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JEWISH COMMUNITY STUDY OF NEW YORK: 2011 COMPREHENSIVE REPORT BRONX BROOKLYN MANHATTAN QUEENS STATEN ISLAND NASSAU SUFFOLK WESTCHESTER UJA-Federation of New York Leadership President Special Advisor to the Jewish Community Study of Jerry W. Levin* President New York: 2011 Committee Michael G. Jesselson Chair of the Board Chair Alisa R. Doctoroff* Senior Vice President, Scott A. Shay Financial Resource Executive Vice President & CEO Development Laurie Blitzer John S. Ruskay Mark D. Medin Beth Finger Aileen Gitelson Chair, Caring Commission Senior Vice President, Billie Gold Jeffrey A. Schoenfeld* Strategic Planning and Cindy Golub Organizational Resources Judah Gribetz Chair, Commission on Jewish Alisa Rubin Kurshan John A. Herrmann Identity and Renewal Vivien Hidary Eric S. Goldstein* Senior Vice President, Edward M. Kerschner Agency Relations Meyer Koplow Chair, Commission on the Roberta Marcus Leiner Alisa Rubin Kurshan Jewish People Sara Nathan Alisa F. Levin* Chief Financial Officer Leonard Petlakh Irvin A. Rosenthal Karen Radkowsky Chair, Jewish Communal William E. Rapfogel Network Commission General Counsel, Chief Rabbi Peter Rubinstein Helen Samuels* Compliance Officer & Daniel Septimus Secretary David Silvers General Chair, 2012 Campaign Ellen R. Zimmerman Tara Slone Marcia Riklis* Nicki Tanner Managing Director, Marketing Julia E. Zeuner Campaign Chairs and Communications Karen S.W. Friedman* Leslie K. Lichter Director of Research and Wayne K. Goldstein* Study Director William L. Mack Executive Vice Presidents Jennifer Rosenberg Emeriti Treasurer Ernest W. Michel Executive Director, Educational Roger W. Einiger* Stephen D. Solender Resources and Organizational Development and Study Executive Committee At Large *Executive Committee member Supervisor Lawrence C. Gottlieb* Lyn Light Geller Linda Mirels* Jeffrey M. Stern* Pamela P. Wexler* JEWISH COMMUNITY STUDY OF NEW YORK: 2011 COMPREHENSIVE REPORT UJA-Federation of New York Authors Steven M. Cohen, Ph.D. Jacob B. Ukeles, Ph.D. Ron Miller, Ph.D. Jewish Policy & Action Research June 2012 Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 | UJA-Federation of New York 2 Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 | UJA-Federation of New York RESEARCH TEAM 3 Jewish Policy & Action Research (JPAR) Research Team Director Steven M. Cohen, Ph.D. Survey Director and Chief Methodologist David Dutwin, Ph.D. Director of Geographic Studies Pearl Beck, Ph.D. Senior Consultant Ron Miller, Ph.D. Director of Client Relations and Senior Consultant Svetlana Shmulyian, Ph.D. Director of Special Studies Jacob B. Ukeles, Ph.D. Mapping Consultant Joshua Comenetz, Ph.D. Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 | UJA-Federation of New York 4 Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 | UJA-Federation of New York LETTER FROM LEADERSHIP 5 We dream about the kind of community we want to create for future generations — a community that is engaging and compassionate, enriched and ennobled by Jewish values. To realize our aspirations and plan more effectively — even to dream more fully — we must understand who we are in this present moment. What is the nature of our community today? Who are we as Jews? What are our needs? How do we give back? What matters to us? Where do we live, and how do we relate to one another? To answer these questions and more, every 10 years we invest in conducting a comprehensive study of our local Jewish community. It is with pride and a sense of accomplishment that we present the findings of the Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011. The Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 is groundbreaking on many levels. With 5,993 interviews, it is the largest such study ever conducted in North America, and has the largest cell phone sample ever called in a Jewish community study. While comparable to the 2002 study in allowing us to understand critical trends, the 2011 study explores new dimensions of such areas as diversity within the Jewish community, economic hardship, and contemporary Jewish expression. Since 1917, UJA-Federation of New York has upheld the highest standard of fiduciary responsibility. This study allows us to understand evolving communal needs so we can allocate precious resources for maximum impact. Through this study, we have learned that we are a growing community that has not been spared the devastation of poverty. The study also explores who we are as Jews, seeking out those New Yorkers who might not otherwise have a platform to share what they think about their Jewish identity and connections. The results of past studies have shaped our communal agenda, catalyzing the creation of new agencies and initiatives and realigning priorities. Our hope is that this data will not only inform our own strategic planning but also prove helpful to agencies, synagogues, day schools, and other Jewish service, funding, and