Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQs on American Jews, by Arnold Dashefsky, Ira Sheskin and Ron Miller, 2008
The FAQ data series on American Jews is based upon comparative data initially compiled by Dr. Ira M. Sheskin for his Jewish community study reports and originally published by the Data Bank in 2001 as How Communities Differ: Variations in the Findings of Local Community Studies. Drs. Dashefsky, Sheskin and Miller have revised and updated these tables for this online series, which will be updated as new Jewish community studies are completed. All tables are based on studies available at the Data Bank.
#1 - U.S. Jewish Population Estimates (PDF) includes number of Jewish households, number of all people living in these
households (including non-Jews), and Jews — for approximately 50
American Jewish communities. These estimates were based upon data from Jewish community
surveys which utilized random digit dialing (RDD) as part of the survey
design and population estimation process. (Last Updated: 6/09)
#2 - Intermarriage Data (PDF) was created in response to the many inquiries on intermarriage that the Data Bank receives each year. Typical questions relate to intermarriage rates, percentages of Jews who are married to non-Jews, percentage of children with intermarried parents being raised as Jews and percentage of intermarried couples who are members of a synagogue. Almost every national and local community Jewish study archived at the Data Bank includes data on these topics. FAQ Tables 2, 2a, 2b and 2c in the Data Bank’s FAQ series respond to these frequently asked questions by summarizing data from approximately 50 American Jewish communities which have included RDD (random digit dialing) as part of the sampling design. (Last Updated: 1/09)
FAQ Supplement (PDF): Please also see the FAQ supplement which provides a list of community studies that were used to compile the FAQ, the year the study was completed, and the associated Principal Investigator(s).
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-- Basic Information --
What is the North American Jewish Data Bank?
The North American Jewish Data Bank is the central repository for social scientific studies of North American Jewry. Both national and community studies are archived at the Data Bank in order to guarantee their availability for future generations of students and researchers.
The Data Bank's primary functions are to acquire, archive, and disseminate quantitative data sets and reports and to encourage utilization of the Data Bank archives.
Who exactly is the Data Bank?
The North American Jewish Data Bank is a partnership between The Jewish Federations of North America, and it partners at the University of Connecticut: the Center for Judaic Studies and Jewish Contemporary Life and the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. The Director of the North American Data Bank is Professor Arnold Dashefsky at the University of Connecticut.
The Mandell L. Berman North American Jewish Data Bank is named after "Bill" Berman, former president of The Jewish Federations of North America's predecessor, the Council of Jewish Federations, and the Chairman of the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey. He is also currently Chairman of the Advisory Board for the Data Bank.
What formats are your data and reports in?
In general, our reports are in PDF format and our datasets are in SPSS format.
What is PDF?
PDF is a standard format for viewing documents and reports. If you do not have a PDF viewer you can download one for free from Adobe and install it on your computer. See the Adobe website for more information.
What is SPSS?
SPSS is a statistical data analysis program package that is used to analyze raw survey data. It is common in University settings, where students often have access to it via a university site license. The purchase price is around $600 for those in a University setting, and $1,600 for those who are not. More information about SPSS can be found on the SPSS website.
Can you give me an example of what sort of material you archived recently, and the formats?
In 2003, the United Jewish Federation of Greater San Diego completed a survey of Jewish households in the San Diego area. The Data Bank has acquired, reviewed, and archived this study with the cooperation of the federation and the researchers, Ukeles Associates of New York. Both the study reports and the data file are available for free via the Data Bank for registered users using them for non-commercial use.
The Data Bank downloadable files in Adobe PDF format include: (1) the original screening questionnaire used to define Jewish households, (2) the main questionnaire used for the extended interview, (3) the "Main" Report with a methodological appendix included, (4) a briefer "Summary" Report, and (5) File Structure Notes designed for researchers who intend to use the data file from the study, describing the various weights incorporated into the data file and providing basic frequency counts for each weight used. This insures that the data file is being properly analyzed by the researcher.
The San Diego 2003 data file itself is in an SPSS portable framework (typically these files have a .por extension). SPSS portable files can be used by SPSS, or by other programs which import the portable file, such as Excel, STATA, and MicroCase.
If you download the San Diego data file (or similar files) and plan to convert it to a social science data program other than SPSS, please make sure the file has been labeled "SanDiegoData2003.por"
-- Anonymity And Confidentiality --
If I was a respondent for the San Diego survey - or any other survey at the Data Bank - is my name on the Data Bank's lists, and in the data file? What about my phone number that they called me on?
Absolutely not. No names, no phone numbers, no addresses. Not even zip codes.
The first step in reviewing the data files submitted to the Data Bank is ensuring that all potential identifying information has been excluded from the data file before it is made available publicly.
Most researchers do not include names, addresses or phone numbers in the files that they submit to the Data Bank (or any other organization). If, somehow, that information was included in the data file submitted to the Data Bank, the Roper Center staff at the University of Connecticut would have removed any potentially identifying information, following standard archival procedures. In addition, following their standard archival policies, the Roper staff eliminates specific household zip code information that is often contained in Jewish community study (and national study) data files.
-- Downloading Reports and Data --
What reports do you have? Do you have X Report?
The list of currently available archived studies is found under the National Studies and Community Studies sections of the website. Select either of these two options using the left-hand navigation menu.
May I use the data for commercial purposes?
Our current terms of use specify that the data may only be used for non-commercial purposes. This is our agreement with those who provide studies to us for our archive.
-- Data Analysis Issues --
Can you tell me the population of ____?
What are the largest ____ cities in the ____?
How many Jews are there ____?
How does the current population ____ compare to the population in the past?
Jewish population estimates are provided yearly in the American Jewish Yearbook for local Jewish communities and for national estimates by year.
With the cooperation of the editors of the American Jewish Year Book, the Data Bank has converted many of the annual issue section on Jewish demography to Adobe PDF files which can be downloaded. To view these estimates, please go to our American Jewish Year Book page.
For the most recent estimates, also please see our FAQ publications listed at the top of this page.
Can you provide a breakdown of ___ or a comparison of ____ from a certain study?
The North American Jewish Data Bank distributes data files, but does not at this time have the resources to do analysis of the existing data for individuals, for Federations, or for other groups.
Since special circumstances can always exist , please contact the Data Bank if you believe that the Data Bank should make a special exemption.
I am moving to ____ and want to know what cities I should be looking at?
Many of the local community study reports contain analyses by geographic area, and may be of use to you. But, your best bet is to contact the local Jewish Federation, or contact some local synagogues/temples, or other Jewish institutions in the area.
Can you help me find information on my relative?
Once again, all our data is de-identified which means that we have no information that could be used to identify a specific individual.
The North American Jewish Data Bank does not have any lists of Jewish persons.
-- Other Questions --
Where can I meet Data Bank staff?
We are frequently organizing sessions at academic conferences that include a focus on the Jewish community - keep an eye on our e-mail briefs for updated information and feel free to contact us to see if we'll be at a specific conference.
I want to find out more about Judaism. How can I do that?
Although you are welcome to review the various reports contained in the Data Bank, they are snapshots of certain Jewish communities, and will generally not provide much information on the Jewish religion. For information on the Jewish religion, try sites such as JewFAQ and the Jewish information pages on Beliefnet.
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