AJIS REPORT AMERICAN JEWISH IDENTITY SURVEY - Judaism …

AJIS REPORT

AJIS REPORT

AMERICAN JEWISH

IDENTITY

SURVEY

2001

AMERICAN JEWISH

IDENTITY

SURVEY

2001

EGON MAYER, BARRY KOSMIN and ARIELA KEYSAR

EGON MAYER, BARRY KOSMIN and ARIELA KEYSAR

THE GRADUATE

THE CENTER

FOR

Center for Jewish Studies

CENTER OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY

OF

NEW YORK

CULTURAL JUDAISM

224 West 35 Street, Suite 410

New York, NY 10001



th

ISBN 0-9742420-0-4

Reissued 2003 THE CENTER

FOR

CULTURAL JUDAISM

THE GRADUATE CENTER

OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

AMERICAN

JEWISH IDENTITY SURVEY

2001

AJIS REPORT

AN EXPLORATION IN THE DEMOGRAPHY AND OUTLOOK OF A PEOPLE

EGON MAYER, BARRY A. KOSMIN AND ARIELA KEYSAR

Research originally published in 2001 by

The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Reissued in 2003 by

The Center for Cultural Judaism

224 West 35th Street, Suite 410

New York, NY 10001

Tel: 212-564-6711

Fax: 212-564-6721



ISBN 0-9742420-0-4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

PREFACE

3

LIST OF EXHIBITS

4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

5

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

6

INTRODUCTION

8

METHODOLOGY: AJIS 2001 AND NJPS 1990

11

FINDINGS

15

DEMOGRAPHY

HOUSEHOLDS

POPULATION

- Jewish Identity Constructs

- Jews by Religion (JBR)

- Jews of No Religion (JNR)

- Core Jewish Population

- Jews of Other Religions (JOR)

- Jewish Origins Population

- Halakhic Adult Population

- Total American Jewish Population

- Social Profile of Sub-Populations

- Geography of America¡¯s Jews

- Demography and Identity

15

16

17

18

19

19

20

21

22

24

25

27

28

DIMENSIONS OF IDENTITY

RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK, BELIEFS AND AFFILIATION

30

-

33

41

43

44

44

The Concept of Outlook

Synagogue Affiliation

Jewish Organizational Affiliation

Jewish Friendship Network

Israel

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS (by Felix Posen)

46

APPENDIX

METHODOLOGICAL APPENDIX

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

47

47

48

NOTES

ADDITIONAL COPIES

51

55

(STUDY ALSO AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC VERSION AT WWW.GC.CUNY.EDU/STUDIES/STUDIES_INDEX.HTM)

PREFACE

The Center for Cultural Judaism is very pleased to publish this edition of the important

demographic study of America¡¯s Jewish population, the only comprehensive data about this

population available as of the printing of this publication.

The Center for Cultural Judaism is particularly interested in this study, as our Center

was established largely in response to the findings of the American Jewish Identity Survey

released by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (AJIS 2001). Among its

key findings, this survey shows that nearly half of America¡¯s adult Jews regard themselves as

secular or somewhat secular. The number of children born to the secular segment of the

Jewish adult population has increased dramatically, up from 307,000 in 1990 to 590,000 in

2001. One-half of American Jews are completely unaffiliated, and do not belong to any

Jewish organization or community center.

Despite these figures, non-religious, cultural and secular Jews are vastly under served by

existing programs in North America. While the traditional Jewish establishment laments the

increase in intermarriage and the decline in the size of our population, few programs have

been created to appeal to this large population, which therefore remains on the periphery of

Jewish life. Existing programs are limited in their reach because they continue to use

conventional models and traditional language to reach a non-traditional population that has

an array of alternatives to meet their intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs.

Unfortunately, many of these alternatives are not connected to Jewish life.

The mission of The Center for Cultural Judaism is to bring information about this

population to the wider Jewish community and academic leadership in North America; to

encourage Jewish philanthropy to support this large, under-served population; and to develop

programs and services that welcome cultural Jews and offer celebrations, education and

communities that are consistent with their beliefs. Our goal is to engage non-religious,

secular, cultural and Humanistic Jews in Jewish life, and foster continued pride in our rich

and vibrant Jewish heritage.

Myrna Baron, Executive Director

The Center for Cultural Judaism

3

LIST OF EXHIBITS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

4

Typology of Jewish Identity Constructs

Adult Population Classified as Jewish by Four Selection Criteria

Core Jewish Population, 1990 & 2001

Jewish and Jewish Origins Population, 1990 & 2001

Parentage of America¡¯s Jewish Adults, 2001

Total American Jewish & Kindred Population, 1990 & 2001

Socio-Demographic Profile of Adult Jewish Identity Types, 2001

Regional Distribution of Core Jewish Population, 1990 & 2001

Outlook of Jews by Religion and Adherents of Selected Other Religious Groups

Belief that God Performs Miracles: Jews by Religion and Adherents of Selected

Other Religious Groups

Belief Indicators by Type of Jewish Classification

Beliefs About God By Position Along Religious-Secular Continuum

Identification With Branches of Judaism Among Jewish-by-Religion Adults

Affiliation With Temple, Synagogue or Congregation

Synagogue Affiliation by Religious-Secular Continuum

JCC & Other Organizational Affiliation by Religious-Secular Continuum

Jewish Friendship Network by Religious-Secular Continuum

Visiting and Attitude Toward Israel by Religious-Secular Continuum

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download