A Study of

JEWISH CULTUREin the Bay Area

2002

GARY A. TOBIN, PH.D.

INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH &

COMMUNITY RESEARCH

SAN FRANCISCO A Study of

JEWISH CULTUREin the Bay Area

2002

GARY A. TOBIN, PH.D.

INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH & COMMUNITY RESEARCH

SAN FRANCISCO TABLES OF CONTENTS

Introduction ...... 1 Why Study Jewish Culture?...... 4 An Historical View of North American Jewish Culture ...... 6 What is Jewish Culture? ...... 9 How Can We Study Jewish Culture? ...... 15 Ecology-Based Taxonomy ...... 16 The Role of Cultural Patronage in Support of Jewish Art and Culture ...... 16 Audiences and Users ...... 21 Demographic Characteristics of Sample ...... 21 Jewish Identity and Education ...... 24 Importance of Jewish Traditions...... 4 0 Attendance at Specific Types of Jewish Art and Culture ...... 4 3 The Relationship Between Participation in Jewish Culture and Other Measures of Jewish Identity ...... 52 Venue-Based Taxonomy ...... 53 Jewish Venues ...... 53 Non-Jewish and Mixed Auspices ...... 57 Content-Based Taxonomy ...... 64 Jewish Conversations ...... 64 Jewish-American Conversations ...... 65 American Conversations ...... 65 Themes in Bay Area Jewish Art and Culture ...... 66 Advertising and Promotion of Jewish Art and Culture ...... 69 Conclusion ...... 74 Appendix A: Methodology ...... 77 Bibliography ...... 81 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1: Definitions of Jewish Culture ...... 10 Table 2: Sponsors and Promoters of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area ...... 19 Figure 1: Age of Respondents ...... 21 Figure 2: Length of Residence in the Bay Area ...... 22 Figure 3: Marital Status ...... 23 Figure 4 : Highest Degree or Diploma ...... 24 Figure 5: Reported Income in 1999 ...... 25 Figure 6: Denomination...... 26 Figure 7: Identity as Cultural, Ethnic or Religious Jew by Age ...... 31 Figure 8: Membership in Synagogue and/or Other Jewish Organizations ...... 32 Figure 9: Percent Reporting Membership in a Synagogue and/or Other Jewish Organization by Age...... 33 Figure 10: Attendance at Religious Services ...... 33 Figure 11: Percent of Respondents Who Keep a Kosher Home or Have a Mezuzah on Their Door...... 34 Figure 12: In general, how frequently do you participate in Jewish holidays? ...... 34 Figure 13: Percent of Respondents Who Always or Usually Participate by Jewish Identity ...... 35 Figure 14 : How important is being Jewish in your life? ...... 36 Figure 15: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? …...... 37 Figure 16: Type of Jewish Education Received ...... 38 Figure 17: Giving to Jewish and Non-Jewish Causes in 1999 ...... 39 Figure 18: Volunteering at Jewish and Non-Jewish Organizations ...... 4 0 Figure 19: Importance of Participating in Jewish Culture as Compared to Other Jewish Traditions ...... 4 1 Figure 20: Participation in Culture Compared to Jewish Religious Practice ...... 4 2 Figure 21: Have you attended any of the following Jewish events in the past year? ...... 4 2 Table 3: Types of Jewish Art and Culture in the Bay Area ...... 4 4 Figure 22: Attendance at Jewish Events by Age ...... 4 8 Figure 23: How interested are you in participating in more Jewish culture?...... 4 9 Figure 24 : Reasons for Not Attending Jewish Cultural Events...... 50 Figure 25: Reasons for Attending Jewish Cultural Events...... 52 Table 4 : Bay Area Jewish Venues Presenting Jewish Culture ...... 56 Table 5: Non-Jewish Venues in the Bay Area...... 58 Figure 26: Attendance at Jewish and Non-Jewish Venues...... 59 Figure 27: Attendance at Jewish and Non-Jewish Venues by Age ...... 60 Table 6: Non-Institutional Sources of Bay Area Jewish Art and Culture ...... 61 Figure 28: Have you ever attended any of the following? ...... 61 Figure 29: Have you ever attended any of the following (By Age)? ...... 62 Figure 30: Participation in Jewish Culture at Home...... 63 Table 7: Themes in Bay Area Jewish Art and Culture ...... 66 Figure 31: Reading the Jewish Bulletin and Attendance at Jewish Cultural Events ...... 72 PREFACE

merican Jews have shaped and This study also indicates that continued influenced American culture far out investment in the growth of cultural activity of proportion to their relatively in the Bay Area is a key strategy for strength- Asmall numbers, while also creating a vast ening Jewish identity and participation. This array of cultural institutions and programs of research further indicates that Jewish culture particular Jewish cultural interests. Cultural should assume its proper prominent place in experiences reach nearly all Bay Area the Jewish communal structure. Participation American Jews, many of whom may have no in Jewish culture is a vibrant form of Jewish other meaningful connection with the orga- identity. Along with Jewish education, our nized Jewish community. Yet there has been relationship to Israel, synagogue participa- no comprehensive approach to building the tion, and social action, Jewish culture needs role of Jewish culture within most Jewish to be recognized for its important and vital communities, including the Bay Area. It is no role in keeping a cohesive Jewish community. surprise, then, that research about this Attending a Jewish film festival, viewing a domain of Jewish activity has been virtually museum exhibition of Jewish interest, or untouched. Therefore, little is known about reading a novel by a prominent Jewish the role of Jewish and cultural activities in author are all expressions of Jewish identity. the Jewish identity and behavior of American Indeed, for some Jews, this study shows it Jews in general or of differing segments of may be their only expression of Jewish iden- the American Jewish community in particu- tity. This research further indicates how vital lar. This case study of the San Francisco Bay cultural experiences are in the Jewish identity Area sheds some light on these issues. of most Bay Area Jews. Engaging in the arts and humanities related to Jewish life in the This research will help the community Bay Area generates a great depth and intensi- understand the role that cultural encounters ty of experience and comprises a critical com- play in the Jewish identity of American Jews. ponent of an individual’s sense of being a Thus the Bay Area Jewish community can Jew. The scope of Jewish cultural activity is better plan and support the creative evolu- very wide and the depth of identification tion of Jewish life. This research assesses the with Judaism through culture is enormous. role of Jewish culture in identities of all seg- Investment in Jewish culture will be invest- ments of Bay Area Jews. It demonstrates that ment in the Jewish future. participation in Jewish culture is more wide- spread than any other form of participation in Jewish life in the Bay Area. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

would like to gratefully acknowledge supporting this research. Marilyn Cohen, Avi Dector, Ph.D. who contributed to Martin and Betsy Solomon, and my good various sections of the report. I would friend, Lewis Cohen have been wonderful Ilike to thank Meryle Weinstein, M.A. for her supporters over the years. My mentor, the research contribution. I would also like to late Maurice Cohen, was the inspiration to give special thanks to the Fund for begin my studies of Jewish culture. Philanthropy and Education for Gary Tobin, Ph.D. INTRODUCTION

ssues of Jewish identity and communal and organizations; presented in a variety of involvement are central to the discourse public forums and venues; disseminated via of American Jews. Concerns around diverse media; and consumed by millions of Iidentity confusion, lack of Jewish knowledge, Jewish and non-Jewish Americans each year. alienation from core institutions, disconnec- Jewish cultural expressions are reviewed in tion from tradition and culture have all been newspapers, journals and the media, dis- expressed. One segment of the community cussed and debated in homes and work- advocates for better education of Jewish places. While, from time to time, an essay, a youth, another for training of Jewish leaders, conference, a periodical, or a book addresses while a third calls for intensified involvement the forms and meanings of these cultural in synagogue life. Others emphasize develop- expressions, serious discussions about culture ing commitments to Israel, to Jewish philan- as expressions of identity are scarce. thropy, to “Torah-true” Judaism, to outreach, Remarkably, there have been relatively few and to reclaiming the intermarried. Initiatives studies of Jewish cultural expression in abound. Programs proliferate. At the same America, and even fewer which examine time a variety of new cultural idioms distinc- Jewish culture dispassionately and systemati- tively Jewish and American have emerged. cally. There has been no comprehensive study of the relationship between Jewish While other aspects of Jewish identity such as identity and Jewish culture. religious beliefs and behaviors, philanthropic involvement, and Jewish education have The purpose of this study is to determine if a been thoroughly examined, the role of partic- new component of Jewish identity — culture ipation in Jewish art and culture as an — may be evolving which should have sta- expression of Jewish identity has been largely tus, legitimacy and authenticity in the Jewish ignored. It is widely acknowledged that art community. For many American Jews, Jewish and culture have a powerful influence on identity is not synonymous with religious shaping and reaffirming identity, transmit- observance or affiliation with the Jewish ting heritage and celebrating life (Gittins community. Nonetheless, many individuals 1995; Irwin et al. 1999). Therefore, participa- who are not institutionally or organizational- tion in art and culture should also be viewed ly affiliated say that being Jewish is an as an inherent expression of one’s Jewish important part of their lives and look for identity. other avenues to express and strengthen their Jewish identity. Thus the categories of reli- Participation in Jewish cultural life is a gious/secular or observant/non-observant prominent feature in the contemporary may no longer have the same meaning in Jewish landscape in America. Programs are contemporary Jewish life as was the case created by individuals and institutions; spon- over the past 50 years. sored by patrons, foundations, federations,

1 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

One could multiply instances to excess — • The expansion of The Jewish Museum San book groups, museum and gallery shows, Francisco, with world-renowned architect, lectures and performances, books, magazines, Daniel Libeskind. newspapers, libraries, archives, historical • The creation of the first annual Jewish organizations, conferences, symposia, resi- Image Awards, honoring outstanding work dencies, video and film festivals, book fairs, reflecting the Jewish heritage in film and and more. The burgeoning world of Jewish television. cultural activities, as evidenced by the prolif- eration of Jewish films, books, music, and • The launching of the European Association Jewish culture on the Internet, enables Jews for Jewish Culture in London and Paris. to develop and strengthen their Jewish iden- tity through non-religious means. Art and culture are not only modes of enter- tainment, but are also important vehicles for Casual observation on both the national and engaging people in a communal process and local level reveals a remarkable collage of creating individual relationships by bringing cultural expression. Within recent years, one individuals together and providing them could note numerous instances of Jewish art with a shared experience with which to bond and culture, such as: to each other (DiMaggio 1987; Gittins 1995; Miles 1996). These events are especially • Sponsorship of “Israel in Motion: Israeli important for persons going through a life Cinema of the 90’s” by the Israel Center of change, such as a divorce or relocation by the San Francisco Jewish Community providing them an outlet to help make new Center of San Francisco. friends (DiMaggio 1987). For Jews, it pro- vides a non-religious space for involvement • Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, a novel about a young with other Jews. Jew who escapes from Europe on the eve of World War II, was awarded the Pulitzer According to a recent report on building Prize for fiction in 2001. community, the arts “allow us to create together and discover shared understand- • The formation of a book club for Jewish readers by AOL Time Warner and ings” (Saguaro Seminar 2001). The traditional Bertelsmann. focus for providing Jewish community has been with the synagogue, although only a • Dedication of a new Jewish Studies Center small proportion of Jews actually belong to at the University of Southern California, synagogues or attend services on a regular celebrated with a symposium on Jewish basis. According to Ruskay, culture “creates autobiography in film and literature. opportunities to reach and serve Jews who • The 12 Tony Awards won by Mel Brooks’ otherwise might not be touched by Jewish The Producers on Broadway (Fleishman agencies” (Ruskay 1985). 2001).

• Opening of the Smith Gallery of Jewish Art Cultural activities bring people together in and Culture at the Minneapolis Institute of the same room who may not normally be Art, the second such gallery in a major together. According to DiMaggio and mainstream art museum. Ostrower, this participation benefits

2 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area individuals by establishing social member- is fully acculturated in American life, but ship and constructing and maintaining social who has episodic and intense involvement networks that provide access to material and with Jewishness and his or her Jewish identi- symbolic goods (DiMaggio and Ostrower ty, predominately through non-traditional 1990). Participation in the arts and culture forms of expression, such as culture can strengthen communities by nurturing (Krupnick 1993). friendships, by helping communities to understand and celebrate their heritage, and In many ways, Jewish art and culture in by providing a safe space to discuss and America in the 1990s bears little resemblance solve social problems. It benefits society by to the art and culture of Jewish immigrants to contributing to improved quality of life and America at the turn of the century. Studies of economic growth; helping to form an educat- ethnic culture emphasize the melding of the ed and aware citizenry; and by strengthening traditional with the new (Gittins 1995). communal identity through giving people a American Jewish culture is not simply Jewish sense of pride in communal achievement. culture that has been adapted for American Culture also provides long-term community audiences; it is a weaving of thousands of benefits because by helping us to understand years of Jewish history with the hundred or our culture and heritage better, it provides us so years that Jews have been in America. It a legacy to leave to future generations. has been influenced by our new surround- ings and the different ethnic and cultural Cultural activities create community by con- groups that American Jews have found them- necting people with similar interests. They selves living amongst. bring together groups of people who want to celebrate life through film, or theater or At the beginning of the 20th century, the music. They are also a way of imparting focus of Jewish immigrants was on becoming knowledge in a non-threatening and non- American. They sent their children to judgmental manner. For some, cultural activi- American schools, spoke English, and ties may spark further exploration or more stopped attending synagogue or keeping in-depth study of the subject. Others may kosher. Young Jewish Americans, the chil- learn new things that are not covered in tra- dren of these immigrants moved further ditional forms of education. Still for others, away from old customs and towards assimi- cultural activities provide a way to express lation into American life. Yet, as their tastes themselves creatively. have become more American, American Jews have also developed an appreciation of their The world of Jewish art and culture has blos- own past. Beginning in the 1960’s Americans somed in the past two decades as American of many backgrounds began to search for Jews have been less constrained by social, their ethnic heritage including their art and cultural, and economic repercussions that cultural heritage. Musicians of Jewish her- their parents and grandparents (Kirshenblatt- itage, already involved in folk, jazz, or blues Gimblett 1998; Netsky 1998). While much of music, began to explore their own musical the organized Jewish community decries the heritage. There has been an increased inter- demise of Judaism in America, others see the est in ethnic/national music by audiences. In rise of a new type of American Jew, one who the 1990s, the Study of Public Participation in

3 Institute for Jewish & Community Research the Arts began including ethnic music as a more diverse experiences of “legitimate” category. In 1992, the first year of inclusion, Jewish expressions. The findings will identify 22% of respondents said they liked methods to build a stronger Jewish commu- ethnic/national music; in 1997, the figure nity through the expansion of Jewish culture. rose to 31% (Jack Faucett Associates Inc. It will provide us with information and 1998). The expression of Jewish identity analysis that will aid the institutions of the through art and culture has not been limited organized Jewish community to plan, create, to music. There has also been a new accep- and evaluate programs that will strengthen tance and reflection of Jewishness in film, the American Jewish culture and thereby visual arts, media and television (Rosenberg enhance Jewish identity. 1996; Saposnik 1998). This study examines three elements of Jewish While the expression of Jewish identity culture in the San Francisco Bay Area. First, it through culture is widespread in America, looks at what is available, how people find serious academic research has left this out about it, and where they participate in it. domain of Jewish activity virtually Second, it examines individuals’ Jewish iden- untouched. Thus little is known about the tity through traditional measures of influence of one’s involvement in Jewish cul- Jewishness – behavior, beliefs, and affiliation tural activity on the Jewish identity and – and through their participation in Jewish behavior of American Jews in general or of culture. Third, it explores how Jewish indi- differing segments of the American Jewish viduals view the Jewish cultural experience community in particular. and what the relationship is between partici- pation in Jewish cultural activities and Jewish The following is a case study of Jewish cul- beliefs and behaviors. tural life in the Bay Area. Case studies are a valuable means for exploring in-depth a par- ticular community or group. It is also valu- WHY STUDY JEWISH CULTURE? able as a way to explore areas that have not been addressed before in order to provide a Culture is not a “thing,” a possession, or framework for further research. And finally, even a legacy. Instead, culture is a process of case studies provide us with a richness and continuous exploration and discovery, cre- beauty of the subject matter that cannot be ation and contention. In its widest sense cul- obtained in other ways. ture embraces all of what we might call Jewish civilization; but even in a narrower The data provided by this study will help us (though by no means narrow) reading, understand the role that Jewish cultural Jewish culture encompasses everyday cus- encounters play in developing and strength- toms and rituals of daily life, preservation ening American Jewish identity in order to: and scholarship, literature, and the arts. reinforce and expand diverse expressions of Jewish culture in America is an ongoing con- Jewish identity as well as to better plan and versation, and evidence of that conversation support the creative evolution of Jewish life can be found throughout the American land- in America through culture. And it will rede- scape. We, the Jewish people in America, are fine Jewish identity to include broader and the bearers and creators of this culture. It

4 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area behooves us to examine our cultural expres- many of American Jewry’s creative, critical, sions with the same intensity we give to and communal leaders. Even more--these Jewish education, philanthropy, and religious dimensions of Jewish identity have long been behavior. the objects of policy, funding, and interven- tion by movements, organizations, and indi- In his book on family and family values, viduals. Gillis argues that Americans have two fami- lies, one that they live with and one that they Yet, there is another dimension to American live by (Gillis 1996). The former is unstable, Jewish identity--cultural expression. In the fragmented, and dysfunctional; the latter is 1990 National Jewish Population Study, a whole, constituted of myth, ritual, and majority of respondents identified themselves image. The American Jewish community may as Jewish by “culture.” What did they mean be interpreted in much the same way: our by this? We do not know. We surmise that experience of community is one of disjunc- Jewish culture is rooted in peoplehood and tion and fractiousness, while our paradigmat- religious tradition, fueled by study (Torah) ic community is coherent, continuous, and and the quest for social justice (Tzedakah). cultured--buzz words which we invoke fre- We can see that American Jewish culture is quently and vociferously as if to reassure or entangled both with the seminal Jewish cate- confirm ourselves. In having a bifurcated gories and, often, with mainstream American view of ourselves, we are much like other culture as well. While American Jewish cul- American ethnic, religious, and cultural ture is linked to these other categories, it is groups. not congruent with them. In this view, Jewish culture constitutes a “fourth door” to Jewish Like these groups, contemporary American peoplehood, in tandem with religion, educa- Jewry is a product of modernity. Unlike tradi- tion, and philanthropy. For the purposes of tional Jewish communities in past millennia, this study, Jewish culture is treated as an our lives are divided into various spheres. independent category, an authentic, living Even our Jewish identities are divided. At expression of Jewish identity and community one level we have our demographic/ethnic in America. identity: we are members of a small, but per- sistent, people with deep roots in history. At At the outset of this discussion, we need to another level we have our religious identities: distinguish between public and private we are adherents of an ancient religious tra- expressions of Jewish culture and individu- dition, a cornerstone of Western culture. We als’ use of Jewish culture to construct their also have a moral identity: we are committed personal identities. Cultural expressions, philanthropists, sustainers of the hungry, the especially public culture, are the salient fea- poor, the elderly, and the sick. We have an tures for this type of study. Investigation of intellectual identity: we are the “People of the identity formation is a parallel, complemen- Book,” emphatically dedicated to education tary effort that makes use of different meth- and lifelong learning. These dimensions of ods and data. The two inquiries intersect and American Jewish identity--as ideal and as inform each other. For example, a part of reality--have been examined, analyzed, and both studies would focus on how individuals interpreted with passion and intelligence by find and use cultural expressions, in one case

5 Institute for Jewish & Community Research we are interested in what we might term cul- Forty years ago there was a single profession- tural consumption; in the other with personal ally staffed museum dedicated to Judaica and identity. For example, when interviewing cre- Jewish culture, The Jewish Museum in New ators and producers of Jewish cultural York City. Today, there are more than 60 insti- expression, we might inquire about creative tutional members of the Council of American intentions, while a study of identity might Jewish Museums from every region of the focus on issues of personal commitment. United States and Canada, some of which are among the largest and best-known North Further study of Jewish culture should focus American museums. Forty years ago the first on behaviors and expressions that are visible, monument to the Holocaust were just being rather than internal psychological processes. proposed. Today, there are more than 100 The following questions appear to be most Holocaust centers, archives, and museums in salient for this type of study: communities across the country, among them the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the • What are the forms of Jewish culture in Museum of Tolerance (Bet Ha-Shoah), the America? Holocaust Museum Houston, and The Museum of Jewish Heritage, Steven • Where is Jewish culture encountered and Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation video history engaged? project, and educational organizations, like Facing History and Ourselves. • Who participates in Jewish culture? There were some regular radio programs on • Who pays for the production and dissemi- Jewish issues 4 0 years ago, but no Jewish film nation of Jewish culture? festivals, television shows, or on-line sites. Today, there are about 20 annual festivals, If we could learn what kinds of cultural professionally staffed and managed, in large expressions are prominent and accessible, and small cities across the country. In addi- then find out who participates in different tion, there is an annual Jewish Film and aspects of Jewish culture, and ask what they Video Competition sponsored by the Judah think about their participation, then we will L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley, a Jewish deepen our understanding of what American Television Network with several million sub- Jews mean when they identify themselves as scribers, and Jewish channels on cable and Jewish by culture. public access television. The explosion of information on the Internet has been paral- leled by a vast expansion of on-line sites and AN HISTORICAL VIEW OF chat rooms ranging from Parashat NORTH AMERICAN JEWISH CULTURE Hashavuah to The World of Jewish Music.

