"Count Me In," the 2010 Study of the Greater Rochester Jewish Community, was undertaken by the Jewish Community Federation, with support from Jewish Senior Life, as the first assessment of the community in over a decade. "Count Me In" was for anyone, 18 and older, who considered themselves to be Jewish, by their own definition. Participation from area college students was welcomed.

The study’s success - and it was successful with a response rate of roughly 1,900 completed surveys - was dependent on participation from Rochester to all of its suburbs, from Batavia to Geneva and Naples to Geneseo.

Who are we and where do we live? What are we about in terms of Jewish life and practices? And perhaps most importantly, what do we need and want from our community?

Jocelyn Goldberg-Schaible, president of the Rochester Research Group, the organization that worked with the Federation to conduct the study, wanted "to hear from everyone who considers himself or herself to be Jewish – from those who are strongly affiliated and for whom Judaism is a conscious part of daily life, to those who haven’t been actively involved or directly connected with their Judaism in years.”

The survey included several in-depth questions for those helping to make planning decisions for aging parents, as well as those planning for their own retirement needs. Additional questions explored the needs of interfaith families, singles, teens, and other key sub-populations. And then there’s the issue of our numbers: How has the size of our community changed since our community’s last demographic study in 1999?

Study chairman Jack Finkelstein talked about why this study is important. “As we chart our path into the future of this community we have two choices, we can either try to predict what will be important or we can take the bold step of asking and listening to what the community wants and needs and then moving in that direction. We are creating our roadmap to the future. This survey will insure that the direction we eventually choose brings the most benefit to the community.”

The study was conducted via the Internet; volunteers were available to assist anyone not comfortable with completing their survey online. 

Study Process

What’s truly unique about this study is that the listening began long before the survey was created. The Federation invited the heads of local Jewish agencies and synagogues to meet and share the questions they most need answered to plan for the future. The questions that make up the survey are therefore drawn directly from the needs expressed by the institutions serving the greater Rochester Jewish community.

Another key element of the study, according to Jocelyn, is that “the questions aren't merely nice to know, but truly actionable, so that more insightful planning decisions can be made by our community, and for our community, in the years ahead.”

The survey responses will be fully analyzed in the coming months and a report will be made available to the community by the fall of 2010. For further information, contact Judy Azoff, Assistant Executive Director for Planning and Administration, 461-0490, ext. 225 or jazoff@jewishrochester.org.