Greater Boston's Jewish population grew by almost 20 percent over the last decade, spurred significantly by more children of intermarried couples being raised Jewish, according to a study published this month.The study, conducted by the University's Steinhardt Social Research Institute and Combined Jewish Philanthropies, a fundraising group for Boston's Jewish Community, found that there were 105,500 Jewish households in the Boston area in 2005. A 1995 study conducted by CJP found 86,000 households in the same area.

"We don't yet know how significant the rise is, but it will be important," said Prof. Leonard Saxe (Heller), the director of the Steinhardt Institute who headed the study.

About 210,000 people, or 7.2 percent of the Boston-area population, are Jewish, four times the national percentage, according to the study. 60 percent of children born to intermarried couples in the area are raised Jewish, the study found.

Professor Steven Cohen, a researcher of Jewish social policy at Hebrew Union College in New York, said that contrary to the survey's results, intermarriage is responsible for an ongoing decline in the Jewish population nationwide.

"There is a significant shrink of the Jewish population under the age of 18, especially among non-Orthodox Jews. Intermarriage is responsible for that decline."

Prof. Sylvia Fishman (NEJS), who worked on the study, attributed the population increase to the Jewish community's strong commitment to education.

"Boston puts lots of effort into education in a wide range of programs, from childhood to adult education," Fishman said. She emphasized that Jews are attracted to the "vigorous, interesting, and compelling courses" offered in the area, including those at day schools and synagogues.

Prof. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS), a renowned scholar of American Judaism and author of The Jews of Boston, said it makes sense that many intermarried households are raising Jewish children as the religious responsibility falls on the mother.

"In American society, religious life as a whole is the women's domain," he said.

Sarna also said although the study discussed intermarriage, it didn't show whether children who are products of intermarriage in Boston are more likely to intermarry themselves.

"This would give further insight to what the future of Judaism holds," Sarna said.

Sarna also wondered if children of intermarried couples were less observant. "If that is the case, then the situation is not nearly as optimistic as the case makes it seem."

The growth cannot be entirely attributed to any set of factors, and there are some lingering doubts about the validity of the study, which garnered its information on intermarriage trends largely through telephone surveys.

CJP has performed the survey every 10 years since 1965.

Saxe, the director of the Steinhardt Institute, said the implications of the study reach beyond statistics.

"I'm not really interested in population numbers as much as the understanding of relationships and what is behind the numbers," he said. "With this report we are only beginning to understand the Boston Jewish community.