Soviet Jewish immigrants living in 14 American cities will soon be asked to participate in a National Research Study sponsored by the Council of Jewish Federations (CJF), it was announced here today. Directed by Professors Rita and Julian Simon of the University of Illinois, the study will give, these new Americans the opportunity to assist the Jewish community is assessing the progress of its resettlement efforts.
Covering many aspects of the emigre experience, the study will concentrate on soci-economic adjustment, and integration into American society and the American Jewish community. The project is supervised by the CJF Soviet Jewish Resettlement Committee, chaired by Bernard Manekin of Baltimore, and is financed by a grant from the Federal Government, the announcement said.
Over the next several months, 700 interviews of emigres who arrived since 1972 will be conducted in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston, San Francisco Milwaukee, Houston, Kansas City, Rochester, Atlanta, Columbus and Worcester, the CJF said.
Each 90-minuted interview will gather information on the entire family, relating education, training and employment in the Soviet Union with current vocational, social, educational and personal adjustment. Data will also be gathered on Jewish identity and involvement in Jewish communal activities. Identities of those taking part in the study will be strictly confidential.
Since 1972, 230,540 Jews have left the Soviet Union, the CJF reported. From Oct. 1, 1978 to Sept. 30, 1980, over 46,000 settled in the United States, where a comprehensive resettlement program has been implemented with the assistance of $46.7 million from the Federal Block Grant.
Through this nationwide effort, Jewish emigres from the Soviet Union have been received Financial vocational training, health services and personal counseling in multi-faceted programs coordinated by local Federations. CJF has administered the matching grant on the national level.
According to the CJF, the Jewish community’s resettlement program for Soviet Jews has served as a model for the absorption into American society of other immigrant groups. The national research study will provide additional information about the adjustment and achievements of those who have chosen to build new lives in America, the announcement said.
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