grassroots organizations; regional, national, and international Jewish organizations; public officials and the media; and scholars, students, and the public at large. We invite you to read these findings carefully and to join us in planning — and dreaming — about the future of the Jewish community and the challenges and opportunities before us. Sincerely, Jerry W. Levin Alisa R. Doctoroff John S. Ruskay President Chair of the Board Executive Vice President & CEO Scott A. Shay Chair Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 Committee Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 | UJA-Federation of New York 6 Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 | UJA-Federation of New York ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7 We are grateful to the many individuals who gave their time, expertise, and financial support to the Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011. The study was underwritten by generous legacies and bequests left to UJA-Federation of New York. Special thanks are given to the Jean and Albert Nerken Population Study Fund for its continuing support. Additional support came from the Green Charitable Foundation, the Kroll Kids Foundation, Scott and Susan Shay, David and Patricia B. Silvers, and Nicki and Harold Tanner. The members of the Jewish Community Study Committee provided policy oversight to the study with careful deliberation over the past several years. From selecting the research team to considering community input and vetting the development of the survey questions, they sought to ensure that the study would be of the highest quality possible for meeting the information needs of our community. We extend our gratitude particularly to Scott Shay, chair of the committee, who demonstrated both thoughtful and passionate leadership toward obtaining policy-relevant data to inform decision making. We also thank committee member David Silvers for chairing our efforts to raise funds to supplement the core support provided by UJA-Federation. We are grateful for the Jewish Policy & Action Research (JPAR) research team’s dedication, professionalism, and passion for this project, as well as their expertise. This study benefited from the wisdom developed by their extensive experience with Jewish community research both here in New York and around the country. We learned a tremendous amount from one another as we sought to achieve and surpass standards for such studies. In addition to the team listed on page 3, we acknowledge SSRS Research Director Robyn Rapoport for overseeing the fielding of the survey, as well as Mindy Schimmel, Eitan Melchior, and Marcie Yoselevsky for their help as research assistants. Steven M. Cohen led JPAR’s work with great zeal and intensity of focus. We particularly wish to acknowledge the members of our Technical Advisory Group, whose guidance and counsel on questions of methodology and other technical matters that arose over the course of the study were critically important to the success of this study. Sid Groeneman, Ph.D. Ilene Marcus, MPA, MSW Joseph Salvo, Ph.D. Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz, Ph.D. David Marker, Ph.D. Elizabeth Schnur, Ph.D. Gary Langer David Pollock Audrey Weiner, DSW, MPH Thank you also to the more than 300 lay and professional leaders of UJA-Federation, beneficiary agencies, local synagogues, grassroots organizations, and community activists who participated in meetings held during the study’s preparation phase to weigh in on issues that were most pressing for the study to illuminate. Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 | UJA-Federation of New York ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 8 Carrying out a project of this scope also required collaboration and support from many colleagues throughout UJA-Federation. In Marketing & Communications: Laura Sirowitz, Noel Rubinton, Reisha Goldman, Michael Losardo, Eric Steinmetz, Kelly Waggoner, and Hillary Waxman. In Resource Development: Courtney Weinstein and Jessica Chait. In our Legal Department: Stephanie Guberman. Thank you also to former project coordinator Jessica Ingram for her support. Overseeing and coordinating the entire endeavor, Jennifer Rosenberg and Lyn Light Geller’s dedication, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail kept this complex endeavor on track and of the highest quality. We express deep gratitude to them and to Alisa Rubin Kurshan, whose leadership was invaluable. Finally, the study could not have been completed without the dozens of interviewers and thousands of interviewees who completed the survey. The dedication, perseverance, and professionalism of the interviewers helped secure high cooperation rates and complete this largest-ever study of a North American Jewish community on time and on budget. The cooperative spirit of nearly 6,000 respondents enabled us to collect high-quality
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