LYNN LYNNFIELD MAR'BLEHEAD NAHANT - >J . :< 7 , - :. SAUGUS ?, '-"*i -. --. 1. - . ;. ;. - 7 x.. ->. .-,I - .. - ,, ,I -*, i 5: .* . I.. -- ,I- : 1 8. SWAMPSCOTT !PHI3 mISH POPULATION OF GREATER LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS (Lynn, Lynnf ield , Marblehead, Saws, ~wampscott) A DENOGRAPHIC STUDY - 1956 TRE JEWISH CmmJZDERATION OF GREATER LYNN 45 Market Street Lynn, Mass. - OF GREATER LYNN, Inc. 45 MARKET STREET, LYNN, MASS. Telephone Lynn 5-5648 SERVING LYNN, LYNNFIELD, MARBLEHEAD, NAHANT, SAUGUS AND SWAMPSCOm Harold 0. Zimman, President Jewish Community Federa.tion 45 Market Street Lynn, Mass. Dear Harold: We are indeed pleased to submit the completed report on the study of the Jewish P3pulation of Greater Lynn, Mass. We have included herewith an analysis of the major demographic characteristics of our Jewish community together with a compilation of supporting tables and statistics. This completes phase one of a two-fold study of the Jewish population of r Grea.ter Lynn, which includes Lynn, Lynnfield, Swampscott, Marblehead, Nahant and Sa.ugus. The second section of the study dealing with the needs of our older citizens will get under way this Fall. The success of our survey was due primarily to the work of our committees, especially the technical sub-cormnittee, which had direct overall responsibility for the project. We wish at this time to express our appreciation to the more than 150 volunteer interviewers whose telephone and home visit contacts accom- plished the phenomenal job of securing valuable information from our 3,000 local Jewish families. We also wish to thank the Executive Director and staff of the Federation for its competent handling of the many details of this very large study project. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the assistance of Martin Greenberg, Regional Director and Alvin Chenkin, Technical C.,nsultant of the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. Our efforts have already borne fruit. Lists of all types have now been dis- tributed to our agencies, congregations, schools and organizations. This is indeed a demonstration of how Federation ca.n provide valuable help to those who are planning a.nd carryin3 out vital Jewish community programs. Sincerely yours, DR. E7m. V. SAUL DAVID L. WINER Chairman Cho imlan Technical Sub-Co~unittee Social Planning Committee SOCIAL PLANNING COMYII'ITEE David L. \liner, Chairman hlrs. Harry Abrams Dr. Ellis hlichelson Zelman Berdichevsky Mrs. Bernard Miller Benjamin Bockser Maurice 0. Rain Mrs. David Chaletsky Mrs. Joseph Risman Rabbi Meyer Finkelstein Dr. Harold Rubin Rabbi Samuel J. Fox Dr. Ezra V. Saul Kenne t h Ganek Irving School Mrs. Harold Giller Mrs. Jacob Shactman Harold Goodman Henry Stark Mrs. Herman Goodwin Dr. Meyer Weiner Bruce Hamlin Mrs. Harold W. Young h!r s. Frank Levine Rabbi Samuel' Zaitchik Dr. Daniel Lipman Walter Zand Sidney Lipman Mrs. Harold Zimnan Murray Lichtenstein Study Director - Albert M. Stein Studv Coordinator - Mrs. Frances Tobin Dr. Ezra V. Saul, Chairman Zelman Berdichevsky Dr. Meyer Weiner Rrs. Herman &odwin David L. Winer l rving School Walter Zand Mrs. Jacob Shactman TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Map of Greater Lynn Showing Distribution of Jewish Population Follows I11 Analysis Population Number VII Geographical Distribution VII Sex-Rat io VII Age Structure VIII Marital Status =:'. Household Size XI1 't Employment Status XV Place of Employment XVI Current Jewish Education XVII Jewish Education Plans Congregational Membership XM Congregational Preferences XX Area Moved Frcan XXI Borne Ownership XXII Characteristics of Aged XXIII Appendix A Major Tables (For detailed listing see following page) Appendix B Background Materials Technical Note 81 General Instructions to Interviewers 83 Special Instructions - Worksheet 84 Suwested Interview Statement 86 Introductory Letter Mailed to Residents Follows Above Study Questionnaire Follows Above List of Volunteer Interviewers Inside of Back Cover List of Swmnary Tables and Figures in Text Figures 1-5 Age-Sex Pyramids Follows VIII Wble A Geographical Distribution of Jewish Population VII B Sex Ratios VIII C Percentage Distribution of Marital Status by Sex and Age X D Percentage Distribution of Marital Status by Area XI E Average busehold Size by Area XI1 F Percentage Distribution of Households by Size and Area XI11 G Average Size of Jewish Households in Other Communities Xrv H Percentage Distribution of Employed by Areas of IiZnployment XVI I Percentage Employed Heads of Eouseholds to All mployed by Area and Sex XVII (continued) List of Summarg Tables and Figures in Text (continued) Table J Current Jewish School Enrollment XVII K Plans for Future Jewish School Enrollment XVII L Fall 1955 Jewish Education Enrollment Rates by Ages 5-13 XVIII M Congregational Affiliation by Area XLX N Distribution of Congre@;ational bmberships by Area XM 0 Distribution of Congregational Memberships by