Editor's Letter

Beneath The Numbers

Second of two parts

W

e're more synagogue-oriented and Jewish educa-
tion-minded as a community than we might
think. And though low, our intermarriage rate
still provides cause for concern. I cite these notable findings
from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's recently
released 2005 community survey com-
piled by University of Miami demogra-
phy expert Dr. Ira Sheskin.
Half of Detroit Jewry belong to a
synagogue and almost 30 percent of
us go there once a month or more.
Membership and attendance is high-
est in the 49 and younger age group.
Surprisingly, 40 percent of our young
adults 35 and younger attend services
at least once a month; the national
average for this group is 18 percent.
Our intermarriage rate of 16 percent
is a sliver of the national rate of 48 percent. But only 31 per-
cent of our intermarried families are raising their kids Jewish
— a troubling finding that could diminish our potential for
reversing our population decline.
Among those of us who identify with a religious stream,
36 percent say they are Reform — 2 percent higher than 16
years ago when the last official Jewish community survey was
taken. Orthodox Jews now total 11 percent, up from 7 percent.
The Conservative movement, however, suffered a 10 percent
loss in local synagogue membership, from 38 to 28 percent.
This drop shows a movement demanding self-examination
even as it scores successes in its synagogue schools and inno-
vative programs.
No less alarming, the Orthodox community, despite its
higher average of four kids per family, also is keeping only a
fraction of its young adults here, tempering its growth.
Metro Detroit now has 72,000 Jews — down 24, 000 from
96,000 in 1989.1 wouldn't be shocked if our new total fell to
55,000 over the next 10 to 15 years. What about the influx of
Russians during the '80s and '90s? Only about 2,000 live here.
While Detroit Jewry is averaging more than the 2.15 kids
per family necessary to sustain itself, in large part because
of the Orthodox birth rate, just 7 percent of our population
includes 20 to 35 year olds. The net effect of this young adult
flight is an actual per-family average of only about 1.5 kids.

How We Learn
Meanwhile, Jewish learning is on our radar. We have 2,289
students enrolled in Jewish day schools and we have 4,200
synagogue school students. More than 80 percent of our
adults had some formal Jewish education as a child compared
to 73 percent nationally. Forty percent of our young adults
attended a Jewish day school as a child — double that of pre-
vious generations. While 78 percent of our non-Orthodox kids
ages 5-12 attend public school, about the same percentage of
non-Orthodox teenagers attend synagogue school.
With mounting demands on its Annual Campaign, espe-
cially social and aging services, Federation must seek other
sources of day and synagogue school funding to help with
operations and scholarships. Our Jewish Education Trust,
begun in 2002, is up to $6 million, but it is an endowment
only for day schools and its use is restricted.

There's no question that a day school education provides
deeper, more enriching Jewish learning. But synagogue
schools, with almost twice the enrollment of day schools, also
play a huge role. We must bolster what they have to offer, too,
starting with teacher recruitment, pay and training.
Jewish learning must matter for all — from impressionable
preschoolers to older adults viewed as role models. Otherwise,
we'll not only have less of a head count, but also striking illit-
eracy the next time that Federation does a population study.
And we'd have only our flirtation with over-assimilation and
disregard for our traditions to blame.

JCC And ADL
Our Jewish Community Center may be Detroit Jewry's cen-
tral address for class enrollment and event participation, but
problems loom. Attendance is down 7 percent from 1989.
Fifteen percent of us now belong to the JCC, 3 percent below
the national average. Families with kids belong at a higher
clip, 23 percent, but still 2 percent below the national average.
I was stunned that only 11 percent of us belong to both a
synagogue and the JCC and that 46 percent belong to neither.
And while 39 percent of us belong only to a synagogue, just
4 percent of us belong only to the JCC. Logic dictates that
the best place for the JCC to prospect for new members is
the synagogue. Meanwhile, the pending move of the Jewish
Academy to the JCC in West Bloomfield should give that cav-
ernous building a shot of youthful energy.
It's great that more than half of us in all age groups feel a

The burden falls to Federation
to make the most of charting a
course to secure our future.

vital emotional attachment to Israel. The Jewish homeland
needs diaspora support more than ever, given the drumbeat
of anti-Zionism sweeping much of the world. In that regard, I
know that the New York-based Anti-Defamation League, like
all Jewish agencies, is evaluating costs. Given that 61 percent
of Jewish Detroit feels at least moderate anti-Jewish sentiment
locally, I hope the ADL maintains our regional office despite
our population drop.
So, more Jews are leaving Metro Detroit than relocating
here or returning. We have more deaths than births. More
Jews are leaving the faith than converting to it. And there's no
sign of any of these trends abating.
We, as a community, must take notice. The burden falls to
Federation and its blue ribbon panel of top professional and
lay leaders to make the most of charting a course to secure
our future. We're shrinking in numbers, but we're still a vital
Jewish community. But even that is now at stake.

What must our communal priorities be
in the wake of a declining population?

What must we, as a community, do to
• stem the flight of so many young adults?

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June 15 • 2006

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