In order to understand Jewish culture today, Equally striking are expressions of Jewish it may be instructive to glance back at the culture in mainstream cultural venues. recent past and note some of the many Overtly Jewish dramas are seen not only in salient differences from today’s cultural land- New York, but also in leading regional the- scape. atres across the U.S. Both Hollywood and

6 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area independent features frequently feature contemporary exploration of the Jewish cul- Jewish characters, issues, and situations. So tural landscape: the 1957-59 National Jewish do television shows--on network and cable — Cultural Study sponsored by the Council of some of which are now classics (e.g., Northern Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. Lights, Rhoda, Thirty-Something, and Seinfeld, to name only a few). Overt Jewish content The National Jewish Cultural Study was ini- aside, numerous works of mainstream art, tially proposed in 1954 , the Tercentenary of dance, music, drama, criticism, scholarship, Jewish arrival in what is now the United and literature reflect the influence of Jewish States. Three years later, the Council of consciousness and sensibility. My own Jewish Federations decided to sponsor the favorite in this regard is Michael Schudson’s national study noting that cultural programs Watergate in American Memory whose author “are conducted by a number of small organi- declares in his foreword that the book is actu- zations, severely limited in scope and ally about Passover (Schudson 1992). finances...in specialized fields with little con- tinuing relation to one another... The needs, In a recent paper, Jonathan Sarna reminds us which they are trying to meet… and the that issues of Jewish renewal have a long his- impact of the organizations have never been tory in (Sarna 1995). Looking back a century, assessed in any total view. Such an assess- he discovers that a generation of young, ment has long been overdue.” The study was acculturated Jews made conscious efforts to to be field-centered rather than agency-cen- create an institutional framework for an tered. Its purpose was to “determine the con- emergent Jewish culture. They created jour- dition of each of the fields under study, to nals, convened study groups, organized a assess unmet needs and projected plans, and network of interested leaders, and founded to make recommendations for strengthening the American Jewish Historical Society, the Jewish culture and scholarship” (Fine and Jewish Publication Society, and other still- Himmelfarb 1959:14 9-169). vibrant institutions. While the contexts of their activities were markedly different from Originally the study was to include our own, we are well-advised to recall that “libraries, archives, scholarship, publication, great issues often have long tails. literature, training personnel for adult Jewish education, and channels for information on Examination of the roles of Jewish culture in Jewish affairs, but limitations of time and America — what we might call condition money narrowed the objectives. It was decid- reports on the Jewish cultural landscape — ed that the primary focus should be on have many precedents in this century. We can archives, scholarship, research, and publica- still find much relevance in Mordecai tion, with a side glance at Jewish studies in Kaplan’s seminal work, Judaism as a secular institutions of higher learning.” In Civilization (Kaplan 1967). And, of course, in addition to excluding education and religion, the most recent forty years there have been the study also passed over the programs of numerous studies of specific features in the large, national membership organizations Jewish cultural landscape. But there is one and local cultural activities. When all was landmark effort, in particular, that we might said and done, the study focused on a examine because it has a direct link to any baker’s dozen of “national” Jewish agencies,

7 Institute for Jewish & Community Research including archives, research institutions, and as an autonomous realm of activity and publishers. expression, parallel with education, religion, and — implicitly — philanthropy. That these The study committee was very much aware interpretations were widely shared may be of other cultural manifestations, national and adduced from essays written by sociologist local. In the same issue of the American Jewish Abraham G. Duker, published and distrib- Year Book, reports on Jewish life in other uted by the Jewish Education Committee countries ranging from Algeria to West Press, a member of the Federation of Jewish Germany, made repeated reference to Philanthropies of New York, with funding “Cultural Activity.” Under this rubric provided by the Robert Szold Reprint Fund appeared notice of books, theatre, dance, of the College of Jewish Studies in Chicago music, radio broadcasts, exhibitions, and (Duker 1960). other cultural expressions. In the same vol- ume, a report on Federation allocations listed Dr. Duker’s articles called for investigation of “Recreation and Culture” as a major category the related processes of transculturation, and showed an increase in support from acculturation, and deculturation, “all too 19.4 % in 1953 to 22.1%, while Iva Cohen’s readily lumped together as American Jewish Bibliography included listings ‘Americanization,’ as they have affected and under headings like Art and Music, affect the immigrant generation and the Literature, Bible, Talmud and the Dead Sea native born Jew and his children.” The Scrolls, Religion and Philosophy (Fine and sources for such studies extended to labels on Himmelfarb 1959). packages and cans, phonograph records, and The Year Book also cited Abraham A. newspaper advertisements. What is startling Newman, President of Dropsie College, and about Dr. Duker’s essays is his assertion that Horace Kallen, a prominent scholar. In a “it can be assumed that the Jewish communi- reprint of Dr. Newman’s article on “Our ty’s emerging culture patterns are, to a large Historic Horizons” he argues: “If American extent, the same as those of the general Jewry will not allow itself to be diverted from American community in terms of language, its historic goal, which lies in the realm of the leisure time activities, demographic develop- spirit, in religion, in learning, and in culture, ments, and . . . even of stereotypes in think- in creations of the soul of man . . . it may yet ing, — including religious concepts as well. write an historic role of incalculable value to At the same time the Jewish culture patterns mankind” (Fine and Himmelfarb 1959). In an will continue to contain sizable though vary- entry on “Religious Agencies” Dr. Kallen ing residues of Jewish mores and ways of asks (rhetorically) if Judaism is a religious expression — some inherited from the tradition and community or an “aggregation European immigrants, others having originated, of groups and factions competitively identi- developed or considerably altered here [emphasis fying themselves by creed, cult, and culture” added].” For Duker, the effects of (Fine and Himmelfarb 1959). Americanization are discernible in religious observances and customs — as well as secu- It is clear from these and other references that lar behaviors — as, for instance, with the Jewish communal leaders construed culture elaboration of Hanukkah, the institution of

8 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Sunday morning prayer breakfasts, and visits to secular American life and figures who to parents’ graves on Father’s and Mother’s reflect their Jewishness, the Jewish impact on Days. America and American impact on Jewishness. The editors include entries on In his introduction to Duker’s book, Leon A. dance, music, literature, theater, poetry, films, Feldman asks, “Does it matter whether we radio, television, journalism, and libraries, study our Jewish way of life in America? but not foodways (which are dismissed as Whether we discover tendencies, which “trivial” and “mundane”). Despite this long ought to be encouraged or discouraged? list, the editors never quite make clear what Whether we control or influence develop- “Jewish-American,” “this awkward, hyphen- ments?” (Feldman 1960). To these questions ated term,” really means, nor what marks Feldman responds in the affirmative. Noting some expressions as “culture” and others as that American Jewish life is full of confu- “not-culture”. sions, individual and communal, Feldman asserts that “We have a deep responsibility The meanings of America, of Jewish, and of for understanding ourselves and our Jewish culture are all contested, and all three terms way of life . . . and building it into a sound of the subject require specification. Let us and healthy community.” What is meant by begin with America. For many, especially “leading a Jewish life” in America? This is a advocates or proponents of Jewish cultural question, which continues to resonate with expression — and especially of Jewish cultur- us, two generations later. Like our predeces- al renewal — America means openness and sors, we need to continue the search for opportunity. Certainly for Jews, America has understanding and meaning, as Feldman been the liberal democracy, welcoming, puts it, “in an orderly and logical manner. benign, tolerant. But openness and opportu- The mere effort to do this, even if we get no nity are not the only things that America sig- final answers, helps to build healthy atti- nifies in Jewish discourse. For many, over tudes, a tolerance for one another’s point of more than a century, America has represent- view.” ed modernity, secularism, and materialism. We need only recall the myriad complaints of religious Jews coming here in the 19th centu- WHAT IS JEWISH CULTURE? ry who found America a place inhospitable to traditional Judaism. Today, many within Unlike the Supreme Court Justice who “knew the Orthodox wing work (and thrive) within it when he saw it,” we need not assume that this secular, materialist context, but turn their American Jewish culture is either obvious or backs on modern America to preserve the self-evident. An instance of this is found in integrity and sanctity of their traditions. Even the new Encyclopedia of Jewish-American those Jews who embrace America must rec- History and Culture, which employs what the ognize that modernity, secularism, and mate- editors call the “broadest possible definition rialism are attributes or qualities that can run of what is meant by the term Jewish- counter to communal culture, especially to American” (Fischel and Pinsker 1992). This those cultures grounded in religious tradi- volume embraces both Jewish contributions tion.

9 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Table 1 Definitions of Jewish Culture

• Jewish art is any creative work for secular or religious purposes, executed only by Jewish artists or craftsmen; Art that is used in Jewish religious rituals, but the artists may be Jewish or non-Jewish. (Moment Magazine, April 1997, pg. 64 )

• By Jewish art we mean the arts as they are applied to Judaism. Such a concept of art may be called functional, since it does not recognize anything Jewish in art unless it serves a purpose connected with Judaism as a way of life. The definition excludes cre- ations by Jewish artists that are detached from Jewish objectives, but includes works which serve a Jewish purpose even though their makers are not Jewish (Jewish Theological Seminary of America 1959).

• Jewish film are those films that examine an aspect of the Jewish experience and feature at least one clearly defined Jewish central character (Bernheimer 1998).

• The underlying critical assumption is that the work of a Jewish writer must either overt- ly or covertly reflect a Jewish sensibility, a particular bent of mind that attracts them to certain issues and themes, and a perspective that invigorates their films with a sensitivi- ty that grows out of their Jewishness (Dresser and Friedman 1993).

Paradoxically, America is also a Christian population. We need to be conscious that country. Within living memory legal codes America is both valued and problematic. and local custom (the so-called Blue Laws) underlined the centrality of Christian con- The word “Jewish” in American Jewish cul- cerns in daily life. Even our calendar is ture is also problematic. One threshold of Christian. From time to time, great move- confusion is the conflation of Yiddish and ments of religious revival have sought to Jewish culture. Yiddish culture, largely a impose either generic or specific forms of response to modernity among European Christianity on the country as a whole, to Jewry in the 19th and early 20th centuries, date without success. The fact that many of achieved a remarkable efflorescence in litera- these religious struggles revolved around ture, theater, scholarship, and music. The Protestant-Catholic or fundamentalist-liberal density and richness of this culture has bene- issues does little to vitiate the point: the vast fited from acute critical attentions, both in its majority of Americans have been professed native lands and in its American transplanta- Christians who see themselves as citizens of a tion. But Jewish culture, certainly in America, Christian society. Even when verbal accom- is not limited to Yiddish culture. American modation has been made, as in “Judeo- Jewish culture is a different category, over- Christian tradition,” it has been quite clear lapping with Yiddish culture, but not coinci- which faith community has priority, weight, dent with it (Schiff 1995). and power. The arrival of a “multicultural moment” notwithstanding, America remains Even when we have passed beyond the dis- a predominantly Christian country in which tinction of Jewish and Yiddish, problems American Jewry is but a small fraction of the remain. Does Jewish culture embrace

10 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area expressions in which Jewish concerns are experience or sensibilities. In many of these implicit as well as those in which they are definitions, the Jewishness must be visible, explicit? The consciousness and intention of while others believe it can be underlying the artist may be a defining criterion here. sense of Jewishness. Composer and performance artist Liz Swados represents a non-Jewish family and As difficult as it is for experts and academics idiom in her work “The Haggadah,” but the to reach consensus on a definition of Jewish Jewish content is explicit; in contrast, some of culture that is commonly accepted, it is her most Jewish work is not overtly Jewish. equally difficult for those of us who partici- Maurice Sendak thinks that his classic Where pate in Jewish culture to know what it is. the Wild Things Are is a Jewish book, just as Focus group interviews show that there are Jewish as his Zlotka the Goat. Do we count as as many definitions and questions among Jewish cultural expression those productions, consumers as to what constitutes Jewish cul- which reflect a Jewish style as well as those ture, as expressed in the following: with overt Jewish content? Does Jewish cul- ture encompass the myriad cultural expres- “What does it mean? Jewish art. I understand sions of American Jews, regardless of their what French art or Russian art is, because identifications and intentions? The fluidity of you’re talking about nationality plus country. culture and a multiplicity of cultural activi- I understand what is Israeli art. At least I ties make these questions important. think I understand. But what would be Jewish art? I don’t [understand].” One must clarify what is included in a study of Jewish art and culture. This is not an easy The dialogue below between focus group task. There is considerable debate and participants serves as a good indicator of the numerous definitions about what Jewish art confusing definitions surrounding any aspect and culture is. In this study, art and culture of Jewish culture: are used interchangeably. Rather than limit the study to the visual or performance arts, (M): I don’t think there’s anything such we chose to be as inclusive as possible. By thing as a Jewish film. focusing exclusively in the domain of the “high arts,” such as the visual or perfor- (M): Unless it’s in Yiddish. Then it’s a mances arts, we would be excluding festivals, Jewish film, but there are films about Jews. lectures and other events that individuals There are films that have little vignettes participate in to connect with the Jewish about Jews and there are films about Jewish families, but generally in the context of a community. community. What’s a Jewish film? So then, what is Jewish culture? Various defi- (M): Fiddler on the Roof. nitions of Jewish art and culture have been proposed by academics, experts, and the (F): No, Fiddler on the Roof was a very media. Some of the definitions insist that the embarrassing film. I hate to tell you. They works must include religious themes or use took a story and they make a nice musical for religious purposes. Others believe it must out of it. include of sense of Jewishness – either

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(M): And [then] again, it’s not a Jewish as well as markers in the landscape if we are film. It’s a film about a Jewish family and to discern the characters, forms, and the problems they have in coming into a meanings of Jewish culture in the American modern age. context. Because of the difficulty in using this definition in a study such as ours, we decid- (F): Well, it depends upon what your inter- pretation of the expression Jewish film ed to define Jewish events for our survey means. respondents as Jewish if they contained Jewish themes or content. We recognize that (F): I think that there were two films. One the use of this definition assumes explicit and was with Amy Irving... common themes in Jewish art and culture and that to rely solely on this definition may (F): It was Crossing Delancey. limit our responses for the following reasons. According to Whitfield, to expel from consid- One individual, however, had a very clear eration whatever omits Jewish subject matter idea of what defines Jewish culture – unnecessarily diminishes the effort to under- Klezmer music. He stand the Jews who found this art form to This study proposes a created such works be clearly and unam- and would make the definition of Jewish culture biguously Jewish: task of classification elastic enough to encompass even more difficult “The fact that it’s customs, daily rituals, and (Whitfield 1999). For Jewish. I don’t go to example, how explicit hear clarinets. I’m not popular culture as well going to go to a place as intellectual life, historical does the content need to be? How do we just to hear a clarinet. preservation, the visual and It’s Jewish. It’s got a measure content? Jewish subject matter. performing arts. Some of these events It’s on the Jewish his- may share a common tory. To me, what Jewish art is, is very clear theme, a common language, history, interests, and simple really. I don’t think that we think of them as Jewish artists but the and culture. For some works, however, the music is Jewish and it’s a Jewish subject Jewishness may be buried deep within the matter, so I think that that’s what attracted art; while for others, it is the Jewish sensibili- me.” ty that the artist brings to his or her work. Jewish art and culture reflects the creator’s What, then, does the term Jewish culture Jewish identity, which is also comprised of a comprise? Is it limited to what this man mix of their historic, cultural, ethnic and reli- could easily separate as Jewish or the confu- gious identities. For example, one of the pro- sion about what constitutes Jewish film? We grams we found through our content analysis propose an inclusive definition elastic is Maurice Edelstein’s exhibit “Images of enough to encompass customs, rituals of Chinatown: Three Decades of Photographs.” everyday life, and popular culture as well as While the Jewish themes and content are not Jewish intellectual life, the preservation of apparent in the title, the author says that he historical Jewish artifacts, the visual and the sees “a common bond between Chinese performing arts. If culture is process and not immigrants and Jewish settlers.” There was just product, then we must look for activity much discussion about whether this should

12 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area be included as a Jewish art or cultural pro- “To me, I have a friend who is a sculptor gram. In the end, it was not. who is Chinese who made a beautiful menorah. Now she’s obviously non- religious, but it’s a beautiful piece of art The different traditions and modes of obser- and she loves having it. I would think that vance that constitute Jewish life influence there must be non-Jewish artists who may Jewish art and culture. While this heritage is go to Jerusalem and paint beautiful scenes not expressed in the content of the work, it is of Jerusalem. And that would be Jewish art a drawing force (Harris 1996). So where do whether it was made by a Jew or a non-Jew. we put works that reflect this sensibility and So it seems to me that there must be intelligence? Contemporary Jewish immi- klezmer musicians who aren’t Jewish.” grants to the United States are characterized by distinct cultural, linguistic, and national Is this Jewish culture? It is, undoubtedly. heritages. While they have geographic, cul- Jewish culture should be defined both by the tural, religious and economic links with artist and the product. American Jews, national preference often pre- dominates and they often gravitate towards And what about how the artists themselves their own enclaves (Gold 1998). For example, identify? Does the label of Jewish artist come Yiddishkeit Jewishness is not typical of every from the artist themselves or from patrons, segment of the Jewish community; yet, funders, and consumers of his or her art? A Jewish writing and identity has come to number of our focus groups participants mean Yiddish-influenced speech, irony, urban were themselves artists. Many of them talked angst and alienation, wisecracking humor, about their own confusion about whether social radicalism, tension between assimila- they considered themselves a Jewish artist tion and tradition, and Jewishly colored and whether or not their art is Jewish art: humanistic values (Hirschberg 1972; Matza “I am in a real interesting dilemma now as 1997). an artist. I’ve been making art for almost 50 years and my family and I took this trip to Focus group participants questioned whether central Europe about 2 years ago. We went or not the fact that an artist is Jewish makes to the Czech Republic and the Austria and the art, in and of itself, Jewish art: to Hungary for three weeks and we went to to Madhausen and although I have always thought I was a very educated Jewish “Schlesinger …we are talking about the cin- woman about the issues of Jewish history ... ema film director who did Midnight I’ve read a lot. I’ve seen a lot of films ... I Cowboy. He’s Jewish, but I mean is Midnight thought I really was prepared, but I guess I Cowboy Jewish film?” wasn’t for what I felt and saw there. And I was born the same year as Anne Frank, so or: I’ve always identified with Anne Frank in some way. I took a few photographs while I “[Simply because] it’s a Jewish painter of was there but I couldn’t take many because significance, I would not [necessarily] con- I kept saying there’s no way a camera can sider it Jewish art, Jewish painting.” record what I’m feeling. It was a very emo- tional experience. Am I a Jewish artist? Am This issue also works in reverse, with non- I an artist who just happened to make two Jews creating Jewish art: pieces that are so strongly Jewish in con- tent? ... I don’t want to be seen as Jewish.

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I’ve never identified or put my work into the world and how they see themselves. the work of women artists. I don’t want to What are the images of Jews that Jewish be a woman artist and I don’t want to be a institutions want to promote? And what do Jewish artist, but I happen to have made we do with works that reflect Jews in nega- two pretty important pieces that are very strongly Jewish. ... I don’t know quite how tive ways. For, example, Fiedler asks whether to think of it.” works that include Jew as villain, such as Merchant of Venice, constitute Jewish works She, of course, represents many of the con- (Fiedler 1991). ceptual issues explored in this study. Jewish art and culture also reflects the ways Jews are very conscious of their image in that Jews have been seen and identified by popular culture: the world and how they seem themselves (Kleeblatt 1996). Images of Jews in commer- “One Seinfeld skit was just absolutely cial arts are rarely controlled by Jewish orga- atrocious. When the rabbi was going to do nizations and are geared toward general a circumcision. It was terrible. It was ugly, anti-Semitic. The rabbi was a real carica- audiences. As Rosenberg states, films of ture. And I don’t feel good about that.” Jewish experience are intimately bound up with the non-Jewish world’s use of Jewish Because culture is created continuously, experience for it’s own reflection (Rosenberg sometimes this creativity is subversive. As 1996). Jews in some sense participate in that Nessa Rapoport has remarked, culture is reflection and have shaped it in significant anarchic (Solataroff and Rapoport 1992). ways, we are dealing in any case, with an Culture is also amorphous — multidimen- intercultural realm, which has cultural claims sional and multi-disciplinary, inclusive and of its own (Rosenberg 1996:4 ). Jewishness is exclusive, narrow and broad, all at the same expressed in terms that do not specifically time. While culture can be concrete--food- refer to Jews. Focus group participants also ways provide but one example — it is also reflected on this theme: abstract. Saul Bellow has captured the elu- “It’s interesting, on TV recently, the chief siveness of culture as follows: “We do not representations of Jewishness are not make up history and culture. We simply Jewish. That is to say if you look at Paul appear, not by our own choice. We make Reiser or you look at Seinfeld, I mean they what we can of our condition with the means are and aren’t. I saw a scene that was a available. We must accept the mixture as we eulogy at a funeral — it’s clear that you’re find it — the impurity of it, the tragedy of it, supposed to understand that everyone on Paul’s side are all Jews. They’re all Jewish the hope of it” (Bellow 1963:16). Today, we characters, and yet they make it in such a look in vain for a comprehensive, or even a way that there is nothing distinctly Jewish coherent overview of Jewish culture in that everyone knows. Similarly, there’s a America. Jewish culture has yet to find its kind of suspension of that understanding forum, let alone its Baedeker. We may not with Seinfeld. Elaine is, but in theory, is not then, “know it when we see it.” One dialogue Jewish as far as the program goes.” between focus group participants went like this: Should Jewish art be concerned only with how American Jews want to be seen by

14 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

(F): I don’t think there’s ever been a Jewish To some observers the landscape is dry and character that I can think of on a television desolate. To others, the landscape is barren show that just distinctly is Jewish and... with small oases of vigor, or fallow with indications of incipient fertility, or overgrown (F): What about the female? with lush vegetation. To this observer, the (F): Female? landscape of American Jewish culture pre- sents a diversity of Jewish cultural expres- (F): Joan Rivers. sions, ranging from life cycle rituals to the World Wide Web, from video games to block- (F): Well, she was a talk show host, yeah. buster exhibitions. In addition to contempo- She made it quite known that she was rary features, predecessor landscapes, native Jewish. and foreign, are embedded and evoked. The (M): I think a major female Jewish cultural landscape has its bare spots, entertainer...Barbra Streisand is the only even its deserts. But overall, the landscape is one who has ever been on television, on a rich, complicated mix of meadows and anything and always played a Jewish per- woodlands, gardens and fields, roadways son. And totally proud of it. and rendezvous, structures and streams. (F): I don’t think she stresses it as much as Woody Allen. Given the rich diversity of the cultural land- scape, we need a set of organizing frame- (M): No, but every character she’s played, works or taxonomies to focus on salient fea- she’s always been Jewish. tures. Since there are many ways to parse the cultural landscape, we need at the outset to (M): She never denies it. specify a taxonomy, which can guide system- (M): Not just Yentl, even the more modern atic investigation. The criteria for such a tax- characters that she’s played. onomy are potentially overwhelming, but three criteria at least must be satisfied if the (F): The Way We Were, she was a Jewish proposed taxonomy is to be effective: character. • The taxonomy has to force the important (M): A Jewish woman. questions. There is a plethora of questions that might be asked about Jewish culture in Jews are aware of the cultural disagreements. America. Many of these questions concern They live it themselves, as creators and par- individual identity rather than public cul- ticipants, observers and analysts. These dis- ture, and others focus on limited sectors of the landscape. A taxonomy is needed that cussions about Jewish identity are as com- will direct attention to key aspects of the mon as any in Jewish life. They are Jewish cultural landscape and will focus on the life. minimum significant agenda or questions described previously.

HOW CAN WE STUDY JEWISH CULTURE? • The taxonomy has to promote a feasible investigation. The cultural landscape is so The landscapes of contemporary American vast and so complex that the taxonomy Jewish culture offer a kaleidoscope of images. needs to focus attention on select issues.

