Jewish -organization. Furthermore, the survey found that congregational membership corresponds to Jewish engagement. For example, 43 percent of Conservative households that belong to a congregation light Shabbat candles, compared to 21 percent among those that are not synagogue members. Nonmembers often cite cost as a obsta- cle to synagogue membership. • Shifting religious affiliation: Since the 1991 survey, the percentage of New York Jews identifying with the Conservative and Reform movements has fallen from 34 percent to 26 percent and from 36 percent to 29 percent, respectively. But more respondent s identify as Orthodox, up from 13 percent to 19 percent, or do not identify with any Movement, up from 13 percent to 25 percent. • Shifting geography: The Jewish pop- ulation has relocated in the past decade. Westchester County's Jewish community jumped by 40 percent, while the Bronx lost 45 percent of its Jewish population. The Jewish communities of Brooklyn and Staten Island grew by 23 percent and 27 percent, respectively. • Increasing intermarriage: At 22 per- cent, the intermarriage rate among New York Jews is about half that for American Jews as a whole. But even the New York rate has increased, with 36 percent of New-York Jews marrying non-Jews in the past five years, corn- pared to 26 percent in the previous eight years. Of the 61,000 children of inter- married households in New York, 30 percent are being raised as Jews. • Impact of Jewish childhood experi- ences: In households where the survey respondent had no Jewish childhood experiences, only 30 percent belong to a Jewish congregation. Households in which the respondent had the highest degree of Jewish childhood experiences show a 75 percent rate of synagogue membership. Jewish experiences - in childhood are a "very powerful predictor of what kind of Jew you're going to be when you grow up," Ukeles said. _ A Deeper Look Beyond these findings, the survey mines information from Jewish engagement and philanthropic patterns and sheds light on the most vulnerable elements of the community, like the elderly and sin- gle-parent households. William Rapfogel, executive director of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, has seen some of the shifts reflected in the survey taking place before his eyes. "Just seven or eight years ago, we were providing about 400 or 500 families with kosher food every month. Today, we're providing 12,000 families with kosher food every single month," he said. His group also has exponentially expanded its affordable housing program for the elderly and mentally ill. One of Rapfogel's clients that made it into those apartments illustrates the day-to-day crises for impoverished Jews and the "near poor," who often have less access to government services than those classi- fied as poor. At the opening ceremony for one of the apartment buildings in Brooklyn, a new resident — an elderly Russian man — came over "holding this pair of awful, awful looking boots," Rapfogel said. The man had been wearing the boots during the eight years he had lived in New York, and for a decade before that in the Soviet Union. The man said he could not afford new shoes because he barely scraped together what he could for food and rent for his previous $800- a-month apartment. Once he got in to the Brooklyn apart- ment, "he was able to actually buy a new pair of shoes," Rapfogel said. The survey raises awareness that "Jewish poverty is not an oxymoron," he said. "There are a lot of pieces of data in this that are almost counterintuitive," and the community must "get the word out about what the facts are," Ukeles said. "The community needs to take a hard look at what services are where," he said. For example, he asked, "Do we have the services in Staten Island to meet the new Jewish community?" Furthermore, it's crucial to integrate the large Orthodox and Russian-speak- ing communities into community lead- ership positions to prevent New York Jewry from splintering into "a lot of sep- arated communities," tildes said. According to John Ruskay, the federa- tion's executive vice president and CEO, the survey results are "both a stimulant to action and rich data for planning both today and moving forward." "To give one small example, we learned that 26,000 seniors aged 75 and over do not have a relative within 100 miles," Ruskay said. The federation launched an initiative called "Companions," which will mobilize vol- unteers to reach out to these isolated seniors. Ultimately, the federation wants to "make certain that we have opportuni- ties for Jewish engagement in places of high Jewish populations,"' he said. ❑ $250 Fiberglass $ 500 V7o F oFd Ask for Michelle Ben-Ezra BRING YOUR CUSTOM DESIGNS To LIFE We Specialize in all custom doors: - •WOod •Fiberglass • Steel • Interior 248-737-3700 33084 Northwestern Hwy. between 14 Mile & Orchard Lake Road (between Home Appliance & the new Honey Tree) * * * * * Our Community Supports * * * * * SHERYL MITCHELL WEST BLOOMFIELD PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION for Caring, Conzmitted and Proven Leadership Hon. Glide 2. Jacobs, Michigan State Senator Hon. Paul Condino, Michigan State Representative Hon. David Woodward, Michigan State Representative Hon. Aldo Vagnozzi, Michigan State Representative Hon. Eric Coleman, Oakland County Commissioner Hon. David Coulter, Oakland County Commissioner Hon. Mike Rogers, Oakland County Commissioner Hon. Helaine Zack, Oakland County Commissioner - Hon. David Fleisher, West Bloomfield Supervisor Guy & Nora Barron Lori Barron Claire S. Colman, M.D. Sandra Colvin, Esq. John DeMarco Jon Eber Gene Farber Alan Feuer Marcia Gershenson Susan Graham Allen & Janet Helper Carole Kaftan Jeff & Marla Kaftan . Mel & Geri Kaftan Roy & Tash Linder-Haynes Ken Macon Hon. Stuart Brickner, West Bloomfield Trustee Hon. Deborah Macon, West Bloomfield Trustee Hon. Maxine Brickner, West Bloomfield Library Board Hon. Barbara DeMarco, West Bloomfield School Board Hon. Jeffrey Stewart, Esq., W, Bloomfield School Board Hon. Alan LaDuke, West Bloomfield Library Board Hon. Brenda Lawrence, Mayor City of Southfield Hon. Mel Ravitz, Former City of Detroit Council Member Craig & Jill Menuck Mark & Lisa Menuck Deborah Miele, Esq: Lynn Portnoy Barbara & Sam Reider Moneka L. Sanford, Esq. Donna Schaerer Robert Schiller Jack & Merylene Schneider Dr. Laurel A. Sills Robert & Karen Spector Melanie & Ronald Torbert Pearl Walker William R. Warner Dr. William & Hertha Woodruff ...and many friends & suppotters "Sheryl Mitchell has endless dedication to any cause she supports. She is inspiring and provides great leadership with contagious enthusiasm and energy. I experienced this directly while Shetyl was President of our West Bloomfield Optimist Club. Sheryl Mitchell is contnzittet4 hard-working and completely motivated to do what is best in our community. I stand by her WM." Dr. Laurel A. Sills VOTE FOR SHERYL MITCHELL -NOVEMBER 2, 2004! WEST BLOOMFIELD PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION Paid for by the Committee to Elect Sheryl L. Mitchell, 5735 Warrenshire, West Bloomfield, Ml 48322 CALLTOOMFORASUBSCRIPTION 248.351.5174 AIN 10/29 2004 45