The most comprehensive survey ever undertaken among the Jews of Western Pennsylvania, particularly the Pittsburgh district, ended this week. Initiated by the Pittsburgh Y. M. H. A. with the approval of leaders of some of the other Jewish agencies, the work, conducted for over a month by J. David Hauser and associates of New York, was to “determine the attitude of the Jewish community toward institutional and communal activities and community interests generally.” The result of the survey will soon be available.
The survey was citywide and more than 1,500 representative Jews of the community were interviewed by a corps of assistants who were directed by Miss Rose McCoy of New York, representing the concern that had contracted for the survey. Questionnaires containing 101 questions on Jewish and communal life and problems of Jewish interest, were answered by the persons interviewed.
Whether the synagogue is more important than it was 10 years ago, if a good Jew should attend services regularly, whether persecution of Jews affected them more than persecution of other people and scores of other queries were asked the Pittsburgh Jews who took a lively interest in the survey.
Whether the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Pittsburgh should join the Pittsburgh Welfare Fund, the latter an annual rally for support of charitable organizations other than Jewish in character, was one of the most controversial questions.
The menace of race hatred in America was noted in the questions submitted in the interviews. “Is race prejudice in America serious?” and “Have you personally ever been affected by anti-Jewish prejudice?” were among the questions. The interviews will be tabulated in New York and results will be made public.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
