Study Finds Fewer Jews in New York City
The number of Jews living in New York City has dropped below 1 million for the first time in a century, a new study has found.
But the Jewish population of Greater New York, defined as the five boroughs of the city plus three suburban counties in New York state -- Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk -- has remained stable at 1.4 million, according to the study by the UJA-Federation of New York.
Similar studies have indicated that the Jewish population of Greater Los Angeles is about 600,000.
In New York City the Jewish population has dropped to 972,000, a 6% dip from the last count, taken in 1991.
At the same time, the number of Jewish households in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties has increased by 24%.
The study also found that the poverty level among New York Jews has more than doubled since 1991. One in five Jewish families is poor, according to the report.
Much of the increase in poverty resulted from an aging population and an influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.
The study was based on 4,533 telephone interviews conducted between March and September 2002.
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