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studies are more likely to intermarry.
However, a number of changes are
being made in this year's national study
— which will be surveying by phone
5,000 people, more than double the
sample of 1990 — that seem, at least in
-part, to respond to the criticisms.
In deciding to address the nuances of
Jewish identity, Sheskin said, a change
has been made from 1990.
In 1990, only "yes" or "no" answers
were recorded when asking whether the
subject had Jewish parents and was
raised Jewish.
But this time, "in addition to 'yes' or
`no,' we are going to let people sly
`maybe, I suppose, half and half' and
record those answers, so when we go
back and do analysis, we know who
said what and can compare those differ-
ent people," said Sheskin.
In addition, this year's study will
limit the number of interviews with
marginal Jews to approximately 500
people, said Sheskin.
It is not yet clear to what extent
Orthodox critiques will be addressed.
Rabbi David Eliezrie, a Chabad
leader from suburban Los Angeles, said
the study's researchers have been cordial
but not responsive to the specific con-
cerns he outlined in a memo sent in the
spring.
In particular, Rabbi Eliezrie says the
study should be more-careful to avoid
undercounting — taking into account
that a policy Of locating subjects by ran-
domly dialing phone numbers may not
fairly represent densely populated
Orthodox communities or account for
the significantly larger family sizes in
Orthodox households.
"Pizza shops don't lie," said Rabbi
Eliezrie, referring to the proliferation of
kosher restaurants — and other services
catering to Orthodox Jews — in com-
munities throughout the country.
ThiS year's study will not repeat the
highly controversial practice of conduct-
ing some of the initial screening calls on
Shabbat or Jewish holidays, a cost-cut-
ting measure in which NJPS screening
was tacked onto other survey calls con-
ducted by outside firms, said Sheskin.
That may make a small difference
in counting, said Sheskin, but the
main reason the Orthodox communi-
ty appears anecdotally to be on the
increase, while statistically it is stag-
nant or even declining, is because the
community has not grown but
become more observant.
"The Orthodox that we have now are
Orthodox to a much greater extent than
20 years ago," he said, but also added a
caveat: "Every group always thinks
there's more of them than there are." ❑

Iranian Trial
'Not Imminent'

New York UTA) — Despite news

reports that the 13 Iranian Jews
accused of spying for Israel and the
United States face an imminent trial,
American Jewish advocates for the
prisoners say it is unlikely that any-
thing substantial will occurin the case
until after Iran's elections later this
month.
"It doesn't necessarily mean any-
thing," Malcolm Hoenlein, the execu-
tive vice chairman of the Conference
of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations, said of this
week's Iranian television reports. "The
families have not been notified of any-
thing yet, and it's unlikely that before
the elections anything of that kind of
magnitude will happen in Iran."
The 13 Jews — religious and com-
munity leaders, including one teen-
ager — have been held in a jail in the
southern city of Shiraz since spring,
but have not been formally charged.
Both Israel and the United States have
vehemently denied the accusations
against them. The 13 face the death
penalty if convicted.
Many observers believe the arrests
and accusations are part of a power
struggle between conservative hard-
liners and President Mohammad
Khatami, who has made overtures to
the West. The Feb. 18 elections are
being seen as a contest between the
two groups.
Iranian officials have not detailed
the evidence against the suspects, but
hard-line elements of the judiciary
reportedly have said documentation of
the alleged crimes proves their guilt.
The case sparked an international
outcry and those working on behalf of
the detained have alternated between
public and private diplomacy to press
their cause.
In recent months, American Jewish
advocates — while hoping for the
prisoners' release — have also been
working to try to ensure that the pris-
oners receive a fair trial.
"Our preference is they should be
released now," Hoenlein said.
"They've suffered enough no mat-
ter what they've done, and none are
guilty of espionage."
A trial might be better than endless
delays, said Hoenlein, but "has to be
public with representation and outside
participation as has been promised all
along. "0 •

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