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While the taxonomy must be broad-gauged ECOLOGY-BASED TAXONOMY and inclusive, minor elements and byways must be rigorously excluded so that the In America, an open, market-based system of study can be done cost-effectively, on time, and within budget. cultural production, distribution, and consumption is the norm. Jewish culture is • The taxonomy has to be germane and use- no exception. It is possible to distinguish dif- ful to key constituencies. Cultural creators, ferent kinds of cultural creators and pre- presenters, patrons, funders, scholars, cul- servers, presenters and interpreters, patrons tural advocates, and community leaders are and funders, advocates and critics, and audi- the key constituencies for this study. The ences, users, and consumers of culture. All of preferred taxonomy has to guide a study that is useful for multiple constituencies these groups are linked in a system we might and not just a single constituency. call the political economy or ecology of cul- ture. This typology points toward cultural Many kinds of taxonomy could be devised expression as a system in which key elements for the Jewish cultural landscape. One could, are networked. Such a typology would focus for example, imagine taxonomy based on on the major constituents or parties within specific fields of Jewish culture — music, the system, first within the Jewish communi- dance, literature, scholarship, criticism, ty and then in mainstream America. media, preservation, etc. The complexities of The Role of Cultural Patronage in any given field, however, could easily con- Support of Jewish Art and Culture sume so much budget and energy that the investigation would be limited to only one or a few specific fields, making the study use- The availability of Jewish art and culture is less to all constituencies except those directly an important avenue for full participation in involved in the given field(s). One could Jewish life and the expression of Jewish iden- employ a taxonomy that is organized in tity. Its availability is the result not just of a broad categories such as intellectual culture, single individual or organization, but a col- popular culture, material culture, visual and laborative effort among the artists involved performing arts. But these broad categories in its creation, those who fund it, those who would likely produce overlap and redundan- provide a place for it to be exhibited or per- cy. The analysis that follows is based on sur- formed, and the audience who comes to view vey data of Bay Area Jewish residents, focus it. It is important to understand the range of groups, and a content analysis of local news- funding sources for Jewish culture, to define paper listings of Jewish art and culture their respective priorities and strategies, and events (See Appendix A for methodology). to analyze the relationship between produc- We propose three taxonomies to organize our ers, presenters, and consumers of culture. analysis — one based on an ecological model However, while studies on Jewish art and that examines the patrons and funders, cre- culture have focused their attention on its ators, and audiences and users of Jewish cul- creation and performance, little attention has ture, another based on venues, and a third been given to the role of organizations and based on content. funders in its production.

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According to Wolff, works of art are not funding and sponsoring agencies, which is closed, self-contained entities, but are the greater than in most industrialized countries product of specific historical practices on the (Blau 1989). In the cultural system, sponsors part of identifiable social groups in given of institutions, projects, and programs play conditions and bear the imprint of the ideas, an instrumental role. Jewish cultural patron- values, and conditions of those groups (Wolff age runs a gamut, from Jewish communal 1993). In other words, the production of art is leaders in the organized Jewish community influenced by a variety of factors and is not to individual donors and philanthropists to solely the creation of the individual artist. foundations and corporate sponsors. Cultural organizations, funders, critics, and audiences all affect how the artist’s work is In recent years, external support has become produced, performed, and made available to increasingly important to the production of the public (Blau 1989; Wolff 1993). art and cultural events. The rising costs of Environmental factors on the local level, such events and growth of institutional budgets as employment opportunities and availability cannot be met solely by the cost of admission of art spaces may also contribute to the pro- or price of the ticket. Therefore, most pro- duction of specific types of works over others grams must be underwritten by an outside (Becker et al. 1989). Organizations that spon- donor, whether it is an individual, corpora- sor art and culture act as gatekeepers by fil- tion, private foundation, or the government. tering the types of programs that are present- Studies have shown that the average number ed. By supporting and promoting certain of exhibitions per museum that are spon- types of art and cultural events, they enable sored by outside donors has been rising us to see only what they want us to (Miles steadily since 1972 (Alexander 1996). 1996). Additionally, competition for funding may encourage certain types of art to be pro- Donors also have an effect on the form and duced over others (Alexander 1996). content of the events that are produced by their willingness to fund certain types of pro- How individual organizations decide on the grams over others (Alexander 1996; type of art and culture that they want to pro- Delacoma 1997). Wealthy individuals may mote is based on a combination of factors. prefer to support small art exhibitions that The organization may be involved in long- help them gain status as a connoisseur of rare term planning and promote art and cultural works while corporations may favor pro- events that reflect the type of institution they grams that improve their corporate reputa- want to become. Programming may be also tion. Some foundations support only well be influenced by short-term objectives, such established organizations that are in their as the desire to expand their audience, the own community. current financial status of the organization, and the availability of outside funds or of Government support has become increasing- particular programs (Cameron 1991). ly susceptible to political favoritism. The preferences and biases of the external sources One must also take into account the extent to of support may conflict with the wishes of which arts organizations in the United States the cultural institutions. Each organization are dependent on a multitude of external must then decide whether or not they are

17 Institute for Jewish & Community Research willing to have the donor’s interests influ- of the performer or artist to draw audiences ence their programming. which may influence their ability to sustain financial resources (Blau 1989; Wolff 1993). Funding for arts and culture must also take Audience tastes also differ by age, income into account the relationships among arts and and education and may shift due to advanc- cultural organizations and other institutions. ing age, higher education, and change in The art and cultural environment has become income. Therefore, there is no distinct mar- more competitive, and these organizations ket and no conspicuous process of cross-gen- must increasingly vie with one another for erational transmission (Blau 1989). funding and audiences. Increasingly, trustees and committee members on the boards of art In recent years, all types of organizations and culture organizations are affiliated with have become involved in the production of corporations or foundations that represent Jewish art and culture. Differences exist potential funders (Cameron 1991; Whitt and between communities based on the same fac- Lammers 1991). Therefore, the institutional tors found in the art and culture world at board may also lean towards the types of large — the vision of organizations, funders, programs that are supported by funders. and critics, the likes and dislikes of audi- Innovative programming, without a stable ences, and the availability of space, and source of funding, is difficult to sustain over employment opportunities, in addition to the long term. There are some foundations, size, geographic location, and the urban/sub- although few in number, that have recently urban/rural characteristics of the Jewish become involved in supporting programs community. The study of Jewish art and cul- that encourage innovation and experimenta- ture must explore the resources available in tion in art and culture (Delacoma 1997). each community.

The art establishment, consisting of experts, All types of organizations in the Bay Area are scholars, and critics, also influence the pro- involved in the production and promotion of duction of art through their participation in Jewish art and cultural programs. These key decisions, especially in funding for the organizations include religious, cultural, edu- (Brudney 1990). This establishment has been cational and communal institutions under criticized for being too focused on the fine Jewish, non-Jewish and mixed auspices. arts at the expense of cultural diversity and experimentation. Critics also have the power The programs that are sponsored by each to influence the careers of artists and per- organization are influenced by a combination formers, since they review only a small num- of factors. These include the institution’s ber of the events that are produced (Giuffre choice of financial resources, theological or 1999). ideological beliefs, staff support, physical facilities, and membership. For example, the Finally, audiences are involved in the produc- United States Holocaust Museum, which co- tion of art and culture. They make their pref- sponsored “Remember the Children: Daniel’s erences known every time they buy a ticket Story,” an exhibit and other programs about or attend an event (Delacoma 1997). the Holocaust with the Bay Area Discovery Innovation may be influenced by the ability Museum, is supported primarily with

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Table 2 Sponsors and Promoters of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Jewish Congregation Shir Shalom Barnes and Noble Ahavat Yisrael Congregation Shomrei Torah Bay Area Discovery Museum ALSJCC Consulate General of Israel U.S. Holocaust Memorial ATraveling Jewish Theatre The Friedman Center Museum American Jewish Congress Givat Haviva Educational Berkeley Store Gallery Annex Beth El Choir Foundation UC Santa Cruz Early Music Berkeley Richmond Jewish Jewish Community Relations Singers and Antiquarian Community Center Council and Israel Center of Funks Bureau of Jewish Education Jewish Community Boaz Accordions Cafe Europa for Holocaust Federation Book Passage Survivors The Jewish Museum San Bucheon Gallery Friends of Jewish Community Francisco Bus Barn Theater Library Greater San Francisco Unit No. Cal State Hayward Contra Costa Jewish 21 B'nai B'rith California Conservatory Community Center San Francisco Jewish Theatre Center for Humanistic Judaism Community Center California Historical Society Center for Jewish Living and Israel at 50 Yerba Buena Center for the Learning of the Jewish Israel Center of the Jewish Arts Federation of Greater East Bay Community Federation Center for the Performing Arts San Francisco Jewish Film The Israel Project San Francisco State University Festival Tzavta of the Israel Center Jewish Studies Programs Osher Marin Jewish Israel Bonds California Institute of Integral Community Center Israel Book Club of Israel Studies Central Pacific Coast Hadassah Center of Jewish Federation of Clark University San Francisco City Wide Hillel Greater East Bay Cody's Bookstore Chabad of Greater South Bay Israel Center of the Jewish Commonwealth Club of Chabad of Marin Federation of Greater East California Chochmat HaLev Bay Oakland Public Library Peninsula Temple Beth El and Judah L. Magnes Museum Easy Going Travel Shop & Temple Beth El Brotherhood Jewish Community Relations Bookstore Congregation B'nai Israel Council First Congregational Church Congregation B'nai Torah Northern California Jewish First United Methodist Church Congregation Beth Am Bulletin Fort Mason Congregation Beth David Israeli Foreign Ministry Freight & Salvage Congregation Beth El University of California Friends of San Francisco Public Temple Sinai Berkeley Hillel Library Congregation Beth Israel-Judea University of California Santa Gaia Congregation Beth Israel Cruz Hillel George Krevsky Gallery Congregation Beth Sholom San Francisco Humanities Inc. Congregation Beyt Tikkun Non-Jewish and Mixed Gunn High School Congregation Emanu-El Auspices San Francisco Unified School Lehrhaus Judaica AClean Well-Lighted Place for District Congregation Kol Emeth Books Varian Fry Foundation Project Congregation Kol Shofar Altarena Playhouse International Rescue Congregation Ner Tamid Amnesty International Committee Congregation Rodef Sholom Holocaust Center of Northern San Francisco Public Library Congregation Sha'ar Zahav California Irish Literary and Historical Congregation Sherith Israel Artrise Theatre Society Congregation Shir Hadash Ashkenaz

19 Institute for Jewish & Community Research government funds. Jewish studies programs, Writing from Israel” with Congregation B’nai such as the Swig Jewish Studies Program at Tikvah. the University of San Francisco, which spon- sored “Jews and Christians in a Secular Collaboration among Jewish and non-Jewish World,” receives both university and private organizations has also become common. The funding. The sources of support may involvement of Jewish and non-Jewish orga- influence these organizations towards sup- nizations is one reflection of the assimilation porting cultural programs with Jewish of Jews into American society. Jews are themes or content that would be of interest to involved, as employees, volunteers, directors both Jews and non-Jews. of all types of non-Jewish cultural and com- munal organizations and bring their own Synagogues, federations, Jewish community interests and experiences as Jews with them centers, Jewish museums, and Jewish and may be involved in spearheading collab- libraries, among other Jewish organizations orative efforts on Jewish art and cultural are involved in the production of Jewish art events. Jewish art and culture has also and culture. These organizations are the become, in many ways, so much a part of gatekeepers for the community. The art and American culture on a larger scale that these culture that is promoted by these organiza- organizations actively seek to participate in tions is primarily geared for Jewish audi- Jewish art and culture. Additionally, art and ences. Future investigations should examine culture provide a safe place for organizations the role of these institutions in influencing that may differ on religious, political or ideo- the form and content of the art and culture logical grounds, to work together. Examples available to the community. For example, of such collaborative efforts include, “50/50: while studies have shown that the Holocaust Israeli Art from Bay Area Collections” at the and Israel have become less important to a The Jewish Museum San Francisco and co- large majority of American Jews as an expres- sponsored by the Magnes Museum and Yerba sion of their Jewish identity, they remain Buena Center for the Arts; a lecture about major themes found in Jewish art and cul- Jews in 20th Century Ireland at the Northern ture. California Holocaust Center was co-spon- sored by the Irish Literacy and Historical Co-Sponsorship of Programs Society and the San Francisco Jewish Jewish organizations frequently co-sponsor Community Center; and a music and dance events with each other. Art and cultural event at the UC Berkeley Hillel was co-spon- events provide an arena for collaboration sored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, the between denominational organizations, and Middle East Children’s Alliance, and between religious institutions and communal American Friends Service Committee. organizations. The South Bay Institute for Living and Learning co-sponsored a number Given the competition for financial resources, of lectures at synagogues, including “Mystic increased collaboration between funders and Tales from the Zohar” and “Reclaiming the sponsors may also be necessary. This may be Power of Blessing.” The Jewish Federation of especially important across geographic the East Bay sponsored “New Women’s boundaries, because as we will see from our

20 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area data, the audience and users of Jewish cul- understand the role that culture plays in their ture are dispersed throughout a wide area. construction of Jewish identity, their knowl- Smaller organizations may need the assis- edge of Jewish cultural resources, their pat- tance of larger Jewish organizations and local terns of response, and their assessments of non-Jewish ones in order to present a wider their encounters with different forms of range of Jewish art and culture to their con- Jewish cultural expression. stituents. Since collaboration and partner- ships do not usually happen on their own, Demographic Characteristics of Sample these organizations may need assistance in facilitating these types of relationships, Age and Gender including help in learning about their exis- Some of the demographic characteristics of tence. Additionally, since there are both posi- the sample reflect the character of the general tive and negative aspects of working with population of the Bay Area. For example, a other organizations, assistance may be need- slightly higher proportion of the population ed in navigating these new relationships, is female, and 51% of the survey respondents such as spelling out the details of the collabo- are female. In terms of age, the Bay Area ration and managing conflicts that arise. Jewish population is relatively young, with a sizable population under 35 years old. Among survey respondents, 28% are between AUDIENCES AND USERS 18 and 34 , 34 % are between 35 and 4 9, 22% are between 50 and 64 , and 16% are 65 and Our data allows us to examine the audiences over (see Figure 1). and users of Jewish culture in the Bay Area to

Figure 1 Age of Respondents

65 year and older 16% 18-34 years 28%

50-64 years 22%

35-4 9 years 34 %

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Figure 2 Length of Residence in the Bay Area

1 year or less 5%

21 years or more 26% 2 to 5 years 24 %

11 to 20 years 6 to 10 years 28% 18%

Place of Birth and Length of Marital Status Residence in the Bay Area The sample reflects the diversity of house- The majority of Bay Area Jews in the sample holds in terms of family status. There is a siz- were born outside California, including 11% able population of single adults; more than who are foreign born. Most of the other 40% of the households report having never respondents are from the Northeast (34 %) been married or are currently divorced, sepa- including 19% from the New York rated or widowed. Thirty percent of the Metropolitan Area alone. Furthermore, many respondents are single or never married, 4 % of these migrants have come within the past say they are divorced or separated and 7% few years. About 30% have been here less say they are widowed. Fifty-nine percent are than five years, and only 26% have been here currently married or living with a partner. for more than 20 years. Over half of respon- We can also assume that given the large gay dents have lived in the Bay Area for 10 years and lesbian population in the Bay Area, or longer, 18% have lived there between 6 many of those who say they are married or and 10 years and 29% have lived in the Bay partnered are gay or lesbian (see Figure 3). Area for five years or less. Not only is the population mobile, it is spread throughout Intermarriage the Bay Area. While some concentration can Among those respondents who are married be found in the Richmond and Sunset neigh- or living with a partner, 35% live in intermar- borhoods of San Francisco, the sample was ried households. This does not represent the geographically dispersed everywhere else. rate of intermarriage, which would be con- No zip codes had more than 3% of respon- siderably higher than 35%. This total includes dents and most had less than 1% (see all married and partnered couples across age Figure 2). and generational categories. Intermarriage

22 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area rates are much lower for older Jews, closer to diploma. Thirty-eight percent of respondents 10% for those over 65, for example. say they have a bachelors degree, 22% say they have an masters degree, 17% have a Race doctorate or other professional degree, such The sample also shows more racial diversity as a JD or MD (see Figure 4 ). than is commonly assumed in the Jewish community. About 10% of the respondents Income indicated that they were Black or some other Jews tend to have higher incomes than the non-Caucasian race, as were 10% of their general population. The median income of spouses. Since these are not perfectly inter- Jews in the sample is $87,500 versus the secting, we estimate that 13% of the sampled $50,767 median reported for the Bay Area in households are interracial. If one includes the U.S. Census Bureau’s March 1999 adopted children of color, the proportion of Current Population Survey. Twenty-one per- Jewish-mixed race households is even higher. cent of respondents earned less than $50,000 in 1999, 20% earned between $50,000 and Education $74 ,999, 24 % earned $75,000-$99,999 and 35% Bay Area Jews are remarkably well-educated earned over $100,000, including 8% earning — 90% have a college degree or higher. The more than $250,000 per year. Nevertheless, vast majority of respondents have finished at 41% of households are either low income or least four years of college. Less than 10% middle income, challenging the notion that have a high school education or less. all Jews are wealthy and would have money Thirteen percent of respondents have an for expensive social activities (see Figure 5). associates degree or similar type of degree or

Figure 3 Marital Status

Single or never married Currently married or living 30% with a partner 59%

Divorced, separated or widowed 11%

23 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Figure 4 Highest Degree or Diploma

Other Doctorate or other 1% H.S. or equivalent professional degree 9% 17%

A.A. degree 13%

M.A. degree 22%

B.A. degree 38%

Jewish Identity and Jewish Education no other religion. About 6% identified them as either Protestant or Catholic, 12% as Denomination agnostic or none, and 14 % as more than one The Jews of the Bay Area are most likely to religion, including Jewish. The data reflect identify themselves as Reform. This does not the ambiguous nature of many children’s mean that they belong to a Reform congrega- Jewish identity. The 6% who identify as tion or believe in the Reform ideology. It does Christian has grown significantly since the mean that they have some affinity for Reform 1987 study of the Bay Area Jewish population Judaism as opposed to other branches. Forty- (Tobin 1988). five percent of respondents identify as Reform, 25% as Conservative, 5% as Focus group participants also had strong feel- Reconstructionist or Renewal, and 26% say ings about being a Jew without defining they identify as something else. Something themselves through a denomination. The fol- else includes just Jewish, culturally Jewish, lowing response was heard often in the focus and many other self-defined labels that peo- group discussions: ple use to describe their own Judaism. Many of the survey respondents also do not identi- “I strongly identify as a secular Jew and I put capital letters on the [term] Secular Jew fy themselves religiously as Jewish. Almost because my resentment about the Jewish 19% identified themselves as agnostic, say community is that you can only define they are more than one religion, or say they yourself as a Jew if you have religion.” have no religion (see Figure 6). Stories of institutional disaffiliation are also Even fewer, only 69% of the respondents quite common: identified their children as being Jewish and

24 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

“I grew up for the first thirteen years in a “I’ve been noticing so many of the partici- public school in Brooklyn and the rabbi pants here really don’t talk so much about lived four doors from us so, of course, I religiosity and God but more they talk went to Hebrew school as did my other about cultural identification. And I think, in two brothers. I loved the ritual, I loved the my mind, that there’s a real partition. I singing, I was the cantor for the group. I mean, I like Jewish traditions... I love to was the rabbi’s favorite person to do any- hear the Jewish cantors on Yom Kippur. I thing of the singing or reciting nature. ... put it on my record player and I go crazy. I When I turned thirteen and had a wonder- cry sometimes because it tugs at your heart ful bar mitzvah, I totally disconnected. I strings. But I don’t believe in God. It’s had not really believed in God, I didn’t ridiculous. And I think most people, if they know what God was all about. Even as a would really face up to it, are ... expressing youngster I never thought about it. But hypocrisy. I mean Jewish culture, Jewish when we had an opportunity to become history, Jewish identification, be proud of secular and still retain Jewish identity, Jewish Olympic stars, actors...that’s won- Jewish songs and some of the rituals, etc., I derful. That’s national pride. That’s jumped at it.” Judaism. But that’s not religious Jewishness. ... Yiddish is not Jewish. Others report negative experiences with the Hebrew is Jewish. In order to be Jewish you’ve got to be an orthodox Jew. They are organized Jewish community that led them the only true Jews, in my opinion. to dropping out of Jewish communal life. Everybody else is a cultural Jew. Reform, Some reject cultural Judaism. And others Conservative, Reconstructionist.” who are religiously involved believe that those who do participate are the real Jews:

Figure 5 Reported Income in 1999

Over $250,000 $10,000-$24 ,999 8% 7%

$25,000-$4 9,999 14 %

$100,000-$24 9,999 27%

$50,000-$74 ,999 20%

$75,000-$99,999 24 %

25 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Figure 6 Denomination

Other 26%

Reform 45% Renewal 2%

Reconstructionist 3%

Conservative 25%

This participant reflects the view that only “It’s the mood, it’s the genre of the time. the Orthodox are real Jews. Others are satis- It’s chic now to have some ethnic identity.” fied with their levels of participation: Another participant in a different focus “I am not disappointed in Judaism. I think group picked up on this theme: people take what they want out of it. I take a Bible study class at the Jewish “I’ve always been envious of people who Community Center in Palo Alto, so that’s had an ethnicity. I would look at people where I come from. I am not basically reli- who were Italian and think, ‘Wow! It’s so gious. I mean ... we don’t go to synagogue neat to be Italian,’ or any ethnicity, and now. We go to Hillel for services on the then all of a sudden I realized I had one. High Holy Days.” And I hadn’t really paid attention to it. So once I realized I had one too, I liked it. I Both the qualitative and quantitative data like the ethnicity, and I like the cultural part show that one’s Jewish identify is not syn- of being Jewish.” onymous with one’s religious identity. The issue of defining one’s Jewishness must also When given the option to identify as a cultur- encompass ethnic identity and is important al Jew, a religious Jew, or both, most people since many who do not see themselves as a say they are both. They see Judaism as an Jew by religion have been excluded from amalgam of both ethnicity and religiosity. many traditional surveys of Jewish identity. Twenty-eight percent of respondents identify One participant, a schoolteacher, said that as either only a Jew by religion or a Jew by people, especially younger ones, are more religion and culture and/or ethnicity. Fifty- willing to express their Jewish identity: four percent identify only as a Jew by culture

26 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area or ethnicity, and 18% do not identify them- People feel strongly connected as Jews, but selves in this way at all. not necessarily to religious Judaism as defined by synagogue: Many of the participants were aware of the difficulty of putting a single label on “My grandmother kept a kosher house and Judaism: I loved going over there as a child because of the smells. I never had any Jewishness in my house except when my grandmother “Is it a matter of religion or is it a matter of came over. The Jewishness of the whole ethnicity? Even the word ethnicity fails — community was there, very dominant, in peoplehood rather than ethnicity. It’s a my early upbringing. Later through art and complicated mix.” films and music, I’ve had Jewishness in my life, but it’s never been a religious element. Focus group participants agree that one does Often times for Passover Seder, a friend not need to participate in religious practices invited me in to the JCC but it wasn’t part in order to consider oneself Jewish. of my upbringing to observe my Connections to one’s Jewishness. I feel it, Jewish identity are “I went to Hebrew school. I it’s part of me, I identi- fy with it, I go to art expressed in a variety loved the ritual and the singing. events and music of ways. One partici- Then, after my bar mitzvah, events, cultural events. pant noted: I totally disconnected. But, I don’t know, I think it’s just such a richness “I don’t come from a later, when I had an opportunity that even if you don’t religious background, to become secular and still practice and study but from a very ethni- retain Jewish identity, Hebrew and the cally conscious back- Talmud it’s still just a ground,” I jumped at it.” beautiful tradition.” while another said: Individuals love being Jewish, and are expressive in their passion. The theme of “I was raised in an ethnically, culturally defending being Jewish without kashrut and Jewish home, but with not much religious regular synagogue attendance is something input.” that many grew up with and embrace:

Many focus group participants say they “We didn’t keep Shabbat. We didn’t keep express their Jewishness through non-reli- kosher. We [didn’t go to synagogue, except gious practices and behaviors, such as identi- for] Sunday school and High Holy days fying with other Jews and their interest in and [we celebrated] Pesach and Hanukkah Jewish culture: at home. But [through my activities] I always felt culturally and socially Jewish — youth group at the temple, the B’nai B’rith “You don’t have to be religious to be Girls. ... When I went to my twentieth high Jewish. I feel just as Jewish, as an atheist, as school reunion ten years ago, I sat there anybody does. And I love Jewish music, I with two big tables full of people that were like Jewish food, I like Jewish jokes.” BBG.”

