DETROIT

Federation Study Releases More
Information On Detroit's Jews

NOAM M.M. NEUSNER

Staff Writer

T

he number-crunchers
have crunched their
numbers. Now, the
community gets to look at
itself.
The Jewish Population
Study of Metropolitan
Detroit, the first conclusive
study of Detroit's Jewish
community in over 25 years,
released its summary report
this past week.
Two years ago, demo-
graphers in charge of the
report shocked the com-
munity by announcing that
they had counted 96,000
Jews in the Metropolitan
Detroit area. That number
surpassed the previous
estimate of 70,000, causing
angst among Detroit's Jew-
ish leaders over their own
effectiveness.
The summary report
doesn't have surprises like
that, but it does offer some
revealing information about
Detroit's Jews. For instance:
• Fifteen percent of the
community's married
couples had one member
who was not Jewish.
• Forty-three percent of
the community gives to the
Allied Jewish Campaign.
Sixty-five percent gave to
non-sectarian causes.
• Of the 96,000 Detroit
Jews, about 77,100 live in a
"core" that covers a 100-
square-mile area of southern
Oakland County. In
Southfield and Oak Park
alone, there are 38,800 Jews.
• There are roughly the
same number of Orthodox
Jews as Humanistic/Secular
Jews in the Detroit area.
• Eighty-four percent of
Detroit's Jews attend a
Passover seder. Sixty-seven
percent fast on Yom Kippur.
Eight percent do not handle
money on Shabbat.
• One-third of Detroit's
Jewish youth between the
ages of five and eight have
never been enrolled in a re-
ligious school.
• One-fifth of Detroit's
Jewish households report an
income under $30,000.
• More than 40 percent of
Detroit's Jews have visited
Israel. Among those under
age 35, that figure is 33 per-
cent.
• When asked what are
the three most important
issues facing the Jewish
community, 42 percent re-
sponded "safety of Israel,"
followed by anti-Semitism

14

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1992

with 37 percent. Other
issues mentioned by at least
20 percent included inter-
marriage, Jewish identity
and Jewish education.
The report also makes
several recommendations
to community leaders in
dealing with the statistics.
The sizable Jewish popula-
tions of Oak Park and
Southfield — which the
report _suspects were where
most of the "hidden" Jews
had been living — will con-
tinue to need Jewish social

More than 40
percent of
Detroit's Jews
have visited Israel.
Among those
under age 35, that
figure is 33
percent.

Federation report

services on par with those
provided to Jews in the outer
suburbs of West Bloomfield
and Farmington Hills.
"With more than half the
core area population living

closer (in driving time) to the
Jimmy Prentis Morris Jew-
ish Community Center than
to the Maple-Drake Center,
a full Center facility is war-
ranted at this location," said
the report.
Plus, the demographers,
who were directed by Dr.
Jacob Ukeles and Professor
Steven Cohen, advocated
"satellite services" for Jew-
ish communities outside the
core, more programs aimed
at improving Jewish identi-
ty, greater outreach to
intermarried couples and a
modified fund-raising mes-
sage for Federation cam-
paigns to attract younger
givers.
"This helps people to
understand in a quantified
and structured way what
they felt anyway," said Pat-
ty Becker, who authored the
report and served as a
research consultant for the
Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.
Other areas that the
demographers broke down
statistically: household size,
age distribution, fertility,
family type, education, de-

JEWISH POPULATION STUDY
OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

SUMMARY REPORT

■ •••••111111111111 ■

Jewish Federation of Metropon Detroit

nominational affiliation,
ritual observance, Jewish
identity and Jewish edu-
cation.
The report, which cost the
Federation $250,000, also
proposes setting up a
database of Detroit's Jews
by using the records of Jew-

ish institutions. The infor-
mation could be used to keep
an updated figure of
Detroit's Jews and their
movements.
Copies of the report will be
available at the Jewish Fed-
eration of Metropolitan
Detroit for $5 apiece. ❑

News, Free Press Editors See Open Forum

As Way To Better Expose Hate In Politics

AMY J. MEHLER

Staff Writer

I

f and when David Duke
comes to Michigan, the
Detroit Free Press and the
Detroit News will interview
the former Ku Klux Klan
grand wizard and presiden-
tial hopeful and print the
transcript.
The editors agree that
when it comes to dealing
with controversial political
candidates like David Duke,
an open forum is one of the
surest ways to combat the
rise of hate in politics, the
theme of a Feb. 4 program at
the Southfield Library spon-
sored by American Arabic
and Jewish Friends of
Metropolitan Detroit.
"We feel it's best to ven-
tilate it (Duke's policies) and
be clear about what he rep-
resents," said Joe H. Stroud,
editor of the Detroit Free
Press. "Hopefully, the people
in their wisdom will take
care of it."
Tom Bray, editorial page
editor of the Detroit News
said his editorial board
debated whether or not to

David Gad-Harf:
"David Duke is a creation of the
news media."

meet with David Duke. "We
decided it is better that we
question him and expose
him than leave his views
unanswered," Mr. Bray said.
"I regret a weakened party
system that couldn't keep
David Duke off Michigan's
ballot, but the idea is to ven-

tilate it; to get it out right."
Not so, said David Gad-
Harf, executive director of
the Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan
Detroit, and Jessica Daher,
former director of the Arab-
American Anti-Discrimina-
tion Committee, who spoke on
the panel. They are not as
trusting of the electorate.
David Duke appears on
Michigan's Republican
primary ballot March 17
under a provision that
allows for candidates recog-
nized by the national news
media.
"Duke is a creation of the
news media," Mr. Gad-Harf
said. "He has no campaign
organization to speak of; he
doesn't have to buy much air
time. He knows that
wherever he goes, he'll get
media coverage."
"As well as Duke did in
Louisiana was far too well,"
Ms. Daher said.
David Duke lost his bid for
governor of Louisiana in
November 1991.
Mr. Gad-Harf doesn't
believe David Duke really
wants to win. "His job is to

stir up hate," he added.
"And when Americans are
feeling desperate in their
day to day lives, David Duke
may seem like a very attrac-
tive candidate."
Mr. Bray said the media
must pay more attention to
breaking down stereotypes if
they are to fight the rise in
hate politics. "We have to
look more closely at stereo-
types, in the kinds of myths
we perpetuate," he said.
"Sometimes we fall short in
this area."
Ms. Daher said there is
little room in Detroit for the
"I didn't know," or the "I
didn't have the time," ex-
cuse. "There are too many
resources in Detroit for that
to work," she said. "Any one
can find out about the Arab
and Jewish communities."
Ms. Daher criticized the
judgment of the Detroit
News in running a three
page spread Feb. 2 on
dishonest party store
owners, a business largely
dominated by Chaldeans.
"A story like that makes
life more difficult for Chal-
deans in the community,"

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