Methodology

Learn more about when and how the study was conducted, including a short overview of the study design, timeline, and definition of a Jewish household. A comprehensive methodology report is available for download at the bottom of the page.

 

Brief Summary of Study Design

The 2023 Jewish Community Study of New York was designed to reach a representative sample of Jewish households in the eight-county coverage area with the goal of reaching target minimums of completes in specified neighborhoods. The sample design was informed by a 2019 pilot study as well as UJA’s 2021 UJA Covid Impact Study that tested the feasibility and best practices using Address-Based Sampling (ABS) and implementing big-data modeling to effectively reach Jewish households. Both studies combined predictive modeling with geographic-based stratification that leveraged listed Jewish households and likely Jewish incidence based on geography, with a separate treatment for drop unit addresses.

A multimode, multi-contact strategy was employed to elicit participation among the sampled households. This strategy involved contacting the sample primarily by mail, with follow-up contacts conducted by phone and email where possible. The mailing protocol was conducted in three phases. During the initial release stage (Wave 1), approximately thirty percent of the estimated total sample was contacted. The second release (Wave 2) of mailings was based on the performance of the first release. A small third wave was added toward the end of the field period.

 

Outreach and Recruitment

Outreach to selected households consisted of email invitations, an initial invitation letter and up to four reminder mailings. Households in some strata were also selected to receive a four-page paper screener and/or a full paper questionnaire. For more on the contact schedule, see the table below.

Haredi Sample

One of the project’s goals was to ensure Haredi residents would be reached and agree to participate in the study. Therefore, a special marketing approach was deployed in areas expected to have large populations of Haredi residents based on the share of Haredi respondents in the 2021 Covid study. Households in these areas received bilingual (English/Yiddish) invitation and reminder letters, as well as both English and Yiddish questionnaires in subsequent mailings.

Contact Schedule
 Main Sample (Non-Haredi)Haredi Sample
 Wave 1Wave 2Wave 3Wave 1Wave 2
Email #1February 21, 2023April 12, 2023May 18, 2023N/AN/A
Mailing #1February 21, 2023April 12, 2023May 29, 2023March 17, 2023May 19, 2023
Mailing #2February 28 – March 8, 2023April 26, 2023June 2, 2023April 17, 2023May 19, 2023
Email #2March 14, 2023May 10, 2023June 9, 2023N/AN/A
Outbound Phone Start DateMarch 14, 2023May 10, 2023June 9, 2023April 17, 2023June 19, 2023
Mailing #3March 28, 2023May 24, 2023June 15, 2023April 28, 2023June 1, 2023
Mailing #4April 14, 2023June 5, 2023N/AN/AN/A
Mailing #5May 1, 2023June 12, 2023N/AN/AN/A
Close of FieldJuly 10, 2023
Response Rate

Out of the 230,000 addresses that were sampled for this study, over 17,000 completed the eligibility screener, for an overall response rate for the 2023 NY Community Study of 8%. For more on the dispositions and response rate for each sampling stratum see the complete methodology available for download from this page.

 

Definition of a Jewish Household

Who counts as Jewish in the survey?

This study aims to understand the Jewish community of New York, across all — and regardless of — levels of observance, religious belief, and belonging to Jewish communal organizations. This study relies on an expansive definition of who is a Jew by considering anyone who identifies as a member of the Jewish community as part of the community. Consequently, for the purposes of this study, a Jewish adult is defined as someone aged 18 and over who self-identifies as Jewish, either religiously, ethnically, culturally, or because of family background. A household is defined as a Jewish household if it includes one or more Jewish adults ages 18 and over.

Survey recipients were asked a pair of screening questions about each adult in their household before receiving the complete questionnaire:

  1. What is this person’s present religion, if any?
  2. Aside from religion, does this person consider themselves to be any of the following … in any way (for example, ethnically, culturally, or because of family background)?

Respondents were coded as Jewish households if at least one adult was “Jewish” under either screening question.

 

Full Methodology Report

For more details on the study design, including response rates and weighting procedures, see the comprehensive methodology report, available for download here.

Download the Comprehensive Methodology Report