Synagogue 3000’s Synagogue Studies Institute in collaboration with the Berman Jewish Policy Archive and North American Jewish Data Bank is proud to release the report, Conservative & Reform Congregations in the United States: The FACT-Synagogue 3000 Survey, 2010

Many have already seen Reform and Conservative Congregations: Different Strengths, Different Challenges. This is the full survey data that informed the first report.

Contrary to the impression that denomination no longer matters, this research underscores the many ways in which Conservative and Reform congregations differ. Those difference include:

• average size – there are more large Reform congregations
• location – more Conservative congregations are in the northeast
• worship attendance – per capita, Conservative congregations report higher attendance and religious practice
• worship variety – Reform congregations report more variety, music, and excitement
• plus information on empty sanctuaries, morale, and finances

The report confirms that U.S. Jewish congregational life is showing signs of stagnation, with few young adults, many older members and more than adequate sanctuary space. The survey, which included responses from leaders in 1,215 synagogues, offers the most comprehensive view of Reform and Conservative movement congregations to date. Conducted by sociologist Steven M. Cohen for the Synagogue Studies Institute of Synagogue 3000, the survey is part of the larger Faith Communities Today (FACT), a national data set of American religious congregations.

Synagogue 3000 is the Jewish research voice in the Cooperative Congregations Studies Partnership, which conducts the semiannual Faith Communities Today (FACT) study, the largest survey of American congregations.In the 2010 FACT survey, S3K did its own oversample of American synagogues. While much has been said about synagogue shrinkage, until now these statements were anecdotal.

Download the full report at http://synagogue3000.org/sites/default/files/Findings from FACTSurvey.pdf