27 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Focus group participants also talked about are both building very Jewish lives with their connection to their Jewish identity their wives and the grandchildren. All the through their beliefs in Jewish traditions and kids go to these Hebrew type schools and it gives me enormous pleasure that they are sensibilities that were embedded in them as knowledgeable as I was, as my parents when growing up – a sense of social justice, a were, and there’s a sense of a future when I certain political perspective or intelligence, look at them. If I look at pure cultural and even humor. One man talked about his Judaism, I don’t see that. I see dilution after Jewish identity coming through in his work. dilution and what’s going to be He said: “I’m a plaintiff civil right’s lawyer passed...and I look at it and it makes me and that’s part of my Jewish identity.” very, very sad. As a piece of a larger thing, I can see it. As a thing in itself, I don’t.”

Others equate Judaism with a good and Some argued that being Jewish requires decent parent: understanding of Judaism, laws, and theolo- gy. Even if one is not observant, he has to be “My father spoke Yiddish. My father was cognizant of basic Judaism: an amazing model of human decency and humility and I can say a lot about that. Also humor. He was an “It is, in our case, a culture and history is amazing man, and I “I’ve always been envious of kind of associate the linked to our religion people who had an ethnicity. I Jewish ethical sense because that’s where it with my father.” would look at Italians and think, all came from. That’s where our laws came ‘Wow! It’s so neat to be Italian.’ from, and the ethics Some cultural Jews feel Then all of a sudden I realized and the teachings and that their form of I had one. ... I like the cultural the conflicts and the Judaism will not last, understanding of the that true Judaism is part of being Jewish.” incompleteness of man being “diluted” and and the fallibility of everybody including our greatest prophet, may not survive: Moses, and what this means about society in general. If you don’t understand these “So the attachment to Judaism was very things, you can’t really be a Jew. Now, if broad. It was a religious attachment, a you understand them, without being reli- Zionistic attachment. Culture didn’t exist as gious — fine with me. Religion as such, no a separate thing from the totality, so it but you’ve got to understand. To be a Jew, wasn’t separated out. It’s something you you’ve got to understand. You’ve got to do were. And, depending on who you were, more than love kosher food and Jewish you had to know your history, you had to music.” know your God, you had to know your people, you had to know your culture For others, being Jewish is an intellectual because it’s who you were. It isn’t some- thing that you chose — it’s something that endeavor, that Jews must be thinking and chose you. And that your responsibility analyzing: was to perpetuate that to your children. Because of its uniqueness and preciousness, “It’s this Jewish intellectual way of thinking you don’t let it slide. And fortunately, about the world and I think that the Seder enough of that was transmitted. My sons says it all. Why is this night different [from]

28 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

other nights? And you read the Jewish arti- Allen description of it. Because, I mean, cles or Jewish books and they all, from my they do some Jewish ritual in Unitarian, mind, ask that same question but in differ- but it doesn’t seem right for some reason. It ent ways. That’s what I think differentiates seems to be a mimicry. Anyway, there are a Jewish book or Jewish thing from others all these different aspects of it. There’s the and it’s a higher level of intellectual think- culture, there’s the music, there’s the histo- ing. ... Look at the atonement. What other ry. The observant, which I guess could be religions produce something like atone- called religious, the cultural, the historical ment? Such a great intellectual paradox of sense, the music. I mean, all of that doesn’t thinking. Every other religion produces the all quite fit, you know. It seems like books that tell you how to think and what Judaism can be so many different things.” to think. Judaism gives you ways of think- ing, not how to think and what to think. So A large number of survey respondents and that makes me very proud because I see focus group participants were raised in or that way of thinking in almost everything lived in New York before moving to that’s Jewish.” California. These individuals highlight a sense of Jewishness being all around them in One man described being Jewish as a blend New York, rather than a more limited or iso- of culture, observance, lated feeling that exists and a distinctiveness. “I grew up in New York City, so in the Bay Area. He relates to Woody Allen’s satire of defin- you could definitely be a One said: ing gentiles: cultural Jew. ... It was a Jewish neighborhood, but you never saw “I grew up in New “You know, we play anyone being observant except York City, so you klezmer music at could definitely be a home. I play clarinet for the High Holidays.” cultural Jew without and my 12 year old being observant. And plays the sax and my most people that I 8 year old plays the piano. He and his knew were not observant at all. They were mother each play a hand and it’s wonderful Jewish, yeah. And the neighborhoods were — the cultural thing. And I’m much more Jewish, you know. It was a Jewish neigh- observant than my parents were. I was sort borhood, but you never really saw anyone of their delegate to the synagogue and being observant except for the High went to a Conservative synagogue [but] Holidays, like Passover.” they never went. And they never observed anything. And when we’d have a Seder, my The New York factor is important, and mother would say after about ten minutes, expressed by a number of discussants. They let’s eat, already. I’m not very observant. I were surrounded by the religion, the culture, go on the High Holy days and now I’m get- ting more involved because of my son’s bar and the ethnicity of food and language: mitzvah but, you know, we always have a “I come from the East Bronx. When I was a Seder, we always observe Hanukkah, light child, I thought everyone in the world was the candles every night and mostly Friday Jewish. We lived [with] a million Jews.” nights although it’s not totally consistent. She’s more Unitarian. I feel almost as com- fortable with Unitarians as in the Jewish Finally, culture, the main subject of our study, renewal except that I can’t get white bread was identified as the way that many individ- out of my mind, you know, the Woody uals connected to their Jewish identity:

29 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

“What I do now, what I’m really interested Not all participants had a strong sense of in is music and dance. I’m really getting their Jewish identity in any way. Some indi- into klezmer just like I really got into salsa. viduals expressed outright ambivalence I teach Israeli folk dance in addition to about their relationship to Judaism or con- teaching English so there are a lot of differ- ent ways, culturally, that I’m very cern about the lack of Jewish identity that involved.” comes from their own limited connection to Judaism: The cultural aspects are often filled with I guess the thing with my relationship to memories of grandparents and parents. They Judaism is ambivalence. And I look are auditory, visual, and other sensual con- back...my father was raised in an Orthodox nections to their past through culture: family. The first time he had pork was at my mother’s house who was also from a My great-grandmother was not a religious Jewish family but not religious. And my person but was very active in the Yiddish parents, I think, never quite resolved Theater in Chicago. Another part of my between themselves and their five children, family was musicians for generations. They how to deal with Jewish life. They sent us, owned a piano factory and we knew that in a kind of rote way, to Jewish summer people in the family always played the camp and to Jewish school and my brother piano but we had kind of lost the connec- and my sister and all my other siblings got tion to the music. So I have no music that I bar mitzvahed, but I was rebellious and I know that my family played or sang for refused to do it. And part of it was, I think, generations. And it’s funny because there at that young age, sort of recognizing a was something — something didn’t get kind of hypocrisy in the whole situation. translated down in terms of the actual And I think the shallowness of the educa- music or the actual Yiddish poetry or the tion that was being transmitted to us. Not mandolin playing — but the, there was a ironically, I became the most interested in spark there and in the stories somehow, it’s the family in being Jewish once I got older. come down that we were connected to this It’s no surprise because I think I was and these things were important to us. always the most interested but, you know, rebelled against the shallowness. And it’s For others, they are moved by the Jewish cul- funny, my parents still to this day remain kind of politically and culturally Jewish but ture that they find in general society: kind of bristle at the fact that some of their children observe Shabbat. You know, it’s I’ve always been in love with Broadway. kind of weird and creepy for them. It’s a lit- Broadway shows and the whole theater tle weird and creepy for us too. And so thing, the whole, you know, performance there’s a kind of ambivalence about all that. aspect of music and culture and it’s always Nonetheless, my father always did this been very important to me that the people I incredibly beautiful Seder every year. You surround myself with be very intelligent. I know, with a huge group of people and he just can’t stand people who aren’t smart, took great pride in that. And so, one of my you know, and I think all that comes — it’s best friends is a guy who comes from a stereotypical, but there are certain values long lineage of rabbis and I have a kind of that Jews have on culture [and] education envy of my friend because he’s so clear and intelligence and humor. ...There are just about his Judaism. I mean, he knows exact- things that I really like about being Jewish ly what to do with it, how to teach his kids a lot. and I don’t have any of that. I mean, I

30 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Figure 7 Identify as a Cultural, Ethnic, or Religious Jew by Age

100%

79% 80% 72% 73% 73% 73% 66% 63% 58% 60%

39% 40% 35%

20% 20% 17%

0% Under 35 35-4 9 50-64 65 and over

Ethnic Cultural Religious

married a woman who was in the process about 16%. Age is also a significant factor in of converting to Judaism when I met her synagogue membership. Only 17% of those and that was important to me that I have a who are under 35 say that they belong to a Jewish wife. But that’s also ambivalent, the synagogue, compared to 31% of those 35-4 9, relationship that we have — is she really Jewish? Oh, kind of — not really. And I 46% of those 50-64, and 40% of those 65 and think that my case, in many ways, is quite over. If we decrease the numbers by half, we common among my generation and so, on see remarkably low rates of membership for a certain level I feel very attracted to Jewish those under 35. religion and repulsed at the same time. In addition to synagogue membership, for- Nearly all Bay Area Jews identify as cultural mal affiliation is experienced through belong- or ethnic, rather than religious. Younger ing to other organizations, such as a Jewish Jews are slightly more likely to emphasize Community Center, Hadassah or the Anti- the cultural (see Figure 7). Defamation League. For the most part, indi- viduals who belong to synagogues also Synagogue Membership belong to other Jewish organizations. Fifty- Synagogue membership is very low. Less eight percent of respondents say they do not than one-third of respondents say they cur- belong to any Jewish organization or syna- rently belong to a synagogue. These numbers gogue, compared to 19% who say they are highly inflated, since other studies have belong to synagogue and other Jewish orga- shown that Jews over-report synagogue nizations, 13% who say they are currently a membership by a factor of 100%. Therefore, member of a synagogue only and 10% who we should expect synagogue affiliation to be say they belong to other Jewish organizations

31 Institute for Jewish & Community Research but do not belong to a synagogue (see who have lived in the Bay Area 11 to 20 Figure 8). years, and 63% of those living in the Bay Area 21 years or longer. Younger Jewish respondents, therefore, are As we will see later in this report, low mem- less likely to have any formal affiliation than bership in synagogues and other Jewish orga- older Jewish respondents. Among respon- nizations may have implications for individ- dents 18-34 , two-thirds say they do not uals’ participation in Jewish culture. belong to a synagogue or other Jewish orga- Synagogue Attendance nization, compared to 59% of respondents age 35-4 9, 4 8% of respondents age 50-64 and Synagogue attendance, while sporadic, is at a 36% of respondents age 65 and over. Overall, higher level than synagogue membership. the large majority of households are not for- Twenty-six percent of survey respondents say mally connected to the Jewish community they never attend synagogue, 4 6% say they (see Figure 9). attend on special occasions such as weddings or bar mitzvahs and/or on the High Holidays, 11% say they attend services less Low affiliation rates were also found to be than once a month and 17% say they attend related to one’s length of residence in the Bay at least once a month (see Figure 10). Area. Only 13% of those who have lived in the Bay Area one year of less and 36% of While younger Jews are less likely to belong those who lived in the Bay Area five years or to belong to a synagogue, almost 60% still less belong to a synagogue or other Jewish attend on High Holidays or special occasions. organization, compared to 4 5% of those who While older Jews are more likely to maintain lived in the Bay Area six to ten years, 4 0% a membership, they are less likely to attend

Figure 8 Membership in Synagogue and/or Other Jewish organizations

Synagogue and other Jewish organizations 19%

Do not belong to a Other Jewish synagogue or any organizations Jewish only organization 10% 58%

Synagogue only 13%

32 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Figure 9 Percent Reporting Membership in a Synagogue and/or Other Jewish Organization by Age

100%

80%

64 % 60% 52%

41% 40% 33%

20%

0% 18-34 35-4 9 50-64 65 and over

Figure 10 Attendance at Religious Services

At least once a week 7% Several times a month 10% Special occasions only 26%

High holidays and special occasions 11%

Less than once a month 11% Never 26% High holidays only 9%

33 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Figure 11 Percent of Respondents Who Keep a Kosher Home or Have a Mezuzah on Their Door

100%

80%

60% 46%

40%

20% 7%

0% Have a mezuzah on your door Have a kosher home

Figure 12 In general, how frequently do you participate in Jewish holidays?

100%

80% 69% 66% 60% 49% 43% 41% 40% 37%

22% 18% 18% 20% 14 % 16% 10%

0% Light candles on Attend Passover Light Hanukah Fast on Yom Kippur Shabbat seder candles Always/Usually Sometimes Never

34 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Figure 13 Percent of Respondents who Always or Usually Participate by Jewish Identity

100% 91% 93%

80% 75% 64 % 66% 60% 46% 40% 25% 24 % 24 % 20% 10% 9% 12%

0% Light candles on Attend Passover Light Hanukah Fast on Yom Kippur Friday night Seder candles Religious and/or other Ethnic/Cultural only No Identity services. For example, 4 0% say they never Levels of ritual observance are quite low attend synagogue and only 31% say they across age groups, especially among those attend on High Holidays or special occasions. younger than 35 and older than 65. Passover is less observed among younger Jews. Older Religious Practice Jews are less likely to light candles on It is clear that traditional observance is not Hanukah or Shabbat than all other age the primary form of everyday expression of groups. Younger Jews as well as older Jews being a Jew for most of the respondents. are less likely to fast on Yom Kippur. However, nearly everyone has some involve- Levels of religious practice may also con- ment in traditional religious practice. Seven tribute to how one identifies oneself as a Jew. percent of respondents say they keep a Those respondents who do not identify as kosher home. Forty-six percent say they have religious Jews have lower levels of traditional a mezuzah on their door (see Figure 11). observance when compared to those who identify as religious Jews. Whether one keeps More respondents, however, did participate kosher or attends synagogue may be more in other forms of traditional religious prac- important to these individuals in defining tice. Sixty-six percent say they always or usu- themselves as a religious Jew than other reli- ally light Hanukah candles, 69% say they gious practices. Three percent of this group always or usually attend a Passover Seder, keeps kosher compared to 20% of those who 43% always or usually fast on Yom Kippur do identify as a religious Jew. Of those who and 14 % say they always or usually light say they are not religious, 20% say never candles on Shabbat (see Figure 12). attend synagogue and 7% say they attend

35 Institute for Jewish & Community Research once a month or more, compared to 9% and of questions about their connection to the 44%, respectively, of those who say they are Jewish community. Forty-five percent of religious (see Figure 13). respondents strongly agree and 4 3% agree One woman from our focus groups disagreed with the statement, “I feel connected to with the findings about the low levels of Jewish people.” Forty-five percent of the observance that was found among Bay Area respondents strongly agree and 33% agree Jews: with the statement, “I feel a special connec- tion to my Jewish friends.” Fifty-eight per- “I would say most of us come from places cent of respondents strongly agree and 33% where we are way more observant than the way we were raised. Almost everybody I agree with the statement, “I feel really good know is way more observant than the way about being Jewish.” they were raised. Not everybody, but many of them were raised with no Judaism, no We also asked respondents how about their practice in their homes and they’re just des- relationship to Israel. Twenty-seven percent perately seeking it.” of respondents strongly agree and 4 5% agree Importance of Being Jewish with the statement “Caring about Israel is an important part of being Jewish.” Forty-two Fifty-one percent of respondents say that percent said they had been to Israel (see being Jewish is very important, 32% say it is Figure 15). somewhat important, and 14 % say it is not important, and 2% are unsure (see Figure 14 ). Many of those in our focus groups elaborated Survey respondents were also asked how on the special connection that they feel with much they agreed or disagreed with a variety other Jews:

Figure 14 How important is being Jewish in your life?

Unsure 2% Not important 14 %

Very important 51%

Somewhat important 32%

36 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Figure 15 How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements ….

100% 91% 88%

78% 80% 72%

60%

40%

20%

0% I feel reallyGood about good Jewish about ConnectionI feel connected to Jewish to people the I Jewishfeel a friendsspecial Caring Caring about about Israel Israel is an being Jewish Jewish people connection with my important part of being Jewish friends Jewish Strongly agree Agree

“I like to read books written by Jews and in other ways, you know, that the guy has this may sound very strange, but I read the that sense of humor which is one of the obituaries every day and when I see a best things about Judaism as far as I’m con- Jewish name in there, I feel very sad. I real- cerned.” ly do.” Like the focus group above, Jews who pro- They expressed their pleasure in “owning” duce culture are a source of pride. They are prominent Jews, even if one did not like representatives of Jewish intelligence and cre- them: ativity:

“I mean you can criticize Woody Allen, but “We went to visit an artist in Oakland and I he’s great. Aren’t you proud that we have had to buy something from her and I so many great Jews...no matter what you bought a piece of her art. I felt very good do in art, film, science, religion.” about this menorah. She did something. I have it hanging in the hallway, but it was a very rewarding thing to meet an artist. My Or conversely, non-Jews cannot even under- cousin’s an artist. There was a musician. stand Woody Allen, because he belongs only There is a lot of talent that you come across to the Jews: within the Jewish community ... intellectu- ally, scientifically, musically, [and] in “I could never understand how Christians dance.” could really appreciate Woody Allen but they do. Because for me, it just seems like Similarly, Jews feels a connection through it’s a connection with my cultural back- culture by being with other Jews: ground, so I can really relate to the humor and I adopt it as my own. I’m very proud “I remember walking by the UC Theater that, you know, despite what a creep he is and seeing this huge line of people

37 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Figure 16 Type of Jewish Education Received

Sunday school Sunday(n=1081) school 56%

HebrewHebrew schoolschool (n=1104 ) 50%

YouthYouth groups 44% (n=1104 )

OvernightOvernight camp (n=1104 ) 36%

AdultAdult education education 32% (n=1104 ) Day camp Day(n=1090) camp 22%

PrivatePrivate tutoring tutoring (n=1104 ) 19%

YeshivaYeshiva 16% (n=1057) Adult education No Jewish education(n=14 4 6) 24 %

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Adds up to more than 100% since individuals may have had more than one type of Jewish education.

standing out there. I was like what’s going to 4 7% of respondents 18-34 , 56% of those 35- on and somebody said it’s the Jewish Film 49, and 63% of respondents 50-64. Festival and you think wow — it must be Additionally, 73% of respondents 65 and over happening.” say that they strongly agree with the state- ment, “I feel a special connection with Jewish Older Jewish respondents exhibit the friends,” compared to 39% of those 18-34 and strongest emotional connections to being 35-4 9, and 4 7% of respondents 50-64 . Jewish. Sixty percent of respondents 50-64 and 56% of respondents 65 and over say that Jewish Education being Jewish is very important, compared to Seventy-six percent of respondents say they 40% respondents younger than 35 and 49% of have had some type of Jewish education. The those 35-4 9. Additionally, older respondents, majority of respondents attended Sunday especially those 65 and over are more likely school or Hebrew school, while less than half to say they have a special connection with participated in Jewish youth groups, attend- Jewish friends or feel really good about being ed Jewish overnight or day camp, Yeshiva, or Jewish, compared to other age groups. had adult education or private tutoring. Seventy-one percent of those 65 and over say Participation in Jewish education is higher they strongly agree with the statement, “I feel for younger Jews, especially the likelihood of really good about being Jewish,” compared Jewish day school. The data, unfortunately,

38 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area do not inform us about the quality or the give to non-Jewish organizations, and most impact of the Jewish education that people Jews are giving more to non-Jewish organiza- received (see Figure 16). tions than to Jewish organizations (see Figure 17). Philanthropy Philanthropy to Jewish organizations has also Volunteerism been used as a measure of communal Volunteerism follows the same patterns. Jews involvement. The data are stark. Almost three are more likely to volunteer and to spend of every five Jews give nothing to Jewish more hours volunteering for non-Jewish philanthropies. Fifty-eight percent of respon- organizations than for Jewish organizations. dents say they did not contribute money to Twenty-six percent of respondents report vol- Jewish organizations in the past year and unteering at Jewish organizations; 15% who another 17% say they gave less than $250. say they volunteer one to five hours per Therefore, a total of 75% gave either nothing month and 11% who say they volunteer six or less than $250 in the past year. About 8% or more hours a month. In comparison, 4 7% say they gave between $250-$500, 5% report- of respondents say they volunteer at non- ed giving between $500-$1000 and 11% Jewish organizations, 25% of whom volun- reported giving over $1000 in the past year. teer one to five hours and 22% who say they In comparison, 39% of respondents say they volunteer six or more hours a month. did not contribute anything to non-Jewish Together, the philanthropy and volunteerism causes. Twenty-one percent gave less than data show a significantly higher communal $250, 11% gave between $250-$500, 11% gave involvement in the secular community than between $500-$1000 and 18% say they gave in the Jewish community (see Figure 18). over $1000. Clearly, Jews are more likely to

Figure 17 Giving to Jewish and Non-Jewish Causes in 1999

100%

80%

58% 60%

39% 40%

21% 20% 17% 17% 11% 11% 10% 8% 5% 1% 1% 0% Did not give Under $250 $250-$4 99 $500-$999 $1,000-$9,999 $10,000 or more Jewish Non-Jewish

39 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Figure 18 Volunteering at Jewish and Non-Jewish Organizations

100%

80% 73%

60% 53%

40%

25% 22% 20% 15% 11%

0% None 1-5 hours 6 or more hours Jewish Non-Jewish

Importance of Jewish Traditions somewhat important to attend Jewish cultur- al events and to participate in Jewish study Responses to survey questions indicate a (see Figure 19). strong sense of Jewish tradition among Bay Area Jews. Working for social causes, cele- While the importance of participating in brating Jewish holidays, and raising children Jewish culture is ranked lower than celebrat- as Jews were rated very ing Jewish holidays, it important or important While the importance of appears that individu- als participate in by over 70% of the participating in Jewish culture respondents. The sur- Jewish culture as often is ranked lower than vey used in this study as they celebrate was one of the first to celebrating Jewish holidays, it Jewish holidays, and ask about the impor- appears that individuals more frequently than tance of attending participate in culture as often they attend syna- gogue. Ninety-percent Jewish culture in rela- as they celebrate holidays, tion to other Jewish tra- of respondents say and more frequently than ditions. The importance they attended a of attending Jewish cul- they attend synagogue. Jewish cultural event tural events was rated in the past year, com- as highly as having a connection to Israel, pared to 94 % who say they celebrate Jewish giving children a Jewish education, and giv- holidays sometimes, usually or always, and ing money to Jewish organizations. Sixty-two 73% who say they ever attend synagogue percent of respondents say it is very or (see Figure 20).

