NEW YORK, June 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UJA-Federation of New York has released the complete data set collected in connection with the UJA-Federation of New York's "Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011" onto an open access platform at the website of the North American Jewish Data Bank at the University of Connecticut: www.jewishdatabank.org.
This data set, the largest from any local or national Jewish community study, is a rich resource for researchers, policymakers, students, and academicians. This release includes data from 5,993 interviews conducted between February and July 2011, including population estimates and data on demographic characteristics, human-service needs, Jewish engagement, volunteerism, and philanthropy of Jewish households in the eight-county study area, including the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester County, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island.
The study was sponsored by UJA-Federation of New York and conducted by Jewish Policy and Action Research (JPAR), under the lead of Prof. Steven M. Cohen, Dr. Jacob B. Ukeles, Dr. David Dutwin, Dr. Pearl Beck, Dr. Svetlana Shmulyian, and Prof. Ron Miller. The data was used as the basis of the "Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 Comprehensive Report," released in June 2012, the "Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 Geographic Profile," released in January 2013, and the "Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 Special Report on Poverty," released on June 6, 2013. Until now, these data have been presented only in the context of those three reports; the full set is now available for additional reports, investigations, and studies.
"We are delighted to share the data from the study with the entire Jewish community as well as with social scientists, scholars of religion, and other policy researchers," said Scott A. Shay, chair of the Jewish Community Study of New York Committee. "As the largest survey ever done of a diaspora Jewish community, we believe that the data set will make a significant contribution to better understanding the amazing phenomena of American Jewry, which is why we are committed to making the data publicly available and fully transparent. In our view, the more the data is used the better, as it is an asset that increases in value with use."
Anyone interested in utilizing this data set may access it at www.jewishdatabank.org. The full "Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011" — the comprehensive report, geographic profile, and special report on poverty — can be found at http://www.ujafedny.org/jewish-community-study-of-new-york-2011/.
About UJA-Federation of New York
For more than 95 years, UJA-Federation has been a central force for communal planning and philanthropy in the New York Jewish community. Through UJA-Federation, more than 60,000 donors pool their resources to help people in need, inspire a passion for Jewish life and learning, and strengthen Jewish communities around the world — to address the issues that matter to us most as Jews and as New Yorkers. Working with nearly 100 network beneficiary agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, our reach spans from New York to Israel to more than 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year. Because we do the most good when we do it together. For more information on how to donate or how to volunteer, visit www.ujafedny.org.