Latino-Jewish Project

          
Rabbi Marc Schneier and Henry Cisneros delivering keynote addresses at the Latino-Jewish Leadership Summit

Landmark Survey In Latino-Jewish Relations

The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding under the leadership of Rabbi Marc Schneier released the findings of the first national survey on Latino-Jewish relations on Wednesday, March 7, 2001. This survey, conducted by Global Media Research Services, Inc., interviewed 500 Jewish and 500 Latino individuals from all across the nation.

The objective of this survey was to measure perceptions, misconceptions, attitudes, shared values and concerns in order to determine what prescriptions would be needed to strengthen relations. The results of this survey will provide a roadmap for Latinos and Jews to address areas of mutual cooperation and concern.

Survey reveals these commonalties:

• 75% of both communities consider it “very important” to work together to fight discrimination.
• 65% of Latinos felt that the Holocaust is not taught enough in schools.
• Both communities overwhelmingly support universal health care and stronger family values, as well as attend synagogue or church on a regular basis.

• 63.7% of Latinos and only 18.9% of Jews “strongly support” bilingual education.
• 40% of Jews do not support President Bush’s faith-based initiatives at all while 40% of Latinos either strongly support or support the initiative.
• 35.3% of Latinos believe there is anti-Semitism in the Latino community while 20.3% of Jews believe there is anti-Latino sentiments in the Jewish community.

To download this survey in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) Format. Please click on either link below.

Latino-Jewish Survey Executive Summary

A 20 page summary of the first ever survey in Latino-Jewish relations

Final Survey In Demographic Table Form

Complete data tables, which include demographic breakdowns for each question.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these documents.
To download the newest version please click on the link below

Latino-Jewish Leadership Summit

B'nai B'rith International, The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and the New American Alliance sponsored a groundbreaking conference between leaders of the Jewish and Latino communities in Washington D.C on March 4th and 5th, 2001. The Foundation For Ethnic Understanding partnered with these organizations to work toward establishing permanent and systematic relations between the two communities. Rabbi Marc Schneier joined Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of the Department of housing and Urban Development, and Congressman Silvestre Reyes, chairman of the  Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in delivering keynote addresses at the inaugural dinner.

Dina Siegel Vann, Latin Affairs Director of B'nai B'rith international commented "This relationship is particularly important because the Latino community is becoming increasingly influential as well as more numerous--and because it shares a number of core values with the Jewish community." In this spirit, the summit produced a joint declaration of principles, which called for fair presentation of Jews and Latinos in the media, strengthening of public education, support for the State of Israel, increased aid to Latin America, and economic empowerment in minority communities. As a result of this summit, The Foundation joined The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials and the National Association of Jewish Legislators in distributing our National Survey in Latino-Jewish relations to over 1000 local, state, and federal officials

Copyright © 2003 The Foundation For Ethnic Understanding
The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding was founded in 1989 by Rabbi Marc Schneier and the late Joseph Papp. We are committed to the belief that direct, face-to-face, dialogue between leaders of ethnic communities is the most effective path toward the reduction of bigotry and the promotion of reconciliation and understanding.

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Read Press Articles about the Latino-Jewish Summit and Survey

New York Jewish Week 3/09/01
Building Latino-Jewish Coalitions -- James D. Besser

Jewish Telegraph Agency 3/09/01: 
Jews, Latinos Seek to Build Common Agenda -- Sharon Sambler