Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1990-10-25

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OCTOBER 25,1990  ,'.
6CHESHVAN.5751  .
Ohio  Hist.Society  Libr.
198S  Velma  Ave.
Columbus,   Ohio
43211 COMP
-DEVOTED   TO  AMERICAN1 AND   JEWISH   IDEALS „
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U.S. and Israel strive
to ease tensions     - *;'
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In 1991 U;S. expects
40,000 Soviet jews,
page 2
A Holocaust memorial
likeno other /
'.. "     ;   /     "     page 3
;The Vatican^ the Jews
and demons
page 3
NCJW honors Carroll
page 4
Turners win
Israel trip
,      ' page4
JNF honors
J. Leeman,
M.D. Portman
page 5
In The Chronicle
At The JCC   14,15
Community  , 4,5,6
Federation    7
[   FrontPage  ...; 2
Lifccyde , 9,9
Marketplace , 11
Pfcw Generation ...,.*..: , 12,13
Synagogue* ,. I, 10
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Jewish population survey released
OJC Staff Report
Smaller Jewish households and farther-flung Jewish neighborhoods are
among the most surprising
conclusions of the Columbus
Area Population Survey. The
survey, conducted over a
three-year period, was reviewed at an Open Community Board Meeting of the
Columbus Jewish Federation and its Community Relations Council on Oct. 23.
Average household size for
the 15,700 Columbus Jews
now matches the national
standard of 2.6 persons;
however, Dr. Meryl Weissman, director of Operations
and Development at the Federation, noted, "fully 24 percent of the adults living in
Jewish households are not
Jewish and are not included
in our population figure."
Nevertheless, the new figures represent a decline in
numbers from the 1969 average of 3.2 persons.
Dr. Weissman also told her
audience of community leaders and residents, that while
31 percent of the population
continues to live lit the Bex-
ley-Berwick-Eastmoor areas
of the city, 24 percent now
live in the far north and 27
percent live in the central
north areas of town. Another
19 percent have moved further east to Gahanna,
Reynoldsburg and Pickerington.
With this information in
hand, Margey Cheses, who
conducted the meeting,
raised the question of how
the community should meet
the needs of the less concentrated population areas.
"Should Jewish community
agencies be developing branches in the north end of town
like the Jewish Community
Center is doing?" she asked
in her summary of the results.
Other data gathered in the
survey show that the average Jew in Columbus is 25-44
years of age, has at least a
college degree, is employed
in a professional capacity
and was born in the United
States, but not in Columbus.
Columbus Jews apparently
move elsewhere when they
retire — only a few are over
45. Cheses added that Columbus has "the highest per
centage of children under
ten of all communities for
which data are available."
Most Jews in Columbus
marry late, according to the
survey, after the age of 25,
and 29.4 percent have never
been married. Couples usually
want two children and have
a medium income of $40-55K.
More startling, according
to Dr> Weissman, is the information that 45 percent of
the survey respondents are
married to non-Jews, although 75 percent of the children of these mixed marriages are being reared
Jewishly. Approximately
1,050 children are currently
receiving Jewish education.
Cheses said*, "Synagogue
membership is below average" in Columbus. The survey shows that 7 percent of
the community consider
themselves Orthodox, 32 percent Conservative and 41
percent Reform, but only 46
percent of the total population is affiliated with a synagogue. The lowest rate is
among young adults, while
the highest rate of affiliation
is among Orthodox Jews, 90
percent of whom belong to a
congregation. The survey
shows that observance of
rituals is almost completely
confined to holidays and
family events and is relatively rare. While three-
fourth of the population celebrate holiday events", less
than one-quarter light Shabbat candles. Nearly one- '
fourth of the population puts
up Christmas trees.
Columbus Jews give about
equally to both Jewish and
non-Jewish charities and
volunteer their time' about
equally as well. Jews in Columbus have visited Israel
as often as Jews from other
communities. One-third
have made the trip and more
than one-fourth have relatives in Israel.
Following Cheses' remarks, a question and answer session was conducted
by the survey's demographers, Drs. Frank and Susan
Mott. Complete and abbreviated versions of the survey
will be available to the community within the next few
weeks.
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