40 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

The importance of participating in Jewish involvement in the arts and the support of cultural activities was also affirmed by focus the arts.” group participants: Another participant noted that Jewish culture “My relationship to culture is that I really might keep a Jewish identity alive, even if the was raised with a particular sense of pride identity is dormant: in a very high percentage or proportion of Jewish people who [not only place a high “…Jewish culture kind of provides a spark, value on] education, ... but also [on] maybe, that when … feelings may lay

Figure 19 Importance of Participating in Jewish Culture as Compared to Other Jewish Traditions

Work for social causes (n=14 30) 83%

Celebrate Jewish holidays (n=14 37) 79%

Raise children as Jews 73% (n=1320)

Have connection to Israel (n=14 30) 67%

Child have Jewish education (n=1354 ) 66% Give money to Jewish organizations (n=14 09) 65%

Attend Jewish cultural events 62% (n=14 18)

Participate in Jewish study (n=14 12) 62%

Volunteer for Jewish organizations 56% (n=1389) Children marry someone Jewish 46% (n=1328)

Marry someone Jewish 44% (n=4 15)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Very important Somewhat important

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Figure 20 Participation in Jewish Culture Compared to Jewish Religious Practices

100% 96%

80% 73%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Participate in any type of Jewish Ever attend synagogue culture in past year

Figure 21 Have you attended any of the following Jewish events in the past year?

Participate in one or more venues 74 %

Film 52%

Lectures 38%

Art exhibits 37%

Theater 35%

Music 33%

Historical exhibits 29%

Literary 17%

Dance 14 %

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

42 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

dormant or ideas may lay dormant, ... kind Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland residents of ignites a reawakened interest in Judaism who responded to that survey, 4 8% said they later in life.” attended art museums in the past year. Similarly to the SPPA survey, films and art We also asked participants what they liked exhibits were the most popular form of about Jewish culture. Many had answers, Jewish art and culture that individuals partic- but the following is particularly telling. The ipated in. Slightly more than 50% of respon- participant finds something special in Jewish dents reported attending at least one Jewish music: film in the past year, while 37% said they went to an art exhibit (including both muse- “And the music really has a broad range ums and galleries). Less than half of all and because it’s maybe a minor key which identifies it to [the Middle East], it gets you respondents also say they attended Jewish moving and you start tapping your foot lectures, Jewish theater, Jewish musical and you’re nodding your head and you’re events, Jewish historical exhibits, Jewish liter- moving your body like when you go in for ary events or Jewish dance events. We did your folk dancing. So, we enjoy the food, not assess the frequency of attendance at we enjoy the music very much.” events during the past year (see Figure 21). Attendance at Specific Types of Jewish Art and Culture Jewish themes and content is not limited to certain forms of artistic expression; it is found in all forms of visual and performance Nearly all survey respondents reported par- art. Neither are Jewish artists limited to cer- ticipating in some form of Jewish culture in tain forms of expres- the past year both sion. One man said, inside and outside the “Jewish culture provides a home. Almost three- spark that when feelings or “I’ve noticed quarters of respondents ideas lay dormant, can ignite that some of the best attended events in the a reawakened interest in dancers are Jewish community, while 90% which I never really participated in activities Judaism later in life.” expected... and some in their home. of the best teachers and that took me completely by surprise. I thought I was going into foreign territory.” Arts are an acquired taste that are influenced by childhood and other life experiences that The types of events that are most attended by shape the types of activities that people like individuals do not match the types of events to participate in. According to the 1997 that are most offered in the Bay Area. Over Survey of Participation in the Arts (SPPA), 300 Jewish art and cultural events were iden- movies and art exhibits are the two most tified in our content analysis. Over half the popular forms of arts participation. Two- art and cultural events were presentations, thirds of respondents to that survey reported mostly in the form of lectures and literary attending movies while 35% reported visiting readings. The remaining events included an art museum in the past year (Jack Faucett music, theater, films, and art exhibits. The Associates Inc. 1998). Attendance at art muse- forms of Jewish art and culture include both ums was slightly higher among San

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Table 3 Types of Jewish Art and Culture in the Bay Area Art Exhibits Bubbeh Lee and Me 50/50: Israeli Art from Bay Area Collections Chants of Sand and Stars Ancient Glass from the Holy Land Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter Chag Sameach: Children's Perspectives on Cup Final Jewish Holidays Europa, Europa Envision Israel: The Land, The Heart, The People Everlasting Joy Four Centuries of Holy Land Maps Fictitious Marriage Images of Israel Fiddler on the Roof In Celebration of Passover: Contemporary Judaic Fragments * Jerusalem Images Half the Kingdom Jewish Pictorial Carpets from the Anton Feldon Hannah Collection, London In Our Own Hands Jews Among the Berbers Jews of Poland -- 5 Cities Jews/America/A Representation: Photographs K by Frederic Brenner Kiss or Kill Kristallnacht Late Summer Blues L'Chaim! A Kiddush Cup Invitational Mendel Life on the Streets: Israel at 4 9 1/2 Next Year in Havana! Monotypes Not In Our Town My Shoes, My Soul, My Heart Oh God! No More Scapegoats Overture to Glory Oil paintings by Ruth Askren plus Judaica sculp- Passover tures by Rosenthal Collection of Maryland Passover Fever On The Streets of Israel, 1996 Saint Clara Paintings and sculptures by Jewish artists Shattered Dreams Annette Bird and Olga Seem The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Paintings by Michelle Waters The Artists’ Schindler Remember the Children, Daniel's Story The Courage to Care Samuel Bak: Metaphors of Experience The Exiles Sensitivity Over Sense The Golden Age of Second Avenue Stalin's Forgotten Zion: Birobidzhan and the The Long Way Home Making of a Soviet Jewish Homeland The Producers Starry Nights The Summer of Aviya The Bible: Marc Chagall exhibit Voices of the Generations The Passionate Search: Building the Collections Yiddish: The Mama Loshn of the Magnes Museum, 1962-1997 The Road to Jerusalem Presentations/Lectures Tobi Kahn A Hoo Ha History of the Yiddish Theatre Varian Fry: Assignment Rescue, 194 0-194 1 A Jewish Look at Life After Death with Rabbi Visions of Jerusalem Hecht Winter Lights: Teachers of Art in Synagogue and A Jewish Perspective On Time and Aging Day Schools Show Their Work A Jewish Thread in the American Tapestry Women's Work: Original Works on Paper and AWalker in Jerusalem Canvas by Ten Israeli Women Abba Eban talk Accordion workshop for Klezmer, Gypsy and Film Balkan music A Jumpin' Night in the Garden of Eden Amichai's Israel: An Alternative Perspective An American Tail Anti-Zionism: The Mask for Anti-Judaism Anou Banou: The Daughters of Utopia As a Driven Leaf At the Crossroads Ashkenazic Jewry: Who We Are and Where We

44 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Come From Jewish Military Experience in WWII Awakening Intuition and Wisdom Through the Jewish Multiculturism Today Kabbalah Jewish Mysticism: Doorway to the Soul Bearing Witness: Reflections on a Zen Retreat at Jewish Mysticism: Recovering Our Spirituality Auschwitz Jewish Roots of Christianity Benjamin Wilkomirski Jewish/Palestinian Program Building Bridges: A Workshop for African Jews and Christians in a Secular World American and Jewish Women Jews in Germany after the Holocaust: Memory, Chana Bloch: The Song of Songs; The Selected Identity, and Jewish-German Relations Poetry of Yehuda Amichai Jews in Ireland China Dreams -- Growing Up Jewish in Tienstin Jews in Small Towns: Legends and Legacies Contemporary Judaism: Is It Good For the Jews? Jews in Twentieth Century Ireland Conversion and Peace: Is There a Connection? Jews: The Essence and Character of a People Cooking the Jewish Way: Purim and Passover Josef Mengele: Search, Discover, Identification Foods Judaism and the Religious Right Covering Israel Judaism at the Crossroads Doing the work of Tikkun Olam Leading the Passover Haggadah Doors to Madame Marie Living Kabbalah: Unlock the Keys to the Ancient Echoes of Gold: How the Song, Jerusalem of Mysteries Gold, Draws on Love and Lamentation in Looking Backward to Move Forward: The Biblical and Talmudic Literature Impact of the Holocaust Today Educating for Spirituality: A New Look at the Love Stories in the Talmud: Prepare for Surprises Jewish Continuity Crisis Magic and Folk Beliefs in Jewish Tradition Family Conflict in the Bible Meetings with Remarkable Souls: Legends of the Feast of the Family of Abraham, Hagar, and Baal Shem Tov Sarah Messages and Motives of our Ancient Prophets From the Tree of Knowledge to the Tree of Life More Stories of Our Lives Godtalk Mouse-made Midrash: Jewish Life in a High Gospel of the Beloved Disciple Tech World Haggadah: A Celebration of Freedom My Journey to Judaism Havdallah and History My Name is Asher Lev Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans Mystic Tales From the Zohar and the Holocaust Nazi Doctors: Why Did They Do It? Hollywood's Image Neo-Nazi Movements Under Scrutiny Holocaust - A Personal Story of Survival New Women's Writing From Israel Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration Of Prophets and Rebels: A New Look at Jonah Holocaust Survivor's Story and the Whale Howard Addison: The Enneagram & Kabbalah On Winning the Noble Prize: My Journey from In Our Image: Queer Jewish Identity Brooklyn to Stockholm In the Land of Israel Once We Were Slaves Infusing Our School and Synagogue with One Day Hebrew Sacredness Oy, Gay! Introduction to Kabbalah Padi Selwyn Israel Parallels Between Modern Cosmology and Israel and Egypt: A Shared Journey Ancient Jewish Kabbalah Israel at 50 and 5000 Passover in a Day Israel at 50: Yesterday's Dreams, Today's Passport Israel Challenges Paul Hamburg Israel on Our Minds Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries of the Gold Rush Israel: From Holocaust to Haven Politics Lecture Jewish Genealogical Society discussion Politics, Jewish Politics, Jewish Values Jewish medical bioethics panel discussion Prophesy in the Book of Esther

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Reading of Megillah Esther Mourning Receiving Torah: A Spiritual Approach to The Power of Kabbalah Learning Wisdom Texts The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in Reclaiming the Power of Blessing: An Inclusive the South Approach to Jewish Prayer The Real Reason Solomon and not David Built Recovering our Spirituality the Holy Temple Redefining Israel - Where Does the Peace Process The Rise and Fall of Oriental Idealism in Israeli Lead? Art Reintroduction to Judaism Seminar The Rise of Nazism Through a Child's Eyes Rekindling the Light: Women of Return The Rising of the Women: The Poetry of Jewish Researching Family History with Rabbi Alan Women's Lives Lew The Sacred Bridge Resurgent European Fascism - The Beast The Second-Temple Period Reawakens The Sexual Politics of the Hebrew Revival Roommates: My Grandfather's Story The Situation in the Middle East Approaching Russian Jewish composers Mikhail Gnesin, Israel's 50th Anniversary David Maggid and Sophie Maggid The Song of Songs Russian Jewish musician Moshe Beregovsky The Spiritual Path of Judaism Sex, Racism, and the Rabbis: What Happened to The Struggle for Equality and Recognition in the Shem, Ham and Japhet? Jewish State: A Reform Movement Perspective Shades of Relating The Temple Bombing Shuk: For Learning and Traveling in Israel The Thirteenth Hour State and Religion in Israel The True Story of King Solomon and the Queen Striking Back of Sheba Surviving the Holocaust The Voyage of the St. Louis Symposium on Birobidzhan Torah and Dharma Taking Hold of Torah: The Prospects of Jews and Transforming Enemies: Israel and Its Arab Judaism in America Neighbors Teach Me the Wisdom of the Torah While I'm UAHC Jewish Literary Initiatives Standing on One Foot Update on Political Situations in Israel Teaching Human Rights Was the Pope's Visit Good for the Jews? Life in The Art of Jewish Storytelling Jewish Cuba The Book of Job Welfare Reform-A Jewish Response for SF The Changing Role of Women in the Middle East What was Hebrew School all about Anyway? The First Step: A Beginner's Guide to Judaism Why Read Jewish History? The History of Israeli Art and Its Reflection of Witness to Jewish History Israeli Society Words of His Own The Iron Tracks Yair Dalal, Israel's Multi-Ethnic Music The Jewish Poetic Voice: An Evening of Readings YESHA at 30: The Jewish Pioneers of Judea, The Jewish Way in Death and Grieving Samaria, and Gaza and the Growth of Their The Jewish Way of Death and Mourning Communities The Jews of Poland Yiddish Literature in the New World The Kabbalah: Doorway to the Soul Yom Ha'Shoah with Dr. Ruth Gruber The Kabbalah: Opening the Inner Gates The Life and Thoughts of Abraham Joshua Music Heschel A Concert of Jewish Art Song The Memoirs of Pauline Wengeroff and the A Jewish Voice for Peace Crisis of Jewish Modernity AProgram of Jewish Music The Message of the Dead Sea Scrolls An Evening of Choral Psalms The National Jewish Music Movement in Russia Bay Area Jewish Chorale Fest Today Ben Goldberg Sextet The Philosophy and Rituals of Jewish Death and Cantor Wally Schachet-Briskin

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Cantors Sing Music of Tikkun Olam Bridges Concert and Benefit for veterans' hospital in Chicken Sunday and other Grandparent tales Haifa with Judy Frankel Come Blow Your Horn Davka Crossing Delancey Eleanor Reissa: Yiddish Music Dad Fought Hitler, the Bottle, and Me Ensemble Parnassus: Salamone Rossi Esther's Boys French Love: French cabaret with Sylvie Family Secrets Braitman Guaranteed Giggles Hoffman-Lewicki Klezmer I Got Haggadah It Takes Two Jake's Women Jewish Folk Chorus of San Francisco Josie and the Women of Tombstone Jewish Humor from Oy to Vey & The Ruined June Bride Maid Kindertransport Jewish singer/songwriters Michael Friedman Kvetch and Rick Bockner Love Sick on Nana Street Klezmer in Concert Megilla Madness Klezmer Shabbat Old Wicked Songs Kumzits: A Jewish Sing-Along Play It Again Sam L'Chayim Klezmer Seder Red Morton Herrings Lisa Wanamaker Taking Sides National Kibbutz Artzi Choir of Israel The Third Wave: Authoritarian Discipline and Noa in Concert Indoctrination Political Rock Music with Jewish singer-song We Are Witnesses writer Trevor Levine Other Rebbe Soul Renaissance music by Jewish composers A Day of Hope and Remembrance Workshop Resistance, a Program for Families Axioma 7 Richard Kaplan & Olga Talroze Beyond Tel Aviv Robbo Celebrating Israel's 50th San Francisco Klezmer Experience Folk music and dance performances Second Annual Ada Felson Zimriyah Giants celebrate Israel's 50th Second Avenue Klezmer Ensemble Havdalah Beneath the Stars Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) Holocaust Memorial Solo piano concert by Rami Bar-Niv Israel's 50th celebration Songs My Father Taught Me Israel Independence Day celebration with Sweethearts of the Radio Shabbat La'am Voice of the Turtle Israel: The Dual Challenge of Being a Democracy Israeli Folk Dancing Voices of Israel: Israel at 50 Yom Ha'Shoah Memorial Recital Israeli Independence Day: Jewish-Palestinian Za’atar: Music of the Jews of Arab and Muslim program Lands Jewish Arbor Day Celebration Jewish women in service and leadership Theater conference 2.5 Minute Ride: Lisa Kron Take a Tour of Israel Acts of Reconciliation Virtual Israel Festival Anne Frank and Me popular and high culture and ranged from and culture found in the Bay Area is by no Hollywood studio productions to alternative means exhaustive and may not be typical of performance art. They also ranged from tra- the types of events that are offered in other ditional expressions of art and culture to cut- Jewish communities in the United States. ting edge performance art. The Jewish art Differences exist in the form and genre of

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Figure 22 Attendance at Jewish Events by Age

100%

80%

60% 60% 52% 52% 48% 45% 47% 41% 41% 40% 40% 35% 36% 35% 32% 32% 31% 32% 31% 26% 23% 20% 12%

0% Film Art Exhibits Historical Music Lectures Exhibits 18-34 35-4 9 50-64 65 and over programs that are offered between Jewish the past year, compared to 4 5% of those age communities due to the organizations that 35-4 9, 52% of respondents age 50-64 and exist in each community, the resources that 52% of those age 65 and over. are available to support art and cultural pro- • Twelve percent of respondents 65 and over gramming and the facilities that exist to pre- reported attending Jewish historical events, sent the programs. compared to 35% of those 50-64 , 31% of respondents 35-4 9, and 32% of respondents Younger Jews are as likely as all other age age 18-34 years old. groups to attend Jewish cultural events. Seventy-two percent of those under 35 say • Forty-eight percent of respondents between the ages of 50 and 64 report attending they attended Jewish cultural events in the Jewish lectures, compared to 4 0% of past year, compared to 73% of respondents respondents 65 and over, 35% of respon- 35-4 9, 70% of respondents 50-64 and 76% of dents 35-4 9, and 21% of respondents 18-34 respondents 65 and over. However, a number years old. of differences were found in the type of Jewish events that individuals attended by • Twenty-six percent of respondents age 18 to 34 reported attending Jewish music, age group. In general, respondents younger compared to 32% of respondents age 35-4 9, than 35 were less likely to attend most types 41% of those 50-64 and 36% of respondents of Jewish culture events, except for film. Age 65 and over. differences were found for attendance at the following types of Jewish events (see • Twenty-three percent of respondents age 18 Figure 22). to 34 attended Jewish art exhibits, com- pared to 4 7% of those 35-4 9, 4 1% of respon- • Sixty percent of respondents between 18 dents 50-64 and 32% of respondents 65 and and 34 reported attending Jewish films in over.

48 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Interest in Attending Jewish Reasons for Attending Jewish Art Art and Culture and Cultural Events Seventeen percent of respondents are very Avariety of factors that influence an individ- interested in attending more Jewish culture ual’s participation in leisure activities have and 53% are somewhat interested, a total of been identified including: feeling comfortable 70%. This represents a huge potential market and at ease in one’s surroundings; being with for additional Jewish cultural activities, at people for social interaction; doing some- both Jewish and non-Jewish venues (see thing worthwhile; the challenge of new expe- Figure 23). riences; and the opportunity to learn. There are also a whole host of more practical rea- Interest is high across age groups. Sixty-five sons, such as price, geographic location, percent of respondents 18-34 , 72% of those availability of parking, day of the week, time 35-4 9, 74 % of those 50-64 , and 71% of respon- of the day, size of the venue. dents 65 and over are somewhat or very Today, audiences are harder to reach and interested in attending more Jewish cultural please, they have hectic lives and have more events. Seventy-seven percent of respondents choices than ever before for how to spend 18-34 , 59% of respondents 35-4 9, 65% of their leisure time. respondents 50-64 and 67% of respondents 65 and over are somewhat or very interested in So if people are interested in attending more, meeting other Jews with similar interests. what keeps them from doing it? According to

Figure 23 How Interested are you in Participating in More Jewish Culture?

