Data will help local Jewish organizations meet needs and interests

The Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, in partnership with the Lane County Jewish Federation, is sponsoring a population study of the 
Jewish community of Greater Portland, including Southwest Washington, the Willamette Valley and Lane County. 
Studies such as this are conducted by Jewish communities all over the United States to estimate the size and characteristics of the local Jewish community and to assist Jewish communal organizations in making well-informed, data-driven decisions for the benefit of the entire community. The study will be conducted by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University, one of the leading social science research centers in the world that focuses on contemporary Jewish life.
The last community study in Portland was conducted in 2008-2009, when the community was estimated to include more than 36,000 Jewish individuals.
“We know the community has experienced growth and change in the past 14 years, and we look forward to learning what the new study tells us,” says Caron Blau Rothstein, JFGP Chief Allocations & Engagement Officer. 
Beginning in late October, you may be contacted by the Cohen Center or their research partners at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Survey Center and invited to complete a survey. If you were chosen at random to participate in the study, you may receive letters, phone calls and/or emails from the Cohen Center or UNH. If you receive a phone call from UNH at 603-397-0660, a text from 603-397-0765 or an email from Brandeis at noreply@qemailserver.com, it is valid and about the study. Survey responses will be confidential, and findings will be reported only in the aggregate. The more households that participate, the richer the information.
You can read more about the study on the Cohen Center’s website at brandeis.edu/cmjs/community-studies/portland.html 
To learn more about participating in the study, please see Cohen Center’s FAQ at brandeis.edu/ssri/communitystudies/faqsurvey.html
If you have questions about the study, contact Caron Blau Rothstein (caron@jewishportland.org)
or Professor Matthew Boxer (mboxer@brandeis.edu), who is leading the research team for the study. Results of the study will be available late spring 2023.