Both Jewish religious leaders and laymen, including the unaffiliated, have urged embarking on this undertaking in the area of Jewish religious affiliation. The problem area under consideration deals with "DIFFERENTIATING FEATURES OF ORTHODOX, CONSERVATIVE, AND REFORM JEWISH GROUPS IN METROPOLITAN PHILADELPHIA." The literature and empirical evidence voice a need and a desire for a clearer picture of Jewish religious movements. All parties confess to a muddled picture fraught with distortions, over-simplifications, and unsubstantiated generalizations as to the population characteristics and differentiating features of each movement.