JDC Press Release
August 24, 2005
 The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
From Steven Schwager, Executive Vice President


212.885.0818 • claire.schultz@jdcny.org

**For Immediate Release**

JDC STUDY REVEALS DEEPENING ENTHUSIASM FOR JEWISH LIFE IN ST. PETERSBURG

St. Petersburg Jews attending synagogue and celebrating holidays in greater numbers; seeking more opportunities to learn Jewish history and traditions and to explore Jewish culture






New York--- Preliminary findings from a survey on Jewish attitudes in St. Petersburg, Russia have revealed significantly increased levels of interest for Jewish life, including heightened participation in celebrating Jewish holidays, a strong desire to learn more about Jewish history, culture and tradition and a growing attachment to Israel.

Release of the study's preliminary findings coincides with an upcoming milestone for the St. Petersburg Jewish community---the September 9 dedication of YESOD (the St. Petersburg Jewish Community Home), a sparkling, state-of-the-art structure, which will function as a new central address for Jewish life in the city.

The survey, commissioned by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), updates a previous study on Jewish identity in St. Petersburg that was conducted in 1997. It is based on 1,050 respondents broken down into seven age cohorts. Overall, the survey concludes that there exists an openness to learning about religion and a true thirst for organized opportunities to experience Jewish culture, such as music, history, traditions and customs.

JDC commissioned the study to provide community leaders with a tool for developing programs at YESOD that will further deepen the connection of St. Petersburg's Jews to the Jewish people. YESOD recently secured a three-year grant from the Hanadiv Charitable Foundation to allow for further analysis of the study and to leverage its findings into programmatic action.

"Clearly, we're talking about a population that is very willing and eager to immerse itself in Jewish life," said Jonathan Porath, JDC's director for St. Petersburg. "We have a wonderful opportunity at this moment in time to lay the foundation for a Jewish continuity that grows stronger with each generation."

The study was co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach and the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, both of which are partners in the overall YESOD project. Specific findings include:

  • More than 35 percent say that "feeling oneself as part of the Jewish people" is the most important criteria of one's Jewishness;

  • Every third respondent in the youngest two cohorts acknowledged the influence of Jewish social life on his or her Jewish identity;

  • One-third to one-half feel close to Jewish history, but only one-sixth to one-third possess significant knowledge of it;

  • Between 60 to 75 percent find it "desirable" to know more about Jewish subjects;

  • Between 50 and 66 percent are interested to some degree in attending educational programs on history, religion, traditions and language; more than 70 percent are interested in attending Jewish festivals, concerts and performances; and

  • There has been more than a 10 percent growth in the number of respondents aged 40-49 who regularly celebrate Pesach, attend synagogue, view Israel as their first choice destination for emigration, attend Jewish performances and festivals and belong to a Jewish organization.
"These data show that the overwhelming majority of respondents have expressed a need to become acquainted with the Jewish heritage," said Professor Vladimir Shapiro, who supervised the study with help from a local steering committee and a professional advisory committee. "This majority is a potential audience for spreading Jewish knowledge. The respondents' interest in organized forms of acquainting oneself with Jewish knowledge and experience testifies to a very large potential audience."

The YESOD project was initiated to effectively engage this potential audience. The center is an 75,000 square-foot campus that features a modern performance hall, a sun-drenched atrium, a cafe, a two-story reading hall and Jewish library, a winter garden, a gymnasium and classrooms. In addition to these amenities, YESOD will house several Jewish organizations, including a welfare center for Jewish elderly, a family center, Hillel, an ORT computer center and the Petersburg Institute for Jewish Studies.

While the study indicates a large potential market for YESOD programming and significant progress in engaging the Jewish community, there are still some areas of concern to which Jewish professionals and lay leaders in St. Petersburg are focused on addressing. Specifically, the Shapiro study indicates an eroding Jewish ethnic identity and a widespread tolerance for inter-marriage.

"Without question we have a captive audience that is receptive to what Jewish life has to offer," Porath said. "We are certain that by offering positive experiences in a Jewish communal setting, people will start to make emotional connections to one another as Jews and feel part of something larger than themselves. That is the ultimate goal, and through projects like YESOD we're making great strides."

YESOD is the result of a joint collaboration between the Jewish community of St. Petersburg, JDC, the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach, the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Eugene Ribakoff and Rhoda and Richard Goldman.







The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) serves as the overseas arm of the organized North American Jewish community providing relief for Jews in need, promoting Jewish renewal, rebuilding Jewish communities, and helping Israel address its most urgent social challenges. The JDC receives its funds primarily from American Jewry through the Jewish Federations of the United States and the United Jewish Communities. JDC also receives funding from World Jewish Relief of Great Britain and UIA Federations Canada.