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< Q18.1.5 | TOC | Q18.2.1 > |
According to the 1993-1994 yearbook of the Union for Reform Judaism, there are 853 member congregations, with a total "member unit" membership of 302,193 member units. The term "member units" refers to the unit that joins a synagogue: a family, a single individual, a gay couple. There are also numerous congregations that are Reform but are not affiliated with URJ. Some of these are quite large (such as Steven S. Wise Congregation in Los Angeles, with over 2,000 member units). The breakdown, according to the yearbook, is as follows:
Region Congregations Members Canada 22 8,252 Great Lakes 57 22,785 Mid Atlantic 62 20,289 Midwest 65 23,401 New Jersey/W. Hudson 58 20,829 New York 94 36,122 Northeast 78 26,605 Northeast Lakes 69 23,660 Northern California 40 15,137 Pacific Northwest 18 5,002 Pacific Southwest 73 32,257 Pennsylvania 55 19,721 Southeast 85 28,397 Southwest 77 19,736 TOTAL 853 302,193
To give an idea of trends, in 1982-1983, the congregational membership was 269,406--that's 12% growth over ten years. There were 773 member congregations in 1982-1983, giving 10% growth in the number of Reform congregations.
The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.
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© (c) 1993-2004 Daniel P. Faigin <maintainer@scjfaq.org>