Community Study Sheds Light on Jewish Issues Locally

Monday, May 22, Jewish Long Beach is hosting a panel discussion at the Alpert JCC to reveal the results of the first comprehensive study of the Long Beach-area Jewish community in nearly seven decades.

The study provides a dynamic understanding of who comprises the Long Beach and West Orange County area Jewish community, how they identify, and where they are located. It also identifies the gaps in Jewish communal programming and services that currently exist and serve as barriers to affiliation and participation in Jewish institutions.

“This study has provided us with an encyclopedic wealth of data and information about the Long Beach-area Jewish population, which we now understand numbers nearly 40,000 in almost 20,000 households.” said Richard Marcus, Ph.D., president of Jewish Long Beach’s board of directors. “Among the surprises, for instance, was the fact that nearly 30% of Jewish people in our catchment area identify as non-white, with most Jews in traditionally marginalized constituencies reporting that existing Jewish communal infrastructure does not adequately meet their needs and interests. Our responsibility now is to use the data to help us determine how to serve the broadest possible cross-section of our Jewish community.”

In addition, one in seven of the respondents reported that they have experienced antisemitism since 2020.

The study was conducted by Brandeis University in partnership with NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago. Commissioned by Jewish Long Beach, it is made possible in coordination with The Jewish Federations of North America Research Benchmarking Project, with support from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and other funders.

The study will be made available to all area congregations, agencies, and Jewishly-focused organizations. Jewish Long Beach hopes that this project raises the tide for every local Judaic institution in fostering identity and continuity for generations to come.

The panel discussion and Q&A about the study will be held on May 22 at the Alpert JCC at 6 pm on the Weinberg Jewish Long Beach Campus, 3801 E. Willow St., Long Beach, CA 90815. Panelists include Jewish Long Beach and Alpert JCC CEO Zach Benjamin, Board President Richard Marcus, and Professor Janet Aronson from Brandeis, who served as the study’s principal researcher. The event is free to attend, and an RSVP is requested. Light refreshments will be provided. RSVP by visiting https://alpertjcc.org/event/long-beach-jewish-community-study-panel/

For more information about the Long Beach-Area Jewish Community Study, please contact Zach Benjamin, CEO, zbenjamin@jewishlongbeach.org, or Dr. Richard Marcus, President, richardmarcus@yahoo.com.

Known as “Your Center for Life,” The Alpert JCC provides a gathering space in which all are welcome to pursue early childhood education, after-school programs, fitness programs, aquatics activities, and summer camp, as well as to engage in Jewish life, culture, and education.

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