FROM D ESKTOP
Federation Releases
Acculturation Study
To LAP TOP
RUTH LITTMANN
STAFF WRITER
I
n two and a half years, metro
Detroit's Jewish community
directed more than $4 million
toward the local resettlement
of 1,100 refugees, mostly from
the former Soviet Union.
Now comes the question: Has
it paid off?
A "New American Accultura-
tion Study," released this month
by the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, looks at
progress refugees have made
since their arrival here between
1989 and the first half of 1991.
"We really think it was im-
with Jewish Experiences For
Families, the study began in ear-
ly January 1995. Slavic lan-
guage students from Wayne
State University and two non-
Russian speaking WSU staff
members completed interviews
with 175 immigrants.
Several questions touched on
immigrants' experience with
Jewish communal agencies and
religious involvement. Nearly
all surveyed had used the He-
brew Free Loan Association and
reported that the agency was
"very helpful" in enabling them
eled to Israel — primarily to vis-
it relatives. Nearly one-third
have paid dues to a synagogue
or temple.
Overall, 61 percent of immi-
grant families take advantage
of their one-year free member-
ship at the Jewish Community
Center. About one-third of the
children are currently enrolled
in Jewish day schools locally.
"Finally, we asked respon-
dents a series of questions about
their Jewish identity," the study
summary says. "Most of them
told us that being Jewish is a
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"Serving the community for 39 years"
portant to understand the im-
pact of our dollars," says Judah
Isaacs, senior planning associ-
ate at the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit. "The re-
sults weren't surprising, but re-
ally pleasing."
The study found the current
median annual income for new
American households to be
$28,500. For households led by
individuals, age 35 to 49, that
average is $35,500.
They appear, generally, to be
at about the socio-economic lev-
el of American Jewish families
40 years ago," the study reports.
Unemployment rates were
found to hover at 26 percent
among individuals ages 50 to 64.
The main barrier to employment
and overall acculturation is
knowledge of the English lan-
guage, respondents said.
Conducted by APB Associates
Inc. in Detroit, in conjunction
to buy cars and pay for other ne-
cessities.
About two-thirds of the re-
spondents have taken part in
the Connections program, which
matches immigrants with es-
tablished Jewish Detroiters.
About two-thirds of Connection
participants still keep in touch
with their matching families.
The main barrier to
acculturation
remains
language.
Almost all immigrant house-
holds light Chanukah candles
and attend a Passover seder.
About one-quarter keeps sepa-
rate dishes for milk and meat.
Thirty-two percent have tray-
very important part of their
lives. Their experiences here in
the Detroit Jewish community
have increased Jewish identity
for most of them, and especially
for older respondents."
The study notes, however,
that the 175 people interviewed
only represent part of an acces-
sible population and recom-
mended another study in the
future.
"What of those we could not
find?" it asks. "Are they less suc-
cessful? Less adjusted to Amer-
ican life? We do not know."
Terran Leemis, who chairs a
resettlement committee, noted
that local Jews can take pride in
the study's results, but shouldn't
ignore the ongoing need.
"We should not forget," she
said, "that people are still com-
ing." ❑