An overwhelming majority of New Jersey's likely Jewish voters believes gays and lesbians are entitled to marriages legally recognized by the state, according to a new survey.

In polling by Zogby International, nearly seven out of 10 Jews surveyed by telephone said they agree that gay people in the state should be allowed to marry.

With 69 percent of the Jews polled favoring the idea, and 28 percent opposing it, New Jersey's Jewish community is statistically more supportive of gay marriage than other religious groups surveyed.

To Steven Goldstein, a spokesperson for two gay rights support groups - Lambda Legal and Parents of Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) - the results of the survey "reflect the strong commitment of NJ's Jewish community to a fundamental civil rights issue."

Overall, 55 percent of the state's likely voters answered "agree" to the question: "Do you agree or disagree that gay couples should be allowed to marry?" while forty-one percent said, "disagree."

Catholics agree with the concept of gay marriage 57 to 39 percent. Protestants oppose it, 41 percent in favor, 54 against.

Of the 803 people polled, only eight were Muslims. Of those, six said they approve of state-sanctioned gay marriage. But Duncan McCully, Zogby International's director of research, said the low number of Muslim respondents makes their views "statistically insignificant."

Neither McCully nor any participants in a wide-ranging conference call to New Jersey media would speculate on the reasons behind the disparate religious views on same-sex marriage.

Nationally, the Reform movement, the most liberal and by some measures the largest Jewish denomination, has endorsed same-sex unions and opposed legislation that would prohibit courts from extending marriage rights to same-sex couples. Orthodox groups such as the Orthodox Union and Agudath Israel of America are opposed to same-sex unions, saying they are a violation of Jewish law and the Constitution.

Spokespersons for the NJ Lesbian and Gay Coalition, as well as Lambda Legal, and PFLAG, said the poll's findings increase the chances for success in upcoming legislative and judicial battles.

"We are deeply gratified to know that public opinion is on our side," said Michael Adams, Lambda Legal's director of public affairs. His organization currently represents seven homosexual couples involved in a test case against New Jersey. They argue the lack of state sanction for their unions is a denial of their constitutional rights.

As it awaits a decision this fall from a trial judge in Trenton, the Lesbian and Gay Coalition continues lobbying for a law permitting civil unions. The bill stops short of legalizing gay marriage but would extend insurance and tax benefits to domestic partners who are not married.

"It is an election year," noted Laura Pople, the coalition's president. "The politicians will look at these numbers and see that a majority recognize equality for same-sex couples."

The Zogby survey shows that close to 59 percent of whites, 69 percent of Latinos, and 68 percent of Democrats back the idea, although other results appeared problematic for supporters of gay unions.

Nearly 52 percent of the African-Americans included in the survey, 