Very interested 17%

Not interested 30%

Somewhat interested 53%

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Figure 24 Reasons for Not Attending Jewish Cultural Events

Too busy 41%

Didn't know about it 14 %

Too many events 11%

Childcare problems 9%

I feel uncomfortable 7%

Tickets too expensive 6%

Health problems 4%

No one to go with 4%

Tickets sell out 4%

Poor quality 3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, clear that quality is an issue of critical impor- making time to go out was seen as the tance (see Figure 24 ). biggest barrier to greater participation in the arts (Jack Faucett Associates Inc. 1998). This • “I find that when it comes to cultural is also true of the Bay Area sample. events of the arts, the quality is still going to be the dominant determination for me. Regardless of age, being too busy is the most Because it’s not the only way in which I important reason that respondents gave for express my being Jewish. I can afford to not attending more events. Other reasons sort of say, ‘Well, if this is a good movie, I’ll cited for not attending more events include: go to see it. If it’s a movie with Jewish con- not knowing about the event, too many tent, but it isn’t a particularly well-made events to choose from, and child care prob- movie or well done or something, I’m not lems (see Figure 24 ). going to go.’ So quality is sort of the deter- mining factor rather than because it’s Jewish. I think one of the things I have dif- Only three percent of survey respondents ficulty with is something that is just there cited poor quality as a reason not to attend a for nostalgia’s sake. I went to a klezmer Jewish cultural event. Quality, however, is concert a few years ago and I’d say most of the most important reason for focus group the bands were terrible, but everybody was participants to attend an event. Note the fol- eating it up because it was all schmaltzy and nostalgic. And musically, it wasn’t ter- lowing dialogue, where the issues of quality ribly good, so I was sort of bored.” and Jewish content are discussed. It becomes

50 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

• “For me, it’s a combination of quality, if I’m Like all businesses, cost, availability, and going to learn something, if it’s going to be location always play a role. Since San sort of fun.” Francisco is no longer the center of Jewish life, in addition to the increased traffic in the • “If the films are boring, it doesn’t matter to me if they’re made for Jewish people or a Bay Area and difficulties and cost of parking Jewish Film Festival. If mean, if it’s a good near many venues, many individuals prefer film, it doesn’t really matter to me.” to attend events closer to home. Two partici- pants discussed the ease of getting to an • “I think that the answer is selectivity at the event: Jewish Film Festival. There’s a big audience there and yet there are small audiences (F): Well, we try to go to the ones on the where certain people go and pick and Peninsula because it’s more convenient for choose. Obviously, the fact that it has us than coming into the city and... Jewish subject matter, as everything in it does is an attractive factor in the choice. (M): Trying to find a place to park. But then they’re not going to every one of them. They’re choosing quality, interest, (F): And I mean it is very difficult. along with the fact that it is...has a Jewish theme or Jewish subject matter.” (F): I was going to say it’s small at the Jewish Museum. • “I’m on about twelve mailing lists relating to Jewish activities here. There is much, (M): It’s so small and it’s so hard to park in much more offered to the Jewish communi- there, I’ve only been there once. ty than there ever has been. You have to be selective in quality.” (Moderator): What about the Magnus Museum? • “It’s quality first, but there’s so much going (M): The parking is better there. on in the Bay Area, in terms of good cultur- al things, that you’ll tend to be drawn to (M): Once you can find your way in. things for a reason. So there might be two good movies out there, but I might go to the Jewish Film Festival because I have Other surveys have shown that content is an more of an interest in that subject matter important factor in influencing attendance at than some other film.” Jewish cultural events. Among individuals who completed the evaluation for the 2000 Practical issues that were discussed among San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, over 50% participants were cost, timing, and location. say that the content of the films, previous Individuals will not come to Jewish cultural attendance at the festival, and the locations of events if they are not high quality: the theaters were important in influencing their decision to attend the festival. It is “I would say that I thought [the Jewish important to note that the festival is held at a Writers Conference] was a little expensive variety of locations throughout the Bay Area, myself. We probably would have gone or which makes it accessible to individuals attempted to go to more events if the price was lower. And also, obviously, I can’t go throughout the region (see Figure 25). to stuff during the week — during the day. I have to go at night and in some cases the Therefore, making the events more com- stuff I wanted to do was in the daytime.” pelling, in order to compete with other

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Figure 25 Which of the following influenced your decision to attend this year’s festival? (Asked of attendees at the 2000 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival)

Content of the films 77%

Previous attendance at festival 52%

Theater locations 51%

Review of the films 25%

Promotional materials 22%

Desire for community 20%

Other reason 15%

Festival website 3%

Festival trailer 3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% activities is vital. They must also be publi- having a strong Jewish identity as measured cized better. by other studies. For example, among those respondents who say that being Jewish is The Relationship Between Participation either very or somewhat important, 100% in Jewish Culture and Other Measures report attending Jewish cultural events in of Jewish Identity past year, compared to 59% who say that being Jewish is not important. Among those Most surveys of Jewish identity only assess who participate in any form of Jewish reli- religious practices and beliefs. These surveys gious practices, 74 % say they also attended have found, not surprisingly, that individuals or participated in Jewish cultural events. who have a strong connection to their Jewish Among those who do not participate in any identity, as defined by involvement in the religious practices, 4 6% say they attended or Jewish community or Jewish religious prac- participated in Jewish cultural events in past tices, also show a high level of participation year. in Jewish culture. Previous studies, however, do little to shed light on the Jewish identity For individuals who do not belong to any among a large segment of the Jewish commu- type of Jewish organization, Jewish culture nity. The strength of this study is that the also provides a link for them to the Jewish data indicate that participation in Jewish cul- community. Among those individuals who ture is also found among those individuals do not belong to any type of organization, who would not be considered by some as 86% say they participated in some form of

52 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Jewish culture in the past year, compared to more obviously relevant and useful for many 100% of those who belong to a synagogue key constituencies. and/or other Jewish organization. One hun- Jewish Venues dred percent of respondents who belong to a synagogue and other Jewish organizations The organized Jewish community supports say they attended a Jewish cultural event in and sponsors numerous kinds of organiza- the community in the past year, compared to tion, many of which engage in public cultural 82% who belong to other Jewish organiza- activities. Among the most prominent and tions only, 89% who belong to a synagogue most accessible agencies are: only and 58% of respondents who do The study indicates that • Jewish Community not belong to either a Centers: As venues of synagogue or other participation in Jewish culture Jewish culture, the Jewish organizations. is found among individuals JCCs offer a wide vari- ety of programs--festi- The inclusion of the who would not be considered vals and celebrations, participation in Jewish as having a strong Jewish lectures and symposia, culture along with syn- identity by other studies. screenings and exhibi- agogue membership, tions, book fairs, philanthropy and edu- dance, music, and cation may mean higher levels of involve- drama, continuing education (with field ment in the Jewish community than is com- trips), and other projects. monly acknowledged. • Jewish Museums: In addition to exhibitions of Judaica and fine arts, Jewish museums offer a variety of historical and cultural VENUE-BASED TAXONOMY exhibitions, often accompanied by lectures, tours, workshops, symposia, screenings, Our second way of organizing Jewish culture publications, and special events. is a taxonomy based on venues. One category • Synagogues: Aside from programs on reli- of venues comprises the different kinds of gious culture, many synagogues present cultural institutions within the organized lectures, concerts, and films, commission Jewish community that sponsor public cul- visual artists, and sponsor scholars and ture. A second broad category would be the artists-in-residence. mainstream institutions in which Jewish cul- • Hillels: In addition to offering cultural pro- ture is frequently or regularly presented. A grams to students at many universities and third category would encompass those non- colleges, some Hillel chapters are the lead- institutional venues through which people ing presenter of cultural programs to adja- can encounter and engage with Jewish cul- cent or host communities. Hillels are often tural expressions, such as participation at important venues for emergent artists and home through television, videos, and music. scholars and for generational cultural pro- A typology based on venues forces attention grams aimed at youth. to issues of access and use, that is, audiences, • Other Jewish Organizations, such as users, and consumers of Jewish cultural Schools, Libraries, Bureaus of Jewish expression. This, in turn, makes this typology Education, and Jewish Cultural

53 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Organizations: A variety of special events Arbeter Ring/Workman’s Circle, the Milton and public programs are offered by Jewish & Sophie Meyer Fund, the Trio Foundation, educational agencies and cultural pro- the Zellerbach Family Fund, and numerous grams, either as part of their curriculum, individual donations. for outreach, or as part of marketing/devel- opment strategies. The Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael sponsors Center Stage, a yearly The Bay Area is home to a number of well- series of arts and culture programming. The known Jewish cultural organizations, includ- programming encompasses all forms of cul- ing Jewish community centers, Jewish muse- tural programs and showcases both Jewish ums, a Jewish theater group and film festival. and non-Jewish artists and themes. Jewish Religious, educational, and communal orga- programming during the 1998 season includ- nizations are also very involved in the Jewish ed two solo performances about Jewish fami- art and culture scene. ly life, “2.5 Minute Ride” and “Family Jewish Community Centers Secrets.” The Center Stage program also pre- The six Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) in sented “Conversations with Arthur the Bay Area all sponsor art and cultural Hertzberg,” the co-author of Jews: The Essence events. JCCs are open to the public and and Character of a People. Center Stage also focus primarily on non-denominational pro- hosted the 6th Annual Marin Jewish Film gramming. The Bay Area JCCs present a Festival. Entitled “Growing Up Jewish in wide variety of Jewish and non-Jewish art, America” films were shown both at the cultural and educational programs. JCCs Osher Marin JCC and the Lark Theater in support their programs through membership Larkspur. Films included An American Tail, fees, private donations and grants from indi- Passover Fever, and Overture to Glory. viduals, corporations, and foundations. The Osher Marin Jewish Community Center In March of each year, the Berkeley- receives external support for their art and Richmond Jewish Community Center spon- cultural programs from a variety of sources. sors an annual Jewish Music Festival. The For example, the film festival received finan- festival is held over number of days and per- cial support from Koret Foundation and the formances take place at different locations Whyman Family, among others. While the around the Bay Area and showcase different Center Stage program receives revenue from Jewish musical traditions. In 1998, the festi- ticket sales, each program may also be sup- val included programs such as “From ported by outside funders. Embassy Suites, Bilgoray to Brooklyn to Broadway: An the Marin Community Foundation, and the Evening of Yiddish Music” at Theater on the Koret Foundation were some of the contribu- Square in San Francisco, “A Bisl This, A Bisl tors to the production of Family Secrets. That!” at the Oakland Senior Center and “San Francisco Klezmer Experience,” at the Programs presented at the other Jewish com- Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community munity centers around the Bay Area included Center. The festival was supported by Agape a klezmer seder, a wide variety of lectures, Fund for Nonviolence and Social Change, and films.

54 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Jewish Museums Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco is There are also two Jewish museums in the the home of the Elizabeth S. Fine Museum. Bay Area: The Jewish Museum San Francisco During the time of our data collection, it and the Judah L. Magnes Museum in exhibited works by participants in the Arad Oakland. The Jewish Museum San Francisco Arts Project, a six-month fellowship for for- is currently without a permanent home and eign artists to live and work in Arad, Israel. rents gallery space from the Jewish Examples of lectures presented at syna- Community Federation in downtown San gogues are “Recovering our Spirituality” at Francisco. The lack of permanent space pro- Temple Beth Hillel in Richmond and “The hibits the museum from exhibiting a perma- First Step: A Beginner’s Guide to Judaism” at nent collection, but they are able to sponsor Temple Beth Sholom in San Leandro. one or two major exhibitions per year. Exhibits at the Jewish Museum in 1998 Hillels included: “L’Chaim: A Kiddush Cup Hillels around the Bay Area were also active Invitational,” “50/50: Israeli Art from Bay presenters of Jewish art and culture. For Area Collections” and “Souvenirs from Israel, example, the Santa Cruz Hillel Foundation 194 8-1998.” The Magnes Museum is able to sponsored an Alternative Jewish Film produce a larger number of exhibits, includ- Festival, while the UC Berkeley Hillel pre- ing an exhibit of their permanent collection, sented “Envision Israel: The Land, The Heart, “The Passionate Search: Building the The People,” an art exhibit and “A Jewish Collections of the Magnes Museum, 1962- Voice for Peace,” a music and dance program 1997,” and “Stalin’s Forgotten Zion: to benefit organizations involved in promot- Birobidzhan and the Making of a Soviet ing peace in the Middle East. Hillels are par- Homeland.” ticularly important because they are able to attract larger number of younger Jews than Synagogues many other Jewish community organizations. A large number of programs are also held at synagogues. These institutions not only pro- Other Jewish Organizations vide opportunities for religious and educa- Other Jewish organizations that sponsored tional growth, but recognize the importance art and cultural programs included Jewish of art and culture as a vehicle for strengthen- Family and Children’s Services, Montefiore ing Jewish identity among their congregants. Senior Center, Bureau of Jewish Education, Synagogues are supported primarily by Jewish Community Library, and federations. membership fees and receive little outside The programs that are sponsored by these support, therefore, they are constrained by a organizations portray traditional images of lack of financial resources and are able to Jews and reflect the interests of their audi- host only a limited range of cultural pro- ences. For example, the programs sponsored grams. Lectures on religious issues are the by the Montefiore Senior Center focus pri- primary type of cultural offerings that are marily on the Holocaust. The Jewish available at synagogues. Some synagogues Community Federation presented a variety of also sponsor cantorial concerts and art programs including: lectures such as exhibits, while others highlight the musical “Covering Israel,” with Jerusalem Post component of their religious services, such as reporter Sue Fishkoff and “Conversion and special Klezmer Seders or Shabbat services. Peace: Is There a Connection,” with Naomi

55 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Chassan of the Israeli Knesset; and the docu- County are further from San Francisco, mentary, “A Long Way Home”. The Jewish where most Jewish culture is presented. Federation of the Greater East Bay present Programs presented by the agency include the “Virtual Israel Festival,” that included the film Exodus, an art exhibit, “Four Israeli art, food, and music, “The Longing for Centuries of Holy Land Maps,” a discussion the Land,” a program of Zionist Yiddish by Arthur Hertzberg of his recent book Jews: songs, along with numerous lectures and The Essence and Character of a People, and workshops. “Take a Tour of Israel, from Sefat to Eilat,” a festival with food, music, and art. The role of smaller communal organizations in presenting Jewish art and cultural events The Bay Area is also home to two nationally is especially important, given the dispersion recognized Jewish cultural organizations: the of the Jewish community around the Bay San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and A Area. The Jewish Community Agency of Traveling Jewish Theater. Both of these orga- Sonoma County was a very active presenter nizations are widely praised throughout the of Jewish culture. This is especially important United States for their involvement in innov- given that Jewish individuals in Sonoma ative Jewish programming.

Table 4 Jewish Venues Jewish Community Centers Synagogues and Temples Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center Ahavat Yisrael Albert J. Schultz Jewish Community Center Beth Jacob Congregation Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center Chabad of Greater South Bay Contra Costa Jewish Community Center Chochmat HaLev Osher Marin Jewish Community Center Congregation B'nai Israel Peninsula Jewish Community Center Congregation B'nai Tikvah San Francisco Jewish Community Center Congregation Beth Am Congregation Beth David Jewish Cultural Organizations Congregation Beth Israel-Judea ATraveling Jewish Theatre Congregation Beth Sholom San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Congregation Beyt Tikkun Congregation Emanu-El Jewish Museums Congregation Kol Shofar The Jewish Museum San Francisco Congregation Kol Shofar Judah L. Magnes Museum Congregation Ner Tamid Congregation Rodef Sholom Other Jewish Organizations Congregation Sherith Israel Center for Humanistic Judaism Congregation Shir Shalom The Friedman Center Or Shalom Jewish Community Jewish Community Federation Peninsula Temple Beth El Jewish Community Services of Oakland- Peninsula Temple Sholom Piedmont Temple Beth Abraham Jewish Federation of the East Bay Temple Beth El Kabbalah Learning Center Temple Beth Hillel University of California Berkeley Hillel Temple Beth Jacob University of Santa Cruz Hillel Temple Beth Sholom Temple Beth Torah Temple Isaiah Temple Sinai

56 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival this study, it was presented as part of ATJT’s The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is dialogue about culturally specific theater held each summer at venues around the Bay groups and the role that they play in Area. While the Castro Theater in San America. In 1998, ATJT also began sponsor- Francisco and until this past year, the UC ing Jewish Music Wednesday, a weekly series Theater in Berkeley, were the primary venues that features a variety of Jewish musicians for the festival, audience demand and the from different musical traditions, including availability of outside financial support has the Ben Goldberg Sextet, Za’atar, and Davka. enabled the festival to expand to venues in Marin and the Peninsula. Monthly screenings Non-Jewish Venues and Mixed Auspices at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco are also presented throughout the Jewish culture is often presented at non- year. Screenings included Chants of Sand and Jewish venues, both mainstream institutions, Stars, an exploration of Jewish music and such as museums, theaters, universities, and Half the Kingdom, a documentary about alternative cultural institutions. Many of Judaism, patriarchy, and gender equality. these venues actively seek Jewish artists, Since its inception, the SFJFF has tackled patrons, funders, and audiences, and many provocative subjects, and today, the San have Jewish professional staff in manage- Francisco Jewish Film Festival is one of the ment or programming positions. few Jewish organizations willing to showcase programs that challenge accepted images of Organizations that are considered under Jews. For example, the 1998 festival ignited a mixed auspices include Holocaust Centers debate over its showing of films that were and Jewish Studies Programs at Christian sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians. and secular universities. Holocaust Centers, Even with this controversial programming, including museums, resource centers, educa- the festival is able to obtain financial support tional programs, and video and oral history from a variety of Jewish and non-Jewish indi- projects related to the Holocaust have prolif- viduals, corporations, private foundations, erated. There are now more than 100 such and community organizations. centers, many of which sponsor lectures, cer- emonies, exhibits, and other public programs. ATraveling Jewish Theater The number of local historical societies, ATraveling Jewish Theater (ATJT), based in archives, and history projects are also increas- San Francisco, produces a season of three to ing. More than 100 such organizations now four works that include new plays, revivals network with the American Jewish Historical and guest artist presentations. The work of Society, many of whom sponsor lectures and ATJT also challenges traditional notions of symposia, exhibits, publications, and a vari- theater and Jewish art. The 1998 season ety of other public programs. included June Bride, the story of Sara Felder’s Jewish lesbian wedding and Echoes and It is important to examine further the role Postcards, a tribute to small-town that non-Jewish organizations and those Appalachian life performed through an old- under mixed-auspices have taken in promot- time radio variety show. While Echoes and ing and disseminating Jewish art and culture. Postcards would not be considered a Jewish These organizations include for-profit institu- cultural program under the definition used in tions, such as art galleries, bookstores, and

57 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Table 5 Non-Jewish Venues in the Bay Area

Bookstores AClean Well-Lighted Place for Books Schools and Universities Book Passage Cal State Hayward Cody's Bookstore California College of Arts and Crafts Easy Going Travel Shop & Bookstore California Institute of Integral Studies Gaia Bookstore Graduate Theological Union Modern Times Gunn High School Stacey's Bookstore Lomas High School New College of California Theaters and Moviehouses Presidio Middle School Altarena Playhouse San Francisco State University Artrise Theatre Sonoma State University Bus Barn Theatre Stanford University Cable Car Theater University of California Berkeley California Conservatory Theatre University of California Santa Cruz Exit Stage Left University of California San Francisco Jon Sims Center for the Performing Arts University of San Francisco Kabuki Theater Lark Theatre Churches Lincoln Park First Congregational Church Live Oak Theatre First United Methodist Church Magic Theatre Unitarian Universalist Center Miramonte Little Theatre New Conservatory Theatre Other Non-Jewish Venues Noe Valley Ministry 3Com Park Noh Space California Historical Society Red Barn Commonwealth Club of California Roxy Cinema Cubberley Community Center Theatre on the Square Dolby Laboratories Town Hall Theatre Fort Mason Herbst International Exhibition Hall Clubs and Cafes Notre Dame Plaza Ashkenaz Nourse Auditorium Freight & Salvage Oakland Public Library Little Planet Café Oakland Veterans Building Paradise Lounge Santa Clara Convention Center San Francisco Public Library Art Galleries and Museums Sheehan Hotel Berkeley Store Gallery Annex Sobrato Auditorium Bucheon Gallery Strybing Arboretum George Krevsky Gallery The Learning Annex Yerba Buena Center for the Arts The Sequoias M.H. de Young Memorial Museum Urban Life Center Meyerovich Gallery Westin St. Francis Hotel MiLa Fine Arts New Pieces Gallery Peninsula Exposure Gallery Scott Nichols Gallery

58 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Figure 26 Attendance at Jewish and Non-Jewish Venues

100%

80%

60% 45% 40% 31% 31% 28% 28% 24 % 26% 23% 21% 19% 20% 18% 19% 19% 20% 10% 7%

0% Film Lectures Art Theater Music Historical Literary Dance Exhibits Exhibits Jewish Non-Jewish nightclubs and non-profit and not-for-profit libraries, bookstores, and galleries. The avail- institutions, such as universities, museums, ability of programs at non-Jewish venues and libraries. Participation of non-Jewish provides avenues for participation in Jewish organizations is important because they may life for many Jewish individuals, especially bring a fresh perspective to Jewish art and those who are unaffiliated or marginally affil- culture and may be more willing to support iated. Events at non-Jewish venues focus on innovative program- themes such as Jewish ming than Jewish orga- Support of Jewish cultural politics, history, travel, nizations, which pri- events by non-Jewish Israel, the Middle East marily favor more tra- and other topics that organizations is important ditional fare. These are more likely to organizations not only because they may bring a appeal to a wider participate in popular fresh perspective to Jewish audience. For exam- cultural events, but are art and culture and ple, numerous lectures also highly involved in may be more willing to on Kabbalah were promoting Jewish held at non-Jewish support innovative programming music, theater, and venues around the other forms of Jewish than Jewish organizations. Bay Area, including high culture. the California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco and Gaia In the Bay Area, cultural events that contain Books in Berkeley. Jewish characters, issues, and situations are found almost as frequently at non-Jewish Why is Jewish art and culture available so venues as they are at Jewish venues. These frequently at non-Jewish spaces? Many of venues included theaters, universities, public the programs have become so popular that

59 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Figure 27 Attendance at Jewish and Non-Jewish Venues by Age

100%

80% 68% 61% 64 % 57% 59% 60% 60% 52% 49%

40%

20%

0% 18-34 35-4 9 50-64 65 and over Jewish Non-Jewish

the available facilities at Jewish organizations identity and feel comfortable attending are simply not large enough to hold events or events at these venues. are not equipped for the specific type of per- formance being put on. Some organizations The data also shows that Jewish art and cul- want to reach out to individuals who would ture is no longer confined to a geographic not feel comfortable in location or urban cen- ‘Jewish space.’ For Unlike other communities, ter. Unlike other com- example, an event held there is no geographic center munities around the country, there is no at a synagogue may be of Jewish life in the Bay Area. geographic center of a barrier for some indi- Jewish cultural activity viduals. Jewish life in the Bay is found all over, in urban Area. Jewish cultural and suburban, residential activity is found all Certain venues will around the Bay Area, attract specific audi- and business areas. in urban and subur- ences, for example, ban area, in residential audiences that attend events at a campus and business areas. This mirrors the assimila- Hillel will mostly be comprised of young tion of Jews into all areas of American life. adults, at a Jewish library they may be seniors, at a federation they may be profes- Differences also exist in where different sionals, at a Jewish community center they forms of Jewish art and culture are presented. may primarily be families with children. For example, Jewish theater is more likely to Individuals who attend events at Jewish be held at non-Jewish venues, while presen- spaces will probably have a stronger Jewish tations and music are more likely to be held

60 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Table 6 Non-Institutional Sources of Bay Area Jewish Art and Culture

TV/Radio Channel 4 8 KQED-TV Channel 9 KCSM-TV Channel 60 KTEH-TV Channel 54 KOFY Channel 20 KUSF Radio 90.3 KPIX Channel 5 Odyssey/ Bay Area cable at Jewish venues. A further examination of exhibits (28% vs. 20%) are more likely to be the facilities available at both Jewish and attended at non-Jewish venues. Lectures on non-Jewish venues may prove fruitful for Jewish topics are more likely to be offered cultural planners. under Jewish auspices and were more likely to be attended at Jewish venues than non- Little is known about where individuals Jewish (31% vs. 19%). There were no differ- attend programs, yet this is an important ences found for other types of events. These question for cultural planners. While large differences, however, may be influenced numbers of people are participating in Jewish more by where certain types of events likely culture, more appear to be doing it at non- to be held than where individuals prefer to Jewish venues than at Jewish ones. Fifty-five attend (see Figure 26). percent of respondents report attending events at Jewish venues and 62% say they These differences may also be related to the attended events at non-Jewish venues in the age of the respondent and may be especially past year. Films (4 5% vs. 28%) and art important for attracting younger Jews, who

Figure 28 Ever attend any of the following…

Participate in one or more venues 72%

Jewish Museum San Francisco 51%

Israel Independence Day 44%

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 30%

A Traveling Jewish Theater 27%

Osher Marin JCC Center Stage 9%

Berkeley Richmond JCC Jewish Music Festival 8%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

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Figure 29 Ever Attend Jewish Events by Age

100%

80%

60% 52% 52% 48% 43% 40% 36% 34 % 36% 35% 32% 29% 20% 20% 20% 17% 9% 8% 9% 6% 6% 5% 4% 0% Israel A Traveling San Francisco CenterStage Jewish Music Independence Jewish Theater Jewish Film Festival Day Festival 18-34 35-4 9 50-64 65 and over may be more willing or comfortable attend- Theater, the San Francisco Jewish Film ing events at non-Jewish venues. Festival, or a program at the Osher Marin Additionally, events at Jewish and non- Jewish Community Center Center Stage or Jewish venues may be advertised differently, Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community thereby attracting different audiences. Our Center Jewish Music Festival. Forty-four per- data shows that younger Jewish respondents cent say they ever attended an Israel are less likely to attend Jewish events at Independence Day celebration, 30% reported Jewish venues than older respondents. This is ever attending the San Francisco Jewish Film not surprising given their lower affiliation Festival, 29% say they attended a perfor- rates. Less than 50% of respondents 18-34 mance of A Traveling Jewish Theater; less say they attended Jewish events in the past than 10% reported ever attending a Center year at Jewish venues, compared to 52% of Stage event or the Jewish Music Festival (see those 35-4 9, 59% of respondents 50-64 and Figure 28). 64 % of respondents 65 and over. No consis- tent differences were found among atten- Respondents younger than 35 are also less dance at non-Jewish venues (see Figure 27). likely to have ever attended any of these events; 31% of respondents 18-34 report ever Participation in annual events or at institu- attending, compared to 51% of respondents tional settings is quite high. Seventy-two per- age 35-4 9, 63% of those 50-64 and 56% of cent attended at least one institution or event. respondents 65 and over. Younger respon- Almost half of respondents reported ever dents are more likely to have ever attended attending an Israel Independence Day cele- an Israel Independence Day or been to the bration, a performance by A Traveling Jewish San Francisco Jewish Film Festival than any

