THE JEWISH NEWS THIS ISSUE 60 0 SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY Old Population Estimates Based On Rust Belt Model KIMBERLY LIFTON Staff Writer T he Jewish community was shocked last week after preliminary results from the first demo- graphic study in nearly 30 years showed Detroit's Jew- ish population had been grossly underestimated since 1972. "Where did the lower number come from?" re- sponds Don Feldstein, a researcher with the Council of Jewish Federations in New York, the umbrella organization for Jewish communities in North America and Canada. "It may be as simple as Detroit just hadn't done a study in a very long time." Contrary to popular belief, the survey reveals a stable Orthodox Join Soviet Cause ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM Assistant Editor O rthodox groups throughout metropolitan Detroit have joined forces to create Project Achim, an extensive program of Jewish family education designed to help acculturate the 2,600 Soviet Jews expected to settle here by June 1991. Project Achim will sponsor a number of education classes, encourage programs that link Soviet Jewish families with their Ameri- can counterparts, offer op- portunities for Soviet Jews to participate in Jewish holiday and Shabbat celebrations and purchase mezuzot, Siddurim and tefillin for new immigrants. Continued on Page 14 community that increased from 85,000 in 1963 to the current 96,000. Figures re- ported since the last study were contradictory to the ac- tual numbers, with Federa- tion leaders reporting a drop starting in 1972. At that time, community leaders estimated 80,000 Jews were living here. "Why is an interesting question," says Michael Berke, Federation executive director who has worked for the Federation for 18 years, the longest of any of today's executives. "I don't know the answer. Population estimates were based on a sense. They were not based on a study. "There was a general sense that northeastern U.S. communities were shrink- ing." Berke says. "And Detroit fit the profile of a northern community." Some communal experts suggest Detroit's low esti- mates follow trends set by Cleveland, a city with a similar community profile and comparable Campaign collections. Last year, in MARCH 16, 1990 / 19 ADAR 5750 Jewish Population DETROIT CLEVELAND 1964 84,600 85,000 1972 80,000 80,000 1981 75,000 75,000 1983 70,000 70,000 1988 70,000 65,000 1989 96,000 65,000 Sources: American Jewish Yearbook, Council of Jewish Federations fact, Detroit raised $27 mill- ion for the Allied Jewish Campaign; Cleveland raised $26 million. In addition, Detroit has closely modeled its population figures after numbers projected in Cleveland. "They have been characterized in the Jewish world in the same breath," Berke says. The Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, which boasts of its demo- graphic research depart- ment, has kept close tabs on its Jewish population's size, conducting occasional local, yet scientific surveys. Cleveland started shrinking in 1972 — the same time Detroit reported lower population figures. Whenever someone want- ed to know the Jewish population of metropolitan Detroit, figures batted around were consistent — the same as Cleveland. When Cleveland began to decline from 85,000 to 80,000 in 1972, Detroit's leaders also reported decreases in their numbers. In 1981, the Detroit figure was recorded at 75,000. And in 1983, Detroit's population was listed as 70,000. These were identical to Cleveland figures. "The fact that they picked 70,000 is not that surpris- Continued on Page 12 .iC TTLCR:: A•; PrO.Q.Z. " ...,CSP?aq/cr Welt, P F4 C1: Local universitie being barraged by an anti-Israel campaign.