Make Judaism matter
Communal leaders say writing 'Judaism' in the census religion question is vital to ensuring the Jewish community's size and needs are recognised.
Jewish communal leaders are urging community members to proudly identify their religion in the census and help ensure the Jewish community is accurately counted.
Census night will take place on Tuesday, August 11, with the national count providing a vital opportunity to reflect the size and needs of Australia’s Jewish population.
There is no “Judaism” or “Jewish” box, which is why when completing question 24 on religion, respondents have been urged to select “Other” and write “Judaism” in the space provided.
Some community members have expressed concerns about identifying their religion. Community leaders acknowledged those concerns but stressed that census information is protected by some of Australia’s strongest privacy and security laws.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) CEO Michele Goldman said, “Data security is taken very seriously and the highest grade of protection is used.”
She said an accurate count has real-world consequences for the community.
“Knowing the accurate size of the Jewish community helps governments and Jewish community organisations plan and fund services that support us all, including community programs, education, aged care, social support and other essential services.
“Every response helps ensure our community is represented.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-CEO Peter Wertheim also encouraged participation.
“We’ve been engaging with the ABS about census questions and the design of the census for a long time, together with our state roof bodies,” he said.
“The census has already started in a way, the letters have gone out and people are being invited to complete it, although the official night is August 11. Every response counts.”
Issues around the census were discussed during a national webinar on August 2, hosted by the ECAJ, the NSW JBD and other peak Jewish organisations. Representatives addressed questions from community members, including those relating to privacy, security and how to complete the census.
One commonly asked question relates to ancestry. Question 23 asks about ancestry, and because Jews are an ethnoreligious people, community members may answer “Jewish” to that question if they choose. The ancestry and religion questions appear next to each other on the census form.