CONTENTS Executive Summary i Introduction 1 Jewish Household & Population Estimates 7 Demography 15 Vulnerable Populations & Social Services 34 Jewish Connections 43 Intermarriage & Raising Children Jewish 68 Jewish Communal Issues 82 Philanthropy 87 Conclusions & Implications for Community Planning 96 Appendices A Note on Methodology A1 Screening Questions A17 Survey Questionnaire A22 EXHIBITS Jewish Household & Population Estimates Exhibit 1. Estimated Number of Jewish Households, Number of Jewish Persons, Number of People Living in Jewish Households 7 Exhibit 2. Jewish Household and Jewish Population Numbers as a Percentage of All Households and All People Living in San Diego County 8 Exhibit 3. America’s Largest Jewish Communities 9-10 Exhibit 4. Map of Jewish San Diego County Geographic Areas: 2003 11 Exhibit 5. San Diego County Jewish Households and Jewish Persons by Geographic Areas 12 Exhibit 6. Average Household Size, Jewish Households by Geographic Areas 13 Exhibit 7. Jewish Persons and Non-Jewish Persons in Jewish Households by Geographic Area 14 Demography Exhibit 8. Place of Birth: Survey Respondents 15 Exhibit 9. Newcomer Status: Years Respondent Has Lived in Area 16 Exhibit 10. Newcomers to Jewish San Diego by Key Geographic Sub-Areas, Survey Respondents 17 Exhibit 11. Plans to Move from Current San Diego County Residence by Geographic Area 18 Exhibit 12. Age of All People in Jewish Households 19 Exhibit 13. Age of Jewish and Non-Jewish Persons Living in Jewish Households 20 Exhibit 14. Decile Analysis: Jewish and Non-Jewish Persons Living in Jewish Households, U.S. Census Data for San Diego County: 2000 21 Exhibit 15. Age and Gender Patterns 22 Exhibit 16. Age of All People in Jewish Households, by Geographic Area 23 EXHIBITS (continued) Exhibit 17. Marital Status by Gender of Respondent 24 Exhibit 18. Marital Status by Geographic Area of Residence 25 Exhibit 19. Household Structure of Jewish Households 26 Exhibit 20. Household Structure of Jewish Households, Compared with Phoenix 27 Exhibit 21. Education, by Age and Gender: Respondents and Spouses 28 Exhibit 22. Employment Status, by Age and Gender: Respondents and Spouses 29 Exhibit 23. Annual Income of Jewish Households 30 Exhibit 24. Annual Income of Jewish Households, Compared with NJPS Western Region Data 31 Exhibit 25. Jewish Household Annual Income by Geographic Area 32 Exhibit 26. Jewish Household Annual Income by Age of Respondent 33 Vulnerable Populations & Social Services Exhibit 27. Numbers and Percentages of Seniors Who Live Alone, by Age of Respondent, Estimated Numbers Without an Adult Child in Area 34 Exhibit 28. Relationship of Household Structure, and Household Subjective Financial Status 35 Exhibit 29. Percent of Jewish Households Below 150% Poverty Threshold 37 Exhibit 30. Percent of Jewish Households Below 150% Poverty Threshold, By Geographic Area of Residence 38 Exhibit 31. Percent of Jewish Households Reporting a Long-term Condition Which Limits Employment, Education, or Daily Activities by Age of Respondent 39 Exhibit 32. Percent of Households With Social Service Needs 40 Exhibit 33. Difficulty in Getting Assistance for Social Service Needs 41 Exhibit 34. Utilization of Jewish Agencies in Seeking Assistance for Social Service Needs 42 EXHIBITS (continued) Jewish Connections Exhibit 35. Importance of Being Jewish to Respondents, Jewish Respondents Only 44 Exhibit 36. Importance of Being Jewish by Age of Respondent, Jewish Respondents Only 45 Exhibit 37. Importance of Israel, Jewish Respondents Only 46 Exhibit 38. Importance of Being Connected to the Jewish Community of San Diego County, Jewish Respondents Only 47 Exhibit 39. Importance of Being Connected to the Jewish Community of San Diego County, by Age of Respondent, Jewish Respondents Only 48 Exhibit 40. Comparative Importance to Jewish Respondents of Being Jewish, Israel, and Being Part of a Jewish Community 49 Exhibit 41. Denomination of Jewish Respondent 50 Exhibit 42. Relationship of Jewish Respondent Denomination and Interest in Being Part of a Jewish Community in San Diego County 51 Exhibit 43. Percent of Jewish Households in Key Western Jewish Communities Which Belong to a Synagogue or Temple 52 Exhibit 44. Congregation Membership of Jewish Households by Newcomer Status, and by Household Income 53 Exhibit 45. Percent of Jewish Respondents Who Attend Religious Services, by Congregation Membership Status of Households 54 Exhibit 46. Jewish Organization Affiliation and Disconnection 55 Exhibit 47. Subjective Feelings of Connection and Disconnection to the Jewish Community in San Diego County 56 Exhibit 48. Subjective Feelings of Disconnection from Jewish Community in San Diego County by Newcomer Status of Respondent 57 Exhibit 49. Did Financial Cost Prevent Congregation Membership and/or Jewish Community Center Membership? 