Selected Age Grouping of Head of Household Households With Congregational Affiliations Compared With Preferences of Unaffiliated Households . XX Mobility Within Greater Ignn XXI Movement Within Greater Lynn 1951-1955 XXII Home Ownership Status for Households Moved in 1951-1955 XXIII Percentage Distribution of Households With Aged Members XXIV Distribution of Greater Lynn's Aged Population by Area XXIV Percentage Distribution of Older hhabitants by Marital Status and Size of Household Proportion of Owned Hames by Size of Household List of Major Tables in Appendix A Table I Age Distribution by Sex and Area 1 I1 Marital Status by Sex and Area 3 I11 Size of Eousehold by Age of Head and Area 11 N Employment Status by Age, Sex, and Area 19 V Number of Households With Employed Members by Number Employed, Size of Household, and Area 27 VI Place of Employment by Age, Sex, and Area 28 VII Place of Employment of Employed Heads of Households by Age, Sex, and Area 36 VIII Current Jewish School Attendence by Type and Sex 44 M Jewish Education Plans by Sex, Type, and Area 45 X Congregational ~embership(s)by Age of Head of Household and Area 53 XI Congregational Preferences of Bouseholds by Age of Head of Household and Area 56 XI1 Town of Iast Previous Residence and Number of Years Since Last Move 58 XI11 Home Ownership Status by Area 62 XIV Number of Households With One or More Aged Members by Size of Household and Area 63 XIV A Proportion of Households With Aged Members to Total Number of Households by Size of Household and Area 63 IN Aged Individuals by Age, Size of Household, Sex, and Area 64 XVI Relationship to Head of Household of Persons Aged 65 and Over, by Sex, Area, and Age 70 XVII Congregational ~embership(s)of Households With Aged Member(s) by Area 73 XVII A Congregational Pmference (s) of Households With Aged Member (s ) by Area 73 XVIII Home Ownership Status of Households With One or More Aged Members by Size of Household and Area 74 XIX Date of Last Move Made by Households With Aged Members by Area and Town Moved Fram 75 JmJISH CmFEDERATION OF GREATW LYNN, INC. 45 Market Street, Lynn, Mass. INTRODUCTION The decision to embark on a Population Study stemmed from the remarlcable changes in the character, size and location of the Jewish population of Greater Lynn following the end of World War 11. As a re- sult it was seen as important to understand effects of these chawes on the planning of programs by local congregations, Jewish schools and social agencies. Greater Lynn is located on the North Shore, fifteen miles above Boston. It includes the city of Lynn and the towns of -field, Saugus, Nahant, Marblehead and Swampscott. As part of the suburban movement noted throughout the country, many Jews were known to be moving from sections of Greater Boston to the seashore communities with the largest movement into the resort towns of Swampscott and Marblehead. These people were coming from Boston proper, from Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Newton and Brookline - in other words the major congested areas of Jewish population in Greater Boston. In addition Jews were moving from West Lynn and East Liynn to Swampscott and Marblehead. Local Jewish residents were cognizant of this movement but they didn't know specific all^ how many had moved in, where they came from, what were their interests and identifications, and thus didn't knaw how to assess or plan for the changes in programs which all organizations must make to met the needs of this new situation. At meetings of our Federation Social Planning Connnittee, lay and professional leaders of congregations, schools and social agencies asked that a way be found to get "the facts": They wanted to knaw: How many people have moved in the newer residential areas and who are they? Where did they come from? Are they affiliating with schools, synagogues, centers? How can these newcomers be reached and woven into the fabric of a community which must serve their needs as Jews? What does the "new look" of our community mean for the future location of our schools and synagogues? Do we need new and increased services and facilities for our aged? Should the Jewish Community Center be relocated? I?lese and many other very real questions led to the decision of the Social Planning Committee to sponsor a population study. TBE FEDEFUiTION DECISION In June 1955, after 6 months of committee discussion, the deci- sion to carry out a population study was made by the Executive Committee of the Federation and the sum of $3,900.00 was voted to cover the costs of this project. STUDY ORGANIZATION Although the primary responsibility for the study was in the hands of the Full Social Planning Committee, under the chairmanship of David L. Winer, the actual manageaent of the study froan the development of the questionnaire through the recrul-tment of volunteers, the inter- viewing, the compilation and analysis of the fiadings, was hsndled by a &1 technical committee headed by Dr.