J Fed Gno Census 2007 12 03 Presentation

Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans2007 Community Survey
Data Collected July-August
N = 791
Weighted (adjusted) to reflect age/gender distribution
of Orleans + Jefferson Parishes
Rick Weil
LSU Sociology

Technical Notes

Some Estimates of Jewish Community Population Size

Weighting the Sample

Analysis of “Distinctive Jewish Names” Sample

Review of FindingsPresented at Annual Meeting

Household Demographics

Education and Employment
Education Levels are very high. Almost half the people have Graduate Degrees.
Almost no one is unemployed.

What Defines being Jewish

Religion and Spirituality
More people say they are spiritual than religious.
But the largest group says they are both.

Jewish Practices

Memberships
Three quarters are synagogue members
About a fifth each are members of Touro, Sinai, or Gates of Prayer
The 2 JCC’s have the largest membership
Hadassah and the National Council of Jewish Women are next

Synagogue Life
A large majority of New Orleans Jews are Reform
15% are Conservative, and 5% are Orthodox
10% say they are “Just Jewish”
Only a third go to services more than a few times a year

Children
About half the children went to a Jewish summer camp and plan to go again
Over a quarter of the children participate in a Jewish youth group, or go to a Jewish preschool

Jewish Community Programs

Volunteering, Philanthropy
Volunteering and Philanthropy are high
But participation in non-Jewish activities is slightly higher than in Jewish

Jewish Agencies
Two-thirds know and like the Jewish Federation, the Uptown JCC, and JFS.
About half know and like other programs

Jewish Media
Most people see and like Jewish media.
Only 37 percent of respondents were aware this survey was being conducted before being contacted.

Visiting Israel
A majority of adults has visited Israel
Only twenty percent of children have visited

Hurricane Damage and Recovery
Two thirds of people had a least some storm damage, but 88% say they are mostly or fully recovered.
But they feel the Jewish and general communities have not recovered as well.

New Orleans Issues
People are quite satisfied with the Jewish community.
People are dissatisfied with infrastructure, K-12 education, and the economy.
People are especiallydissatisfied with political leadership.
People are worried about crime or another hurricane.

MigrationNew Orleans Jews are Staying.
A third of people have lived in Greater New Orleans all their lives.
Three-fifths are very unlikely leave GNO, and two-thirds are very unlikely to move to a different neighborhood.

Bottom Line: Previous Findings
Highly educated and productive.
Very involved in the Jewish Community.
People are Joiners.
People Participate in Programs.
Kids participate, too.
As much or more involved in the General Community.
20% are in Interfaith households.
Heavily engaged in Volunteering and Philanthropy.
Strong knowledge and approval of Jewish Agencies.
Most do not engage in Orthodox or traditional practice.
Most are Reform.
Most do not attend Synagogue often.
More define themselves as “spiritual” than religious.
Most have recovered from storm damage, but most feel the Jewish & General communities have not recovered as well.
Very dissatisfied with GNO conditions & political leadership.
Very satisfied with the Jewish Community
Almost everyone is Staying.

New FindingsNot Yet Shown

Importance of Community Programs(internet sample only)

Programs Used in Jewish Community

Support for Community Programsby Demographic Groups(correlations)

Support for Community Programsby Religious Groups(correlations)

Support for Community Programsby Community Types(correlations)

Characteristics of Community Types(Correlations)
bold starred (*) =
strong relationship
blue = positive
red = negative

Bottom Line: New Findings
Programs Usage
General Programs are seen as Most Important and are Most Used. They include:
Cultural offerings
Community gatherings & festivals
TikkunOlam, incl post-hurricane recovery
Adult/continuing education
Youth Programs are also Very Important, esp for their constituency. They include:
Religious education for children & young people
Jewish day or summer camp
Programs for youth, college students, & young adults
Changes since the Storm & into the Future
General Programs fell off after Storm, but will probably Recover.
Assistance Programs Increased after Storm, but will probably Decline.
Youth Programs Declined after the Storm. It is unclear how strongly they may Recover.
Community Types
Insiders and Synagogue Members are Most Engaged. The Unaffiliated are Least Engaged.
Married People with Young Children, Singles, Under 30, and Newcomers are also Engaged but less so.
They are more likely to need Assistance and less likely to Donate.
They use Community Programs less, except that families with kids use Youth Programs.
The Orthodox & Conservatives have more Orthodox orientations.
The Reform are less Orthodox, but are still Engaged, and Participate very strongly, including in the general community.
The “Just Jewish” and Interfaith Families are least engaged and least Jewishly oriented.
Interfaith Families are most likely to have a Christmas tree.
“Just Jewish” people are not likely to move away.
The people most likely to Move Away from N.O. are Single, Under 30, and Unaffiliated. They are not necessarily “less Jewish,” but are more dissatisfied.

Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans2007 Community Survey
Rick Weil
LSU Sociology
fweil@lsu.edu

J Fed Gno Census 2007 12 03 Presentation

by Rick Weil

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