58 EXHIBITS (continued) Exhibit 50. Percent of Households Reporting that Financial Cost Has Prevented Household from Congregation or JCC Membership, by Household Income 59 Exhibit 51. Jewish Ritual Observance Indicators 60 Exhibit 52. Ritual Observance Indicator Comparisons: San Diego County and NJPS Western Region, USA 61 Exhibit 53. Yom Kippur Fasting by Denomination, Jewish Respondents Only 62 Exhibit 54. Jewish Cultural Activity Participation, All Households and by Congregation Membership Status 63 Exhibit 55. Childhood/Teenager Jewish Experiences, Jewish Respondents Only 64 Exhibit 56. Childhood/Teenager Jewish Experiences Typology, Jewish Respondents Only 65 Exhibit 57. Impact of a Jewish Childhood on Yom Kippur Fasting, Jewish Respondents Only 66 Exhibit 58. Impact of a Jewish Childhood on Current Congregation Membership, Jewish Respondents Only 67 Intermarriage & Raising Children Jewish Exhibit 59. Inmarriage and Intermarriage, Percentages of Currently Married Respondent/Spouse Couples 68 Exhibit 60. Inmarriage and Intermarriage: Percentages by Married Respondent/Spouse Couples and by Jewish-Born Persons 69 Exhibit 61. Inmarriage and Intermarriage Rate Comparisons, Percentages of Married Couples, San Diego County and the Western Region, USA 70 Exhibit 62. Inmarriage and Intermarriage Rates by Year of Marriage, Married Respondents/Spouse Couples 71 Exhibit 63. Inmarriage and Intermarriage Rates by Age of Respondent, Married Respondents/Spouses Only 72 EXHIBITS (continued) Exhibit 64. Intermarriage Rates by Geographic Area, Currently Married Couples 73 Exhibit 65. Jewish Connection Variables by Household Inmarried/Intermarried Status 74 Exhibit 66. Estimated Number and Percentage of Children in Jewish Households by Whether the Household is Inmarried or Intermarried 75 Exhibit 67. Are Children Being Raised Jewish by Intermarriage Status 76 Exhibit 68. Attitudes Towards Raising Children with Jewish Values and Perspectives, All Survey Respondents 77 Exhibit 69. Jewish Values and Beliefs for Children, by Intermarriage Status 78 Exhibit 70. Formal Jewish Education of Children Ages 6-17 Being Raised Jewish or Jewish and Something Else 79 Exhibit 71. Impact of Financial Cost on Sending a Child to a Jewish Day School Compared with Phoenix and the NJPS Western Region, USA 80 Exhibit 72. Jewish Education of Children Ages 6-17 Being Raised Jewish or Jewish and Something Else by Household Intermarriage Status 81 Jewish Communal Issues Exhibit 73. Importance of Issues Facing the Jewish Community of San Diego, All Survey Respondents 83 Exhibit 74. The Most Important Issue Facing the Jewish Community of San Diego, All Survey Respondents 84 Exhibit 75. Importance of Jewish Communal Concerns by Household Intermarriage Status 85 Exhibit 76. Personal Experiences with Anti-Semitism in the Year Preceding the Survey 86 EXHIBITS (continued) Philanthropy Exhibit 77. Charitable Provisions in a Will 87 Exhibit 78. Charitable Provisions in a Will, by Age of Respondent 88 Exhibit 79. Charitable Provisions in a Will, by Household Income 89 Exhibit 80. Philanthropic Contributions of Jewish Households in the Year Preceding the Study 90 Exhibit 81. Household Contributions to Local Jewish Federations, San Diego County and Western Region Comparisons 91 Exhibit 82. Philanthropic Contributions of Jewish Households by Age of Respondent 92 Exhibit 83. Household Contributions to the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County and to Any Jewish Cause by Respondent Age and Newcomer Status 93 Exhibit 84. Household Contributions to the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County and to Any Jewish Cause by Geographic Area of Residence, Israel Travel by Respondent, and Whether the Household Belongs to a Jewish Congregation 94 Exhibit 85. Household Contributions to the United Jewish Federation of San Diego County and to Any Jewish Cause by Intermarriage Status and Household Income 95 A Note on Methodology Exhibit A1. 95% Confidence Level Interval Estimates by Number of Interviews and Survey Data Percentage A13 Exhibit A2. Zip Codes and Geographic Areas A14 Exhibit A3. Sample Disposition A15-A16 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Jewish Community Study of San Diego: 2003 The 2003 Jewish Community Study of San Diego is the first scientific study of the Jewish community in San Diego County, designed to provide empirical data about Jewish households and Jewish persons who reside in the County. At the beginning of the 21st century, Jewish communal professionals and lay leaders concluded that a population/demographic study of the San Diego Jewish community would be useful to develop scientifically valid and reliable data which could help inform policy decisions and programmatic actions within the Jewish community.