Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity. This slide presentation summarizes preliminary findings from the study which were presented at conferences at the JCC in Manhattan (February 23, 2009) and March 2, 2009 at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. Also see a related report, Gays, Lesbians, and the Conservative Movement.
AJS Conference Presentations - 2008
We have archived and posted two presentations from the 2008 Association for Jewish Studies conference that took place in December in Washington DC, in a session which focused on examining the "Israel Distancing Hypothesis." The slide presentations have been posted by the authors and the Data Bank in order to allow researchers who could not attend the conference to see the materials. The presentations should be viewed as works in progress. We anticipate that the authors may revise the presentations in the near future, perhaps for journal publication.
Belonging Without Believing: Jews and their Distinctive Patterns
Belonging Without Believing: Jews and their Distinctive Patterns (PDF) by Dr. Steven M. Cohen and Lauren Blitzer uses data from Jewish respondents in the 2007 Pew U.S. Religious Landscape Survey to examine issues of Jewish affiliation and belief.
The 2008 National Survey on Spirituality and Politics
The 2008 National Survey on Spirituality and Politics was sponsored by the Berman Jewish Policy Archive at NYU Wagner and includes two reports issued in October 2008 prior to the US presidential election. (1) Israel Off Their Minds: The Diminished Place of Israel in the Political Thinking of Young Jews argues that younger non-Orthodox Jewish American were going to be much less concerned about Israeli-related issues in the 2008 Presidential election (and by implication, state and local elections) than their older counterparts. (2) The 2008 Presidential Election: As Democratic and Liberal as Ever, by Dr. Steven M. Cohen, Dr. Sam Abrams and Dr. Judith Veinstein, addresses the long-standing identification of American Jews with the Democratic party and the liberal camp in American politics. The authors assess whether this is still the case, focusing on the following month's 2008 Presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain. For an analysis of support for Obama, please see this Gallup Poll 2009 report.
Measuring And Assessing the American Jewish Population
Measuring And Assessing the American Jewish Population (PDF) by Dr. Ira Sheskin addresses issues of relevance to the American Jewish Committee as of June, 2008, including the demographics and religiosity of American Jews, attitudes of American Jews toward Israel, anti-Semitism, and politics.
Jewish Community Study Data Relevant to Jewish Education: 2008 Summary
Jewish Community Study Data Relevant to Jewish Education slides were presented by Dr. Ira Sheskin to the Association of Directors of Central Agencies for Jewish Education in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in February 2008. The purpose of this session was to familiarize the directors with the types of data available from Jewish demographic studies that have implications for Jewish education.
Attitudes of American Jews Towards Israel
Attitudes of American Jews Towards Israel (PDF), is a slide-presentation by Dr. Ira Sheskin which examines attitudes across more than 50 local Jewish community studies completed since 1993 as well as the 2000-01 NJPS.
Jewish Demography and Our Relationship with Israel: Fundraising In Today's Culture, 2008
Jewish Demography and Our Relationship with Israel (PDF), is a slide-presentation by Dr. Ira Sheskin which was intended to familiarize participants with the types of data available from Jewish demographic studies that have implications for fundraising for Israel.
Intermarriage and Jewish Journeys in the United States
Intermarriage and Jewish Journeys in the United States (PDF), is a report of a study by Arnold Dashefsky, Director of the Data Bank, in collaboration with Zachary Heller, Associate Director of the National Center for Jewish Policy Studies at Hebrew College. This is an in-depth study of intermarried couples in four diverse metropolitan areas: Boston, St. Louis, Atlanta, and the Bay areas of San Francisco. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods, it seeks to probe the nature of the couples' relationship to Judaism and the Jewish community, by interviewing both Jewish and Christian partners.
AJS Conference Presentations - 2006
In an historic session at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Jewish Studies in San Diego, three principal investigators, Ron Miller, Bruce Phillips, and Ira Sheskin, who collectively are responsible for dozens of Jewish community studies now archived at the Mandell L. Berman Institute – North American Jewish Data Bank, presented the results of their recent work on Western Jewish communities, along with a paper on the overall view of Jews of the Western U.S. by Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz of the United Jewish Communities. The session was organized and chaired by Arnold Dashefsky, Data Bank Director and professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut. The session was entitled “Cities of Silver and Gold: Is Urban Jewish Life in the Western U.S. a Harbinger of the Future of American Jewry?” Papers included the following:
Gays, Lesbians, and the Conservative Movement
Gays, Lesbians, and the Conservative Movement: The JTS Survey of Conservative Clergy, Students, Professionals and Lay Leaders was a research study conducted by Steven M. Cohen, Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy, HUC-JIR and Director of the Florence G. Heller / JCCA Research Center. In light of the December 6, 2006 Commission on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) announcement regarding gays and lesbians serving as clergy and related matters, this study attempted to ascertain the views of Conservative leaders.
Jewish Distinctiveness In America A Statistical Portrait
Jewish Distinctiveness In America: A Statistical Portrait, 2005 (PDF). Tom W. Smith. Report commissioned by the Research Department of the American Jewish Committee. The report looks across multiple studies and compares Jews to other ethnic groups in the United States. The study finds that Jews place high importance on seeking knowledge and individual freedom and choice. Also, Jews tend to be more liberal than others, have a more urban orientation, are more skeptical about the military, and tend to take a more non-punitive approach to child-raising.
The 2000 American Rabbi Study
The American Rabbi Study was conducted by Professor Paul A. Djupe in the fall and winter of 2000 in the four major movements of American Judaism—Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, and Reform. The survey's focus on political orientations and political activities of rabbis included a series of questions about the 2000 US presidential election when Senator Joseph Lieberman (an observant Jew) was the Democratic Vice-Presidential nominee.
Data Bank News Fall 2000: Summary of Papers from 1999 Conference
Data Bank News Fall 2000 (PDF), summarizes a conference organized by the Data Bank to review the state of knowledge and consider future directions for research. Several leading social scientists of contemporary Jewry were invited to prepare papers on "what we know and what we need to find out" in their respective areas of special interest in Jewish life. A summary of their presentations is included in this newsletter.
The Blue Star Impact: Evaluating 50 Years of Blue Star's Mission (1997)
The Blue Star Impact by Dr. Ira Sheskin. This report examines the impact that Blue Star Camps has had on former campers and counselors and finds a positive relationship between attendence at the camp and Jewish identity. The report also looks at the general success of former campers in life, levels of Jewishness of current campers, and ways that Blue Star can improve the camp experience for future campers.
Studies Archived Elsewhere
In addition to those studies that we hold, a variety of other studies are also available online. These include:
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