Our Community Mosaic
2021-22 Long Beach-area Jewish Community Study
The 2021 Long Beach-Area Jewish Community Study is the first such comprehensive study of our Jewish community conducted in nearly seven decades. Brandeis University, in partnership with NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent research institution, has launched the study and will be conducting it on our behalf. This project has been commissioned by Jewish Long Beach and is made possible by Jewish Long Beach, The Jewish Federations of North America Research Benchmarking Project, with support from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and other funders.
About the Study
The Long Beach-Area Jewish Community Study serves several important functions. The data it yields will provide us with a dynamic understanding of who comprises our Jewish community, how they identify, where they are located, and how many Jewish families and individuals call Long Beach and West Orange County home. Most importantly, the study will help us learn about the gaps in Jewish communal programming and services that currently exist and serve as barriers to affiliation and participation in our Jewish institutions. This study will inform a formal strategic planning process, to be launched once the results are released in mid-2022, that will allow Jewish Long Beach and the Alpert JCC to serve the broadest possible cross-section of our community with greater impact than ever before. Furthermore, all area congregations, agencies, and Jewishly-focused organizations will receive both the final report and the raw data generated by the study. It is the hope of Jewish Long Beach and our leadership that this project raises the tide for every local Jewish institution in fostering Jewish identity and continuity for generations to come.
Community Study Working Group
Richard R. Marcus, Ph.D. (Political Science), Chair
Jeffrey Blutinger, J.D., Ph.D. (History, Jewish Studies)
Sean Hogan, Ph.D. (Social Work)
Suzanne Perlitsh, Ph.D. (Geography)
Vicki Scherwin, Ph.D. (Management)
