In January 2018, anticipating my retirement from Jewish Family & Childrenâs Service, I called Mark Searle, Arizona State Universityâs provost. I hoped ASU would be interested in collaborating with the Jewish community to conduct the research for a Jewish population study. Searle and I had discussed such a venture a few years earlier.
A series of questions plagued me throughout my tenure at JFCS as vice president of philanthropic services and as a Congregation Or Tzion board member.
How many Jews live in Maricopa County? How many are members of synagogues? What are the reasons more Jews do not join synagogues? What percentage of our Jewish community contribute to Jewish organizations and secular nonprofits? How might synagogue and Jewish organization leaders expand the reach of our institutions?