24 April 18 • 2019
jn

T

he results of the first-ever 
national study of Jewish grand-
parents — commissioned by the 
Jewish Grandparents Network — are 
in. Nearly 8,000 individuals participat-
ed. Key findings include:
• While the majority of Jewish 
grandparents find grandparenting to 
be a joyful experience, grandparenting 
can have its difficulties.
• Most grandparents are committed 
to transmitting of Jewish values.
• Nearly half the grandparents have 
a child married to a non-Jewish part-
ner. 
• Most frequently, interactions 
between grandparents and grand-
children take place in one another’
s 
homes, around birthdays and national 
holidays.
The study identified five segments 
or groupings of Jewish grandparents, 
based on shared attitudes and beliefs:
• Joyful Transmitters (20 percent) 
love being grandparents and feel it’
s 
important to transmit Jewish values 
and beliefs.

• Faithful Transmitters (16 percent) 
want their grandchildren to have a 
strong connection to Judaism and to 
marry Jews.
• Engaged Secularists (23 percent) 
are engaged grandparents, but don’
t 
model Jewish involvement for their 
grandchildren.
• Wistful Outsiders (20 percent) 
want to be more involved with their 
grandchildren, but family dynamics 
get in the way.
• Non-Transmitters (20 percent) are 
not Jewishly engaged nor interested 
in passing on Jewish practices to their 
grandchildren.
According to David Raphael, 
co-founder and CEO of the Jewish 
Grandparents Network: “The challenge 
for the Jewish community is to pivot 
toward the wonderful opportunity to 
engage grandparents in ways that ulti-
mately bring the entire family together 
in meaningful Jewish experiences. 
Grandparents can be partners in the 
Jewish engagement work that so many 
communities look to do.
” ■

jews d
in 
the

Grandparents 
Study

Happy 
P
assover

TO ALL OUR 
CLIENTS, FAMILY 
& FRIENDS!

Danny Raskin of the Detroit Jewish News will be honored 
for his more than 75 years as a weekly columnist and restau-
rant critic with a Legacy Award at the Society of Professional 
Journalists Detroit Chapter banquet May 2 at the San Marino 
Club in Troy.
Also being honored with lifetime achievement awards are 
longtime journalists Angelo B. Henderson and Felecia D. 
Henderson; Rich Homberg, president and CEO of Detroit 
Public Television; and Mary Schroeder, sports photographer and pioneer 
for women in journalism. SPJ will also name Journalist of the Year, Young 
Journalist of the Year and the winners of its Excellence in Journalism awards. 
Discounted tickets can be purchased in advance of the banquet through 
Friday, April 26. Tickets purchased at the door cost $70. Funds raised will 
benefit SPJ Detroit’
s scholarship fund. 
Additional details and tickets for the banquet are available at spjdetroit.org.

Raskin to Receive Legacy Award

Danny Raskin

games & 
artsfest

VOLUNTEER!PARTICIPATE! 
BE A HOST! 

F O R M O R E I N F O