62 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area of the other annual events (see Figure 29). they had ever been to either of the museums, A number of young people expressed their compared to 68% of those 65 and over, 57% interest in the Jewish Film Festival: of respondents 50-64 , and 4 6% of respon- dents 35-4 9. “I want to express that I go to the Jewish Others are particularly attracted to Jewish Film Festival every year. It’s a real festival museums: for me. I go to at least five films every year and I look forward to that. It’s not always “I regularly go to The Jewish Museum in done by Jewish people, but it does relate to San Francisco and Magnes. Jewish culture Jewish issues that we all bring up here in is so rich, I participate.” forum.” Non-Institutional Sources Jewish museums are also attracting big pro- Jewish cultural expression is also encoun- portions of the Jewish community. Forty-five tered in numerous non-institutional settings, percent of respondents report ever visiting among them books, compact disks and audio The Jewish Museum San Francisco or the tapes, periodicals, newspapers, radio, film, Judah L. Magnes Museum. These findings television, and, increasingly, on-line. are similar to results for Bay Area museum Local programming of Jewish art and cultur- attendance in general. A third of respondents al programs found on Bay Area radio and say they have been to The Jewish Museum television include the television programs San Francisco and 27% say they have been to Brooklyn Bridge, a fictionalized series about the Judah L. Magnes Museum. Respondents growing up in Brooklyn, and Children of younger than 35 were also less likely to have Terezin, Anne Frank Remembered, and ever visited either of the museums; 23% say Diamonds in the Snow, all programs about the

Figure 30 Participation in Jewish Culture at Home

100% 90%

80% 74 %

60% 56% 51% 50% 44% 40%

20%

0% Do one or Watch Jewish Read Jewish Listen to Read Jewish Rent Jewish more of the TV books Jewish music newspapers videos following at home

63 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Holocaust. The Northern California Jewish on within the Jewish community, others out- Bulletin provides a weekly listing of weekly side the Jewish community, and still others radio and television programs with Jewish between the Jewish and general communi- themes or content (see Table 6). ties. All three types of conversation are described in the literature, and each conver- The mass media clearly attract the most sation is an important vehicle for self-exami- Jewish participation. Seventy-four percent of nation. Conversations with Jewish tradition respondents say they watched television with help to situate American Jewry in the contin- Jewish content in the past year, between 50% uum of Jewish history. The Jewish-American and 55% say they read Jewish books, news- conversation also places the community in papers or magazines, or listened to Jewish history, but more specifically within the cul- music in the past year, and 4 4 % say they tural, social, and political contexts of contem- rented Jewish videos. Over 60% of respon- porary America. Jewish participation in dents went to a film with Jewish content. mainstream cultural conversations brings These numbers equal or exceed those who Jewish perceptions, values, and sensibilities fast on Yom Kippur, have a mezuzah, light into American culture. candles on Friday night, or belong to a syna- gogue or other Jewish organization (see Jewish Conversations Figure 30). In a recent essay, Nessa Rapoport suggests Participation in Jewish culture at home that American Jewry has reached a point of occurs among all age groups. Eighty-five per- maturity and confidence that will enable cent of respondents under 35 say they partici- writers (and other creative figures) to enter pated in Jewish culture at home in the past into an informed dialogue with Jewish tradi- year, compared to 92% of respondent 35-4 9, tion and to create new forms of Jewish cul- 87% of those 50-64 and 96% of respondents ture grounded in Jewish civilization 65 and over. Patterns of participation at home (Solataroff and Rapoport 1992). This form of were similar among all age groups. However, “internal” conversation links contemporary younger Jews are less likely to listen to American Jewry with predecessor Jewish Jewish music and more likely to rent Jewish communities and cultures spanning time and videos than other age groups. geography. A recent colloquium, convened at the Jewish Theological Seminary, calls atten- CONTENT-BASED TAXONOMY tion to the centrality of these kinds of conver- sations within the Jewish tradition. Jack Because American Jewry is a pluralist com- Wertheimer asserts that efforts to retrieve the munity, engaged with an open, diverse soci- past through reappropriation, reinvention, ety, no single trope, no central theme, no evocation, reinterpretation, and mythologiza- encompassing ideology, can embrace the tion express a continued yearning for rooted- variety of Jewish cultural expression visible ness and authenticity, even when they legit- in the contemporary landscape. Indeed, imize novel behaviors and beliefs. “In most observers of the contemporary cultural land- accounts,” Dr. Wertheimer says, “dynamic scape can identify a multiplicity of simulta- transformations, if not convulsive ruptures, neous cultural conversations. Some are going are hallmarks of Jewish modernity.” These

64 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area accounts emphasize Jews who broke with can be located in the arts of the wider society. their past in order to live in the modern The proper way to grope toward a definition world. But Wertheimer insists that such inter- of American Jewish culture is to ask the fol- pretations ignore the persistence of conversa- lowing questions: What are the special fea- tions with tradition in modern Jewish life tures of the works of those Jews who have (Wertheimer 1992:IX-XIII). been creative figures within American cul- ture? What do creative Jews do that differen- Jewish-American Conversations tiates them from other creative Americans? What kinds of cultural expression are repre- In contrast to those conversations which are sentative of American Jews, so that it primarily internal, some current conversa- becomes proper to speak of a Jewish sensibil- tions reflect what Ellen Schiff calls “the ity? The most resourceful, the most original, imperatives and difficulties of dual identity.” the most gifted American Jews have general- Unlike Yiddish culture, which in America ly attempted to burst the constraints of what- faces inward, “revivifying not only roots, but ever has passed for a normative Jewish ambi- the places where roots once flourished,” ence, have instead breathed life into American Jewish culture, in contrast, faces American culture generally. That is why the outward to the challenges of life in a pluralist student of American Jewish culture cannot society, concerned with the representation of explore only how American Jews have those who feel conflicted, alienated, and vul- addressed Jewish issues, or how they have nerable. In Dr. Schiff’s view, American liberty, attempted to situate themselves within the as well as its prejudices, are “exactly what boundaries of Jewish history or sought to provoke American Jews to ponder what realize their own Jewishness. . . . in terms of being Jewish means.” Like internal Jewish assessing the creativity of American Jewry, conversations, American Jewish culture is such [Judaic] scholarship and resourcefulness composed of expressions that relate directly have generally been marginal. Because of the and overtly to Jewish experience and life. velocity of assimilation and acceptance, they However, the condition of living in two have constituted a sideshow, compared to worlds rather than living solely within the what has been going on under the main tent” Jewish tradition is the overt content of this (Whitfield 1988:4 5f). conversation (Schiff 1995:XXX and XXVf).

American Conversations Content-based taxonomies such as this are valuable in calling attention to the emergence Yet another ongoing conversation concerns of Jewish culture in the American main- itself with the American condition, filtered stream. Such a model also focuses on the rich through Jewish lenses and sensibilities. complexity of Jewish cultural expression and Stephen Whitfield, for example, argues that would encourage a fine-grained, nuanced “American Jewish culture cannot be found at reading of the landscape. However, this kind its most impressive in the perpetuation or of taxonomy would probably not drive home rejuvenation of the Judaic heritage of biblical key questions about who accesses Jewish cul- Israel or of the Old World. Instead that cul- ture and how they respond to it--questions of ture yields its most formidable images in audience that are of prime importance to pro- those expressions of Jewish sensibility that ducers, patrons, funders, advocates, and

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Table 7 Themes in Bay Area Jewish Art and Culture

Religion Cuba Kabbalah/Mysticism Russia Holidays Poland Traditions Holland Spirituality Practices Jewish History Bible Holocaust Ethics World War II Germans Israel Nazism Gay/Lesbian Emigration Art and Music Yiddish Politics Travel Contemporary U.S. Israel at 50 Race relations Contemporary Life Women Palestinians Family life History Gay/Lesbian Politics Jewish Diaspora Israel Ireland Communal issues community leaders. The descriptive richness through an American ideology and experi- of such a study would appeal most to ences. Various writers have identified broad scholars and critics, but its intensity, dura- traditions in Jewish art and expression, tion, and cost might limit its feasibility. including humor, social justice, “lifestyle” Finally, many key institutions and venues trends, ancestry and religious heritage, litur- would be given short shrift in contrast to the gy and the Holocaust (Dresser and Friedman content of their cultural programs and pre- 1993; Kleeblatt 1996). Kleeblatt also believes sentations. that mainstream, secular Jewish artists are no longer concerned with the shetls and ghettos of their grandparents but with suburban and THEMES IN JEWISH ART AND CULTURE middle-class American life. The Holocaust, for example, has become an artifact of The focus of the study was originally on American culture, not only for Jews but also American Jewish art and culture. While for non-Jews (Flanzbaum 1999). Art and cul- many of the events are influenced by ture provide rich avenues for Jews, as indi- American culture and have strong American viduals and as a community, to express their roots, is there an American Jewish art and thoughts and feelings about the Holocaust in culture that can be studied separately from ways that are more powerful than language. Jewish culture at large? Much of the work that comprises this report contains themes According to SPPA findings, the peak atten- that are not identifiable with American Jewry. dance rates for most types of arts participa- These events, however, are interpreted tion are made up of visitors in the 4 5-54 year-

66 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area old range, followed by those adults 35 to 4 4 to share them so that people could share (Jack Faucett Associates Inc. 1998). It appears this with [their families].” that the majority of art and cultural program- ming in the Bay Area is geared towards this Even if we only consider those events that age group, and in many ways may mirror the reflect the Ashkenazi heritage, we find a demographics of those affiliated with the Bay diversity of the themes and a wide range of Area Jewish community. However, some pro- Jewish identities present in Jewish art and grams also target other segments of the com- culture in the Bay Area. The diversity of munity, such as the unaffiliated, seniors, fam- themes and identities, for the most part how- ilies, teens, young adults, women, and gays ever, represent the mission of the organiza- and lesbians. tions that present them. Each organization as an institution decides the kind of mark they On the surface, Bay Area Jewish art and cul- want to make in the Jewish community and ture represents the diverseness of the Jewish the community at large. The programming community and its relationship to American that they sponsor typically reflects this long- society at large. Closer analysis, however, range vision — the mission of the organiza- reveals that these programs, in a large part, tions. However, programming is also bal- promote images that reflect the background anced by a number of shorter-term objec- of the majority of Jews in the U.S. — those of tives, including the desire to attract new peo- Ashkenazi or Eastern European background. ple, financial support, and the availability of While some of the programs do focus on programs from other institutions. Sephardic or Mizrahi themes — they more frequently represent the Ashkenazic Religious themes were most prevalent in lec- experience — this may be in part because tures and art exhibits. Examples of lectures they are funded and sponsored by Jewish include “Jewish Mysticism: Doorway to the organizations which have been created and Soul,” “The Spiritual Path to Judaism,” “How maintained by the Ashkenazic community. Families Celebrate Shabbat at Home,” and While Jewish artists have been marginalized “Parallels Between Modern Cosmology and in many respects by the American art world Ancient Jewish Kabbalah.” Art exhibits at large, Sephardic and Mizrahi artists in the included “Chag Sameach: Children’s United States have been further marginalized Perspectives on the Jewish Holidays” and within the Jewish community. Many individ- “L’Chaim: A Kiddish Cup Exhibit.” Many of uals probably would not even think that the these programs, especially lectures, were held event would be anything other than their at synagogues. experience, unless it specifically mentions its Sephardic or Mizrahi aspects. Even programs Jewish history was also a popular theme of that deal with other Diaspora communities many programs. Most of these programs have strong leanings towards Eastern focused on Holocaust subjects, however, this Europe. A female focus group participant may be related more to the time period of specifically mentioned the desire for more our data collection which included the Jewish Sephardic events. She said: holiday of Yom Ha’Shoah. According to scholars, American representations of the “The Sephardic melodies are beautiful and Holocaust provide the major link between it would be nice if there were more concerts the Jewish past and the American Jewish

67 Institute for Jewish & Community Research present (Dresser and Friedman 1993; its Reflection on Israeli Society.” Films about Horowitz 1999). Holocaust programs includ- Israeli life included Fictitious Marriage, Late ed personal recollections, documentaries, and Summer Blues, Siege, and Fragments*Jerusalem. dramatizations. The Courage to Care (film), Other Israel at 50 events included “Beyond Anne Frank and Me and Kindertransport (the- Tel Aviv,” “Israel in the Park,” and the San ater), “Kristallnact” and “Varian Fry: Francisco Giants celebrate Israel at 50. Assignment Rescue, 194 0-4 1” (exhibits), all The programs presented on the Jewish incorporated personal recollections of the Diaspora fit right in with the interests of Bay Holocaust. Europa, Europa was a major release Area residents. The Bay Area is multicultural; film that received an Academy Award nomi- Jews live among Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and nation for Best Foreign Film. Israeli author numerous other racial and ethnic groups. Aaron Appelfield read from his new novel, They travel a lot; seek out new and exciting The Iron Tracks about a Holocaust survivor. experiences with other cultures. Jews go salsa Other historical themes included WWI and dancing, learn Spanish, eat Chinese food, and Jewish emigration and included programs protest against human rights violations and such as the film Hester Street and the lecture military campaigns around the world. And “Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries of the California they want to learn about Jewish life and cul- Gold Rush.” Many Bay Area Jews have ture around the world that is different from developed a renewed interest in Yiddishkeit their own. Diaspora themes focused on and this theme was represented in films, lec- Jewish life in Cuba, Ireland, China, and tures, and music including “The Golden Age Eastern Europe. There were lectures on Jews of Second Avenue” and “Yiddish: The Mama in Cuba, Ireland and Eastern Europe and Loshn,” “A Hoo Ha History of Yiddish films such as Next Year in Havana, Jews of Theater,” “Yiddish Literature in the World Poland, and At the Crossroads, both about Today,” and “Longing for the Land: Zionist Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Art Yiddish Songs.” exhibits included “Jews among the Berbers” and “Birobidzhan: Making of a Jewish Some argue that Israel has become the secu- Homeland.” Other performances with lar ethnic replacement for religion and that it Diaspora programs included “China Dream: also provides a major link between the Growing up Jewish in Tienstin” and “Music Jewish past and the American present. of the Jews of Arab and Muslim Lands.” Therefore, it is not surprising that Israeli sub- jects were a frequent theme in Bay Area Jews also have an interest in their own cul- events, especially since the data collection ture. Many want to connect with the culture period coincided with Israel at 50. Abba that their parents or grandparents left behind Eban, former Israeli ambassador to the when they immigrated to the United States United Nations, spoke about his role in the and then assimilated into the American main- Israeli government. Israeli artists, musicians, stream culture. Contemporary North and choreographers were showcased, includ- American Jewry, therefore, also figured ing Israeli artist Calman Shemi, the National prominently in the Jewish art and cultural Kibbutz Artzi, and musician, Yair Dalal. events presented. Lectures, films, art exhibits, Lectures included “The Struggle for Equality and theatrical events all showed different in the Jewish State, ” “Building Bridges for aspects of Jewish identity in North America. Peace,” and “The History of Israeli Art and Events included lectures on Jewish women in

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Hollywood and being gay, lesbian and The main source for arts and culture listings Jewish. Julius Lester, a black radical in the in the San Francisco Bay Area is the San 1960’s, spoke on his own conversion to Francisco Chronicle, the daily morning news- Judaism. Films about North American Jewish paper. The Chronicle has a daily circulation of life included Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter. close to 500,000 and is available all around Contemporary Jewish life was represented in the Bay Area. The Sunday Datebook, pub- a number of theatrical pieces including Sara lished jointly with the San Francisco Examiner, Felder’s June Bride, Sherry Glaser’s Family reaches an even wider audience given that it Secrets, and Susan Sandler’s Crossing goes to readers of both the Chronicle and the Delancey. Contemporary North American Examiner. The National Arts Journalism Jewry programs also focused on relations Program report found that unlike most other with other ethnic groups, especially those papers, the arts and culture section in the between Jews and African Americans. Chronicle is bigger than the business and sports sections (Janeway et al. 1999). The The wide variety of themes that we identified NAJP report also describes the Chronicle’s indicates that there is something for every- approach to its art and culture section as one. These themes highlight the wide inter- combination of high and low culture, rather ests of Jewish individuals and the wide vari- than choosing one type over another. ety of organizations and artists to meet those interests. The San Francisco Bay Guardian is one of the free, weekly alternative newspapers that are widely available around the Bay Area. The Guardian is viewed as a political paper that ADVERTISING AND THE PROMOTION OF JEWISH ART AND CULTURE takes on big political targets. It devotes more of its pages to coverage of art and culture than the other alternative papers. The One area that is not covered in any of the tax- Guardian, like the other alternative papers, is onomies, and which we think is important, is more likely to cover young and up-and-com- advertising and the promotion of Jewish ing artists, those events that have political events. The media used to advertise and pro- and cultural ramifications and those at alter- mote events is an important determinant of native venues. Its weekly circulation is who will attend the event and our data pro- approximately 150,000 (Janeway et al. vide information on how organizations com- 1999:101). municate with different segments of the pop- ulation. Jewish art and cultural events are The Northern California Jewish Bulletin is a widely advertised in the Northern California weekly paper that is available by subscrip- Jewish Bulletin (Bulletin), the Bay Guardian tion or purchase at various Jewish and non- (Guardian) and the San Francisco Chronicle and Jewish locations throughout the Bay Area. 2 Sunday Datebook (Chronicle). Therefore, where While the Bulletin has the most complete list- events are listed has direct and indirect ing of Jewish art and cultural events and the implications for reaching audiences. easiest format, its circulation is smaller and more limited than the other two newspapers. Although there may be considerable overlap As our data shows, individuals who read the among readership, each of the study sources Bulletin, for the most part, are already attracts different segments of the population. involved in Jewish life.

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The majority of Jewish art and cultural listing that includes a review of the program, events were found exclusively through the such as one for Sara Felder’s June Bride that Bulletin listings. Listings in the Guardian and was found in the Guardian. Listings may also Chronicle lean towards those events that are vary between editions — one edition may held at more established venues; are pro- include the long version, while another may duced by more established organizations; are only include a few lines. believed to be of more interest to a wider audience; or are sponsored by non-traditional Our analysis of the calendar listings and ads Jewish organizations. Examples of these indicates three primary ways for identifying include productions at A Traveling Jewish Jewish art and culture: the language used, the Theater and the Magnes and Jewish artist who created the work, and organization Museum, Holocaust programs, and those that is sponsoring it. sponsored by the Kabbalah Learning Center. Listings in the Guardian also tend towards Language is an important part of Jewish cul- those that feature provocative subjects or ture. Since there is no single Jewish nationali- would be of interest to younger individuals. ty, Jews use a number of different languages These include almost all programs about or to express and communicate their Jewish including Palestinians and those held at the identity. Even within the same language, UC Berkeley Hillel or International House. there may be different accents and vocabular- The vast majority of the events are found in ies. One must assume that there exist certain the calendar listings rather than as paid words or phrases — code words — that are advertisements. This is not surprising, given used to express Jewish identity. Direct use of that the recent study by the NAJP found that words such as Jew, Jewish, or Judaism make 50% of the coverage of arts, entertainment it Jewish art and culture easy to identify. and culture are mechanically generated list- Other words such as Kabbalah, Israel, ings (Janeway et al. 1999). Holocaust, and anti-Semitism, among others have been adopted as identifiers of Jewish The calendar listings in all three newspapers life and identity. Non-Jews, especially those are basic paragraphs of not more than a few who live or have lived in areas with a large lines that include the title of the event, its Jewish community may also recognize the location and time, and a contact phone num- meaning of these words. In the most cases, ber. Some may include a brief description of these words are easily identified in the title of the event, such “The author talks about her the event. In some instances, however, it is book.” Others may be more detailed, like the the accompanying text that gives further listing in the Guardian for “Remember the clues to its Jewish identity. Children: Daniel’s Story,” which says “This interactive exhibit for children ages eight and Many events are identified through the use of up explores the Holocaust from a nine-year the actual words Jewish or Judaism in the old Jewish boy’s perspective” or Family title. This was especially true for lectures, Secrets, “Sherry Glaser performs her solo such as “From Ben-Gurion to Netanyahu: 50 show about five members of a very funny Years of Jewish Politics,” “Chaim Potok: Jewish family.” Some may have no descrip- Jewish Identity and Written Expression,” tion at all. Occasionally, there is a longer “Pioneer Jewish Cemeteries of the Gold

70 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Rush,” or Julius Lester’s talk on “My Journey Jewish life. The use of actual Yiddish or to Judaism.” Musical events also use this Hebrew words may be unfamiliar to some form of identification, such as “Music of the Jews and most non-Jews, making it difficult Jews of Arab and Muslim Lands,” “A to identify the topic of the program. The Concert of Jewish Art Song,” “Bay Area choice of program name may be a contribut- Jewish Chorale Fest,” and “Salamone Rossi ing factor to audience and has been little and the Jewish-Italian Renaissance.” studied.

Titles may also include words that are associ- The second option of that through recogni- ated with Jewish life, such as anti-Semitism, tion of the creator or organization, may be Israel, Yiddish, Holocaust, and Kabbalah. more problematic. Many of the calendar list- This is especially common for lectures, art ings simply say “Jewish singer/songwriter” exhibits and films. Examples include the lec- or “Jewish performer” in either their title or tures “Yiddish Literature in the New World description. As we discussed earlier in our Today,” “Yair Dalal: Israel’s Multi-Ethnic examination of the definition of Jewish art Music,” and “The Kabbalah: Opening the and culture, does the mere use of these terms Inner Gates.” Art exhibits that were shown as indicate that the program contains Jewish part of Israel at 50 events frequently used themes or content. Examples of this include words associated with Israel, such as “On the listings in the Bulletin for “Opera Arias” by Streets of Israel” and “50/50: Israeli Art from Jewish vocalist Sylvie Braitman at the Bay Area Collections.” Culinary Institute of America and a performance by Jewish actor Michael Tucker Another way to identify Jewish art and cul- in “Love Letters” at the Marin Veterans tural events is through the use of Yiddish or Memorial Auditorium. Hebrew words or phrases. Examples include “Kvetch” and “A Bisl This…A Bisl That.” The A number of the listings, especially those that use of Hebrew words (in transliteration) in a come from the Chronicle are listed under an title is even less common, although it is fre- organization. Examples of this include a list- quently used to identify a holiday event or ing for the Magnes Museum’s exhibitions and event that contains a religious subject. that then goes on to briefly describe each Examples include “Haggadah: A Celebration exhibit or one under the Osher Marin Jewish of Freedom,” “Chag Sameach: Children’s Community Center for “Family Secrets,” Perspectives on the Jewish Holidays,” and Sherry Glaser’s comedy about her Jewish “L’Chaim: A Kiddush Cup Exhibit.” family. Other Jewish events, however, are list- We wonder whether the particular use of lan- ed under non-Jewish venues, such as a listing guage and words that are chosen influences for the California Conservatory Theater’s who is interested in the event. For example, production of “Crossing Delancey,” or the using the word Jewish or Judaism, easily “Remember the Children” exhibit at the identifies the event for both Jews and non- Presidio. Rather than simply being able to Jews, while using words such as Yiddish, quickly scan the listings for Jewish programs, Kabbalah or others with Jewish connotations individuals must look at many more details will probably be recognizable to Jewish indi- to find any clue as to a program’s Jewish viduals and non-Jews with a familiarity with identity.

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Finding the listings of Jewish events may be organizations, such as the Jewish Community even more confusing. In the Guardian and Center of San Francisco or The Jewish Chronicle they may be under the type of Museum San Francisco. These advertise- event, such as the music program “From ments are also primarily found in the Bigoray to Brooklyn to Broadway: An Bulletin, although some were also found in evening of Yiddish music with Eleanor the Guardian. Examples of paid advertise- Reissa”; the artist or speaker, such as listings ments are below. There are several similari- for The Ben Goldberg Sextet, Za’atar, or ties in each ad. The presenting agency is on Davka, which are part of A Traveling Jewish top; the date is in the middle, and there is a Theater’s “New Music Wednesday” program; description of who will be performing or or the venue or organization, as described in speaking. Most include a picture, such as that the preceding paragraph. Listings in the of the performer Rebbe Soul, a chorus for the Bulletin are more consistent in that they are Bay Area Jewish Choral Fest, and a photo of listed first by type of event, then in order by Abba Eban. Many of the ads also appear to date, and finally, by title. be programs that are jointly sponsored by a number of different organizations, such an ad Paid advertisements are relatively rare in all for “Three Wednesdays, Three Films and a three papers. In general, the paid advertise- Nosh,” sponsored by The Jewish Museum ments are for large, community-wide events, San Francisco, in collaboration with the such as the “Israel in the Park” the Israel at Bureau of Jewish Education, and held at the 50 exhibits at the Jewish Museum San Jewish Community Federation. The ads for Francisco. The paid advertisements were also Rebbe Soul and the Israel Independence Day more likely to come from larger Jewish Shabbat at Congregation Emanu-El are

Figure 31 Reading the Jewish Bulletin and Attendance at Jewish Cultural Events

100%

80% 74 % 74 %

59% 60% 56% 52% 50% 49% 49% 47% 39% 39% 40% 35% 30% 23% 20% 17% 6%

0% Film Theater Literary Music Dance Art Historical Lectures Exhibits Exhibits

Read Jewish Bulletin Don't read Jewish Bulletin

72 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area unusual in that it is being sponsored by a Forty-four percent of respondents report ever synagogue on their own, rather than in col- using the Internet for Jewish-related informa- laboration with other synagogues or tion. Respondents 65 and over are least likely organizations. to have used the Internet for Jewish-related information. Among those younger than 35, The ad for “Beyond Tel Aviv” in the Bay 40% say they have used the Internet for Guardian is the least traditional of all the paid Jewish-related information, compared to 52% advertisements found for Jewish events. It of those 35-4 9 and 52% of respondents 50-65. features a man dressed in a space helmet, Hebrew lettering, and a list of musicians and Given the vast amount of arts and cultural performance artists that will be appearing. activity, both Jewish and non-Jewish, that is This event is clearly trying to attract a young, available in the Bay Area, the means that hip, Jewish and Israeli audience and it puts it people use to find out about events and the right out there, saying “Celebrating Israel@50 description of the actual event are both with a South of Market flavor,” and “Four extremely important to attracting audiences. stages of Israeli and Jewish fringe entertain- SPPA data indicate that almost 4 0% of ment.” respondents find out about arts events through a friend, neighbor, relative or co- The listings from all three sources, while not worker (Jack Faucett Associates Inc. 1998). exhaustive of all Jewish programming Whether or not respondents’ read the Jewish available in the Bay Area, do indicate that Bulletin is influenced by one’s affiliation with there is an enormous amount and variety of the Jewish community. Among individuals Jewish art and cultural activity. However, who belong to either a synagogue or other while the Bulletin has the most complete list- type of Jewish organization, 80% say they ing of events and the easiest format to com- read the Bulletin, compared to 54 % who do prehend, its circulation is smaller and more not belong to any type of organization. This limited than the other two newspapers and is not surprising, given that a large percent- makes it more difficult for many Jews to find age of the Jewish Bulletin’s circulation goes out about them. to those who receive it as part of their mem- bership in the Jewish Community Federation. Among those who say they read Jewish And because the majority of Jewish art and newspapers in past year, 75% say they read cultural programming is advertised solely in the Northern California Jewish Bulletin. Across the Bulletin, most unaffiliated or marginally all types of events, more respondents who affiliated Jews are unaware of the enormous read the Jewish Bulletin attend Jewish events variety of Jewish art and culture that is avail- than those who don’t read it. While younger able. An additional source of information on Jews appear less likely than other age groups Jewish cultural programming is through to read Jewish newspapers, among those that directed mailings, in the form of flyers, do, they are just as likely to read the Bulletin brochures, and newsletters. Again, unaffiliat- as respondents of other ages (see Figure 31). ed or marginally affiliated individuals will The Internet may become an increasingly have more difficulty learning about Jewish important resource for advertising Jewish art art and cultural programming through these and culture events, across all age groups. traditional sources of information.

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CONCLUSION potential for individuals to enrich their Jewish lives by having access to more cultur- This analysis leads us to both practical and al opportunities, both outside and inside ideological recommendations. On the one their homes, are sound goals to strengthen hand, the data indicate that most of the Jewish identity and communal involvement. Jewish community in the Bay Area demon- To achieve this goal, some changes are rec- strates its proclivity to participate in Jewish ommended in the way that many Jewish cul- cultural activities. Practical recommendations tural opportunities are presented to the pub- on how to achieve the goal of increased cul- lic. In terms of the print media, most of the tural participation is the first part of this con- advertisements that we examined were both cluding analysis. On the other hand, we must small and unattractive, and unlikely to be also address the ideological issue of placing noticed by the vast majority of consumers. Jewish culture on the communal agenda in a Furthermore, many use code words, Hebrew way that provides rightful attention and or Yiddish expressions that are probably resources. unknown to many if not most Jews, especial- ly younger Jews. Often Jewish cultural events To summarize the most important points of appear as one or two lines in the Datebook the report, Jews in the Bay Area believe that section of the San Francisco Chronicle and participating in Jewish culture is an impor- often are even more obscure than that. Small, tant part of their Jewish identity. Over ninety unattractive and hard to find, forms of com- percent of the respondents participate in munication in the print media are a ineffec- some form of Jewish cultural activities. These tive approach to involving people in more include film, music, and lectures as the three Jewish cultural activities. Furthermore, many most popular types of Jewish participation. of the promotional ads that we discovered for Yet attending theatre, dance, and all other many cultural events were limited to the forms of Jewish culture are also important. Jewish Bulletin of Northern California. While it Jews also participate in Jewish culture at reaches a significant number of Jews in the home. Over seventy–five percent say that Bay Area, it does not reach most. More use of they read Jewish books, newspapers or mag- suburban newspapers, The Guardian, and a azines. Moreover, watching Jewish television host of other local newspapers, magazines, programs and renting Jewish videos are also and internet web sites are critical to increas- key venues for participating in Jewish cul- ing people’s access to Jewish cultural events. ture. About 33% report using a computer for Making those ads more understandable and Jewish cultural participation. Just as impor- visually appealing is also important. tantly, 90% of the Jews in the Bay Area are interested in attending more Jewish cultural We also discovered that Jewish cultural programs. They are most interested in film, events are sometimes in isolated or in partic- art exhibits, and theatre. Both the current use ular geographic venues that people do not and the potential use for involving Jews know about, or may seem to distant from through Jewish cultural activities is enor- them. It is critical that Jewish cultural events mous. follow the model of the Jewish Film Festival in holding its activities in multiple venues. As pervasive as participating in at least one The more widely dispersed cultural events activity in Jewish culture may be, the are the more likely they are to be attended.

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Given the enormous geographic dispersion Most of all, the data indicate that competition of Bay Area Jews, bringing cultural events to with secular cultural events, work, and ordi- where people live is essential. nary life are the primary reasons individuals do not participate more in Jewish cultural The most obvious way to bring cultural activities. Therefore, the attraction must be events to Bay Area Jews is through radio, compelling and the product delivered of television, video, and internet. It is clear from superior quality. People need incentives to these data that there is a widespread proclivi- participate and to continue to participate. ty to utilize media in the home (and in the Jewish cultural events can merge with the office) to participate in Jewish culture. secular in terms of sports, for example. Furthermore, the data show that television is Programs like Maccabee should be more the most widely utilized medium for reach- widely publicized and marketed as an obvi- ing most Jews. Therefore, this analysis indi- ous way for many Jews who are interested in cates the need for a Bay Area Jewish cable that form of cultural life to connect it to their television network, a Jewish radio station, Judaism. Given individuals’ participation in sections in video stores for Jewish-related everyday life, which is largely non-Jewish, material are all essential ways for more Jews we suggest that most Jewish cultural events to participate in Jewish cultural activities. be in non-Jewish venues. This would be more likely to attract younger Jews, as well as peo- In general, individuals are deterred from par- ple in specific geographic areas. Holding cul- ticipating in Jewish cultural activities by: (1) tural events primarily in synagogues, for lack of parking. Of course there is little one example, may attract those who are part of can do about this issue, other than to hold the congregation, and occasionally those who Jewish cultural events where there is a maxi- belong to other congregations, but for the mum amount of parking or to provide shut- most part would limit attendance to fairly tle services to bring people to Jewish cultural specific audiences. Holding more events in events. (2) Understanding what the program non-Jewish venues would attract individuals is really about. As indicated before, ads are who are not so attached to Jewish institu- difficult to find, but they are also difficult to tions. understand. While some may be obvious, such as the Jewish Film Festival, lectures, and All of these recommendations are directed music, others often convey unclear themes. towards increasing the frequency of Jewish (3) Quality is a key issue. Just because a pro- involvement in Jewish culture. We recognize gram is offered under Jewish auspices does that most Jews are already involved to some not mean people will come. They must be degree. We believe that by improving the assured that the quality is excellent, or else marketing and the access to Jewish culture they will not attend the first time or return this participation could increase dramatically. for future involvement. (4 ) The activity must These recommendations pay tribute to the be fun. Individuals participate in Jewish cul- already successful programs, with the belief tural activities as part of their social and that the capacity for increasing Jewish recreational lives. It should not always be cultural consumption has hardly been serious and heavy and burdened with tapped. themes of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.

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The ideological issues are much more chal- the two are not mutually exclusive, nor lenging. For some analysts in Jewish life, the should they be. One should not assume that cultural arts are seen as peripheral, trivial, or individuals interested in Jewish film are not poor substitutes for real Jewish identity, interested in synagogue participation or vice which expresses itself through synagogue versa. They can be mutually enforcing and attendance, observance of Kashrut, and strict should be. But each are important aspects of ritual observance. While these are important Jewish life and should be respected as such. aspects of Jewish identity for some Jews, they are not the main expression of Jewish identi- Jewish community funders, including federa- ty for most Jews. The vast majority of Jews in tions, foundations, and private philan- the Bay Area define themselves as ethnic, cul- thropists should vastly increase their support tural, or secular Jews. They do not see them- of Jewish cultural organizations, institutions selves as religious, at least as defined by the and programs in the Bay Area. Currently, standards of synagogue and Kashrut. Yet such activities lag far behind other identity they are proud to be and community build- Jews, want to partici- Jewish culture reaches all ing efforts, especially pate in Jewish life, and age groups, crosses gender, when capital cam- cultural activities are a education, income, and paigns are put into the key element, and for equation. This is a geographic boundaries, and is many the primary ele- serious communal ment in their Jewish the key to Jewish identity in error. This study defin- expression and lives. the Bay Area. itively shows that investing in Jewish Traditional Jewish education vis-a-vis supple- cultural activities in the Bay Area will touch mental schools and day schools, adult learn- most Jewish lives. The question is can they be ing largely through synagogues, and more touched more often, through more venues, recently JCC’s federations and other organi- with the highest quality to build upon the zations, are important in their own right. But already significant set of cultural activities in they are not the only forms of Jewish educa- the Bay Area. Investing in Jewish culture tion for building Jewish identity. Learning should become one of the most important through film, theatre, music, and literature, funding priorities. Jewish culture reaches all are effective means for conveying feeling, age groups, crosses gender, education, ideas, and facts. Furthermore, participation in income, and geographic boundaries, and is Jewish culture is not on the fringe of Jewish the key to Jewish identity in the Bay Area. identity. Encouraging participation in Jewish Jewish culture should take its rightful place culture is not a means to an end, that is, more in both the ideology of the Jewish communi- synagogue attendance, more ritual obser- ty and practically as the partner it should be vance, and so on, but rather a form of Jewish in building the Jewish community of the identity in itself. It stands in its own right as future. an expression of one’s Jewishness. Of course,

76 APPENDIX A: METHODOLOGY

The data for this study was collected from a under study. Therefore, we also conducted a mail and a telephone survey, focus groups telephone survey to increase the likelihood of and content analysis of documents. unaffiliated respondents.

Survey Data This part of the study consisted of a 20- minute telephone interview using a sample The instrument used in both the mail survey of approximately 3500 Distinctive Jewish and the telephone survey was developed by Names, which was obtained from Affordable the Institute for Jewish & Community Samples. In order to obtain a more represen- Research and was guided by the 1997 Survey tative sample of Bay Area Jews, we devel- of Public Participation in the Arts (Jack oped quotas for the telephone survey based Faucett Associates Inc. 1998). on age and gender. These quotas were devel- oped using the 1999 U.S. Census figures for The mail survey utilized a convenience sam- the nine Bay Area counties under study com- ple. Names and addresses were obtained bined with estimates of the Jewish popula- from a random sample of the mailing lists tion that were extrapolated from the 1987 from a number of Jewish organizations. The demography study of Bay Area Jews (Tobin survey was mailed to 8,693 households in the 1988). summer of 1998. We anticipated that 20% of the surveys were not deliverable. This esti- The fieldwork was managed by CfMC of San mate is based on the number of returned as Francisco, California. Interviews conducted undeliverable that were received after mail- by Merrill Research and Associates of San ing the focus group invitations (see below). Mateo, California and supervised by CfMC. The return rate on the survey was 23%, Interviews were conducted between July 18, which we believe is high given that the 2000 and August 7, 2000. The sample was return rate for mail surveys is typically 5- dialed between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., Sunday 10%. The total number of surveys included in through Thursday. Each number was dialed the analysis is 1276. three times before being resolved.

This type of sampling method was chosen In order to identify Jewish individuals, because of the ease with which it can be respondents were asked the following ques- obtained. However, the downside of using tions: this type of sample is that results cannot be considered representative of the Jewish pop- QS5. In terms of your ethnic or cultural iden- ulation in the Bay Area because it would tity, which of the following best describes include a higher percentage of affiliated Jews how you identify yourself? Do you identify than is actually found in the population as...

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01 Latino, Hispanic or Spanish QS2c. To your knowledge, do you have any 02 Black or African-American Jewish ancestors? 03 Asian or Asian American, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean 0No or other Asian 1 Yes 04 Italian or Irish American or other European group For the purposes of this study, respondents 05 Native American were considered Jewish if they responded to 06 Jewish one of the above answers that are highlighted 07 Jewish and Something else in bold A total of 170 completed interviews 08 Other were obtained.

QS6. In terms of religion, which of the fol- The data from the mail and telephone sur- lowing best describes how you identify? Do veys were merged and weighted to form the you identify as.... sample for our analysis (n=14 4 6). While we have done our best to control for selection 1Catholic bias, the sample may still underrepresent 2Protestant some segments of the Bay Area Jewish com- 3 Jewish munity, including new Jewish immigrants, 4Agnostic or No Religion especially those who do not speak English, 5 More than one religion and Orthodox Jews. 6Other religion Focus Groups QS7. If Agnostic or no religion or more than one religion, are you... Qualitative data was collected through focus group interviews conducted with Jewish and 1 Jewish and Something else non-Jewish individuals. In the focus group 2 Not Jewish research, participants were recruited to share their thoughts and feelings about a particular QS2. Did you have a Jewish mother? topic. The data that were obtained comple- ment the survey data because they enabled 0No researchers to obtain information that could 1Yes not be obtained through surveys. Participants were recruited through use of the same lists QS2a. Did you have a Jewish father? that were utilized in the mail survey.

0No Five focus groups were held in June 1998; 4 5 1 Yes people participated in the sessions. These ses- QS2b. Did you have any Jewish grandpar- sions were similar in content to the mail sur- ents? vey and covered religious upbringing, Jewish identity and participation in Jewish culture. 0No Each session lasted approximately two hours 1 Yes and was audiotaped and transcribed.

78 A Study of Jewish Culture in the Bay Area

Content Analysis exclusive events for patrons or members only. In order to describe the breadth of Jewish culture, we also conducted a content analysis Because this study focused on Jewish art and of Jewish art and cultural events available in culture, we also had to consider each source’s the San Francisco Bay Area. Content analysis editorial policies and attitudes towards eth- is a series of analytical tools that are used to nic art. In many cases, the identification of art transform the information collected in text and culture with a specific ethnic or racial form to a series of variables that can be group, or sexual orientation, ghettoizes the examined more easily. This type of analysis artist and diminishes the importance of their combines both qualitative and quantitative work (Li 1994 ). This label may work to keep research methods. This research examined the event from being advertised in certain the types of art and cultural events that are media. For example, are some forms and available in the Bay Area, including the form content more acceptable to non-Jewish media and content of the events. We did not address than others? issues of artistic merit or quality of the pro- grams. Because the focus of this research was The newspapers chosen for the study repre- on the role of local organizations in the pro- sented the mainstream (San Francisco motion of Jewish art and culture, we chose to Chronicle and Sunday Datebook), alternative omit programs that were available at the (Guardian), and Jewish (Northern California national level, such as network TV programs, Jewish Bulletin) press and are some of the feature films and Jewish literature. main sources for art and cultural listing in the Bay Area. Materials were collected from The content analysis on the Bay Area Jewish February 1998 through May 1998 (Since the cultural scene was conducted through the data for this study were collected, the owner- analysis of cultural listings and paid adver- ship of the San Francisco Chronicle has tisements in local newspapers and through changed. Subsequently, this change may the collection of flyers, brochures and bul- have impacted the editorial policies of the letins from a variety of organizations. paper’s art and culture section.). Listings are a good source for describing the breadth of public events that take place. Each edition was reviewed for Jewish art and However, they are not a complete source for cultural events. These included the visual finding out about events. There are a number and performance arts and popular culture as of factors that go into the editorial process well as those that reflect Jewish intellectual and they are different at each publication. life or the preservation of historical Jewish The editorial commitment to certain audi- artifacts. They included those that reflect a ences sometimes drive the listings (Janeway Jewish style, those with overt Jewish themes et al. 1999). Newspapers with a civic sense and content, and those created by Jews and will focus on local and regional art and cul- non-Jews. Data was collected and analyzed ture activity, while those aimed towards mass on a number of variables, including form, entertainment will focus on Hollywood and topic, venue, sponsoring organization, and celebrities. Additionally, there are other source. events that are never advertised, such as

79 Institute for Jewish & Community Research

Again, this analysis is by no means exhaus- organizations that we did not receive. tive of all the Jewish art and cultural events However, we believe that the materials col- available in the Bay Area. We collected mate- lected represent a good proportion of Jewish rials for only a short period of time. We may art and cultural events available in the Bay also have missed events are that were listed Area and provide reliable information for in synagogue bulletins, and mailings, flyers this type of study. and brochures from Jewish and non-Jewish

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84 GARY A. TOBIN

Gary A. Tobin, Ph.D. is president of the about the effects of the racial schism in Institute for Jewish & Community Research America, What Happened to the Urban Crisis? in San Francisco. He is also Director of the and Divided Neighborhoods. Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Program in Jewish Policy Research, Center for Policy Gary Tobin is the author of numerous books, Options at the University of Judaism in Los articles, and planning reports on a broad Angeles. He earned his Ph.D. in City and range of subjects in the Jewish community. Regional Planning from the University of He has published widely in the areas of California, Berkeley. He was the Director for Jewish organizational planning, foundations, eleven years of the Maurice and Marilyn and philanthropy. His books include Jewish Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Perceptions of Antisemitism, Rabbis Talk About Brandeis University. Prior to joining Intermarriage and Opening The Gates: How Brandeis, Dr. Tobin spent eleven years at Proactive Conversion Can Revitalize The Jewish Washington University in St. Louis, and was Community. Dr. Tobin is now working on a the Director of the University College Urban book entitled, Philanthropy in the Modern Affairs Program. Jewish Community. He is also currently involved in research concerning racial and Dr. Tobin has worked extensively in the area ethnic diversity in the Jewish community and of patterns of racial segregation in schools anti-Semitism. and housing. He is the editor of two volumes THE INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH & COMMUNITY RESEARCH Dr. Gary A. Tobin, President

The Institute Current Research The Institute for Jewish & Community The Institute engages in research in areas that Research, San Francisco, is an independent are often unexplored. For example, we are research institute devoted to the study of currently conducting research about: contemporary American Jewish life. The Institute serves as a national and internation- • Jewish philanthropy, including patterns of al think tank providing policy-oriented giving, motivations for giving, and the research findings to the Jewish and other growth and character of foundations. communities. • Racial and ethnic diversity in the Jewish Mission community. Asian, African-American and Latino Jews are a growing segment of the The Institute is devoted to research that helps Jewish population through adoption, inter- inform and build an inclusive, growing, marriage, and conversion. vibrant, and safe Jewish community. We gen- erate ideas that lead to positive change in the • The American public’s attitudes about Jewish world and other religious communi- Israel, U.S. support for Israel, and the atti- ties. tudes of American Jews about Israel.

Functions • Ethnic heritage and religion in the United The Institute for Jewish & Community States. Our studies focus on Americans in Research collects, analyzes, and disseminates general and Jews specifically switching information that will transform and improve their religions, practicing more than one religion, and creating new religious forms. the quality of Jewish life. The Institute con- ducts research; holds conferences, and pub- • Changing aspects of anti-Semitism in the lishes books, articles, monographs and United Sates, looking at age, political afilia- reports. We produce information that is easily tion and other factors. We are also studying readable and accessible. We vigorously dis- anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism on college seminated our work for practical use. We campuses. focus on major findings and policy recom- mendations — what are the most important things we learned and do what we recom- mend for action.