Conducting surveys has been a part of American society for a long time. While they may be handled in a variety of ways, from focus groups to mail-in surveys, organizations use them to gain information they need to move forward on a new product, a project, or in the case of nonprofits like the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, strategic planning.
From Feb. 15 to March 12, the Jewish Federation conducted its online community-wide survey to gain a better understanding of who the community is, what the respondents are looking for from their local Jewish community, how they engage with the Jewish community, and how the Jewish Federation can better meet those needs.
The 37-question survey was developed by a subcommittee of Jewish Federation’s Board members John Carlton, Mickey Bernath, David Levy and Irv Tons and Executive Director Jason Moss. It was broken into five sections: demographics, identity, Israel, Jewish identity and Jewish community, and Jewish Federation.
While the data is still being analyzed, JLife SGPV is pleased to share the data results of the 473 respondents who took the survey. Participants were asked to make sure that only one person per household completed the survey.
An added benefit of the survey was its timing. Unbeknownst to the survey’s developers, two additional surveys were simultaneously being conducted around the country. With the results and analysis of both the Pew Research Center’s Jewish Americans in 2020 and the Jews of Color Initiative’s Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color coming out around the same time, the Jewish Federation’s survey findings are able to be discussed and analyzed alongside the other studies.
“To have two national studies, exploring Jewish life, conducted around the same time we were looking at our local Jewish community is incredible,” explains Jason Moss, Jewish Federation’s Executive Director. “Being able to analyze our data with the backdrop of the findings from both Pew and Jews of Color Initiative surveys will provide our community’s Jewish organizations an even broader portrait of the wants and needs of our local Jewish community are.”
With this data in hand, the Jewish Federation has already begun analyzing it and incorporating it into its strategic planning conversations. Plus, it has shared the data with the local synagogues in hopes that they can also utilize the information and incorporate it into strategic conversations that many are or will be having in the next several months.
On Wednesday, October 13, at 1:00 pm the Jewish Federation will be holding a lunchtime virtual Town Hall with Jason Moss to further discuss the survey, the implications for the community, and some early insight into some of the Jewish Federation’s thoughts and ideas moving forward. To register, visit www.jewishsgpv.org.
To learn more about the survey, the results or to discuss it further, please contact the Jewish Federation by calling 626.445.0810 or emailing federation@jewishsgpv.org.
