Gemorrah the same? Community influence on

Abstract

Although adult identity is strongly shaped by childhood experiences, influences during adulthood continue to shape the individual’s identity and expressed identifications. The forms of the adult’s Jewish identification expression may thus be affected by such changes as losing or starting a Job, returning to or leaving school, or moving to a new city. The current study examines the effects of residential stability, the amount of time the individual has lived in the Washington, D. C. metropolitan area, on young adults’ Jewish identification. Although it was hypothesized that residential stability would be positively related to greater affiliation with the Jewish community, it was found that Jewish identification expression (a) was initially higher among those born outside of Washington. D. C., and (b) diminished with time spent living in the Washington, D. C. area. An explanation is offered in terms of the identificational norms modeled by the host community and conveyed to the new resident.