Abstract:
Perhaps the most problematic aspect of the current situation is the limited use of research to answer the most fundamental and broadest questions facing the Jewish community. For example, how does Jewish identity relate to other aspects of the individual's sense of self, change over the lifespan, and manifest in behavior, organizational affiliation, and communal participation? What is needed is a commitment to developing a reservoir of knowledge that can serve as the foundation for policy development and assessment. Becoming a knowledge-driven community that embeds research--conceived of broadly as knowledge development--into policy making requires more than a commitment to collecting and using data: It is a process. In this section, we describe a three-step process: Asking (the right) questions, Answering questions (well), and Amalgamating and disseminating findings. As a shorthand, we refer to these as the three "A's" of knowledge creation and use. Article published in Journal of Jewish Communal Service (Winter/Spring 2013) 88(1/2): 120-127. Posted with permission of Journal of Jewish Communal Service.
