History, Data on Jews in America Published by U.S. Census Bureau

Complete data on Jews in the United States is given in a 1,700-page report of the latest census of religious bodies in America, just published by the U.S. Government. The chapter on Jews, giving statistics on Jewish congregations, the number of Jews and their distribution, has been prepared by Dr. H.S. Linfield, director of the Statistical Bureau of the Synagogue Council.

The Government publication contains a brief history of the Jewish people in America, the teaching of Judaism and an illuminating account of the history, doctrine, organization and work of Jewish congregations. The significance of this volume is found in the fact that in this work the Government treats the Jewish group as an American religious body, one of the 256 bodies that make up the American nation. The volume represents a great force for the spread of truth, tolerance and the spirit of democracy.

In the course of the fight ## Jewish organizations in America conducted, against the introduction of a religion classification in government statistics, the question was often posed as to whether it was possible to know the number and the distribution of the Jews in America, except through a question on religion in the schedule of the United States population census. The answer of the Statistical Bureau of the Synagogue Council was in the affirmative and is now for the first time corroborated by the U.S. Census Bureau, thus helping the Government to keep its statistics free of religious or racial classifications.

In the preface to this work, the United States Census Bureau writes as follows: “The enumeration of the Jewish Congregations resulting in the most complete statistics ever obtained as to the number and distribution of persons of Jewish faith in the United States, was made through a special agent, Dr. H.S. Linfields.” This is the first time that the government has commented in this manner on private statistics of Jews.