As you may know, Jewish Federation of St. Louis, in conjunction with our local synagogues and agencies, is embarking on a Jewish community study. The study will determine the number of individuals and households in the greater St. Louis Jewish community and collect information about their behavior, perceptions and attitudes. The findings, which will be widely communicated, will help inform community planning, allocations and programming efforts for Jewish agencies and institutions for the next decade.
The last time such a demographic study was conducted was 1995. The Jewish world has changed dramatically since that time nationally, with new programs and platforms for engagement joining traditional vehicles like synagogues and Jewish community centers. To keep our own local community vibrant and vital, the data we gather will be critical to guide us in planning efforts.
Where do you fit in? Well, this study is really all about you—it’s a snapshot of our community, and we can’t do it without the cooperation of the members of our community. We expect that Jewish Policy & Action Research (JPAR), the firm conducting the study will start making calls to community members this Spring. If you get a call, please answer it and take the time to answer the survey questions. The process will take you only about 15 to 20 minutes, but the knowledge we gain will help our community into the future.
We want to hear what you have to say! Your voice is important to us, so please pick up the call and agree to answer the questions. I am so excited to learn more about our community so we make it even better.
I will be happy to share my feelings/viewpoints etal with your surveyors if it will be of any help to this Jewish community in which I was born, educated and shared many lifetime events.
Thanks Marion! The survey is randomized which means only 1000 people from our community will be contacted. The good news is that you could be one of them! The better news is that I would love to hear your story and look forward to having an opportunity to do so. Andrew
I have been involved for over 20 years providing support and a place for Jewish people with a mental illness to get together with other Jewish peers. As in many communities, the stigma of mental illness makes it difficult to “come of the closet”. I can offer insight abou this portion of the St Louis Jewish community and shed some light on what supports we need to establish to provide a place for all people.
Thanks Ellen–for your comment and all the work you have been doing for the last two decades.
Unfortunately, each study has its limitation. The community study we are commissioning is a randomized study that is very good to give us the data about attitudes and basic assessment of needs (along with demographics). It is not well designed to get at the important information and issues that you as a provider might be able to contribute and deepen. We hope to build in funding streams going forward to allow us to get all kinds of data from our community–including the kind of qualitative data that you are suggesting here. Operating in a “data rich” environment will be a priority for Federation going forward.
The support of mental illness is particularly important for us to address because in our community it is often hidden. Thanks for the work you and others are doing in this area.
How I wish I lived closer to Kol Rinah, but I am still very happy with my residence. If there is anyone with a big heart who is willing to drive me from Chesterfield to Kol Rinah, I would appreciate it very much. A taxi would probably cost a hundred dollars a trip. I simply can’t afford that.
Lois–I have passed your request on to the folks at Kol Rinah. Andrew
it would be nice to get an email letting us know the time and date of these calls, so we can give it some thought beforehand.
Thanks for your interest, Nancy. More info to come soon!
Thanks Nancy. We are going to do a large publicity effort in March about 4 weeks prior to the study’s start in April. Only 1,000 people will be contacted from our community based on a randomized survey of telephones–land lines and cell phones–in the St. Louis area. I hope everyone answers the phone when called. We’ll be letting you know the phone number we are using so you can pick up if you’re selected. Thanks so much for your input! Andrew