‘We need to be counted’
AUSTRALIAN Jews are being urged to tick the “Jewish” box in the upcoming census to ensure the most accurate count of the community.
AUSTRALIAN Jews are being urged to tick the “Jewish” box in the upcoming census to ensure the most accurate count of the community.
Though it is not compulsory to answer the questions about faith, Paul Lowe, head of the Australian Bureau of Statistic’s population census program, said the data was crucial in helping state and federal governments plan ahead for community funding.
It also enabled Jewish organisations to be better prepared when providing for services such as aged care and education, he said.
The census is conducted every five years, with the next one due on August 9.
In the past, the census has failed to collect accurate data on the Jewish population because a significant portion of the community are believed to opt out of the faith questions – either because they are Holocaust survivors who are concerned about being identified, are secular and choose not to identify, or are living overseas.
According to the 2006 census, Australia’s Jewish population numbered about 89,000. However, some demographers estimate it could be as high as 120,000.
“One of our focuses is really to improve our coverage right across the country and in smaller population groups [including the Jewish community],” Lowe told The AJN. “We do know that in these groups, we do have a higher undercount in the census. Our aim is to use people within the community to help us and get the message out.”
He said organisers were already working closely with Jewish leaders – including rabbis and the NSW Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA) – to raise awareness.
It was also recruiting more census collectors who spoke languages other than English, including Russian, to get a more accurate reading of Australia’s diverse linguistic make-up.
“Nearly 25 per cent of Australians are born overseas. It’s important that we get an accurate snapshot of the nation, and the diversity that we have,” Lowe said.
Dr Mervyn Cass, acting president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, has also stressed the importance of the census data and urged members of the community to fill out the form.
“It is only through the provision of detailed information regarding family members, work and religion that we can accurately plan for the current and future needs of the Jewish community,” he said. “The census is a critical source of data used by the government, council, community and support organisations across a five year period. Please help all members of your family to participate fully.”
NSW JCA president Peter Philippsohn concurred, saying the organisation would be fronting an awareness campaign, including advertising in schools and synagogues, to urge Jews to fill out the form.
“We need to be counted … [so] we can focus the community’s efforts in the right direction,” he said. “When we retrieve and share the data gained, we are able to plan long term for our communal needs and can anticipate trends in aged care and school enrollment figures. We are also able to assess how many people in our community are in need of help and can put interventions in place to assist. Be proud of being Jewish and tick the box.”
The census will be conducted on August 9 throughout Australia.
CHANTAL ABITBOL
comments