Shaping Demographic Research on American Jewry

Abstract

I very much appreciate the recognition given me by the Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis University and the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry for my contribution to American Jewish demography. The remarks that follow are in response to an invitation extended by Leonard Saxe to share some thoughts about the evolution of Jewish demography and its present state. Let me stress first that my own efforts, in fact, represent a collaborative endeavor: I am only one among many, all of whom deserve acknowledgment. To mention only a few: Roberto Bachi and his colleague at the Hebrew University, Oscar Schmelz, both of blessed memory; Marshall Sklare and Bernard Reisman, z’l, both of Brandeis, for their inspiration and useful contributions; Bill Berman for his general support of demographic research, for his insightful questions, and for the establishment of the North American Jewish Data Bank (NAJDB); my current Israeli colleagues, Sergio DellaPergola and Uzi Rebhun, who have been and are constant sources of inspiration and stimulation; my close colleagues, Barry Kosmin, Frank Mott, and the late Egon Mayer and Viv Klaff for their continuing support at NTAC; and my lifelong collaborator, Alice. Trained as a sociologist/demographer, when I completed my PhD, I had no expectations of specializing in Jewish demography. I saw myself as a general demographer who happened to have a strong personal sense of Jewish identity and a strong commitment to the vitality of the American Jewish community and Judaism worldwide. In fact, I was early encouraged by my PhD advisor to change my name to one less Jewish and thus help expedite my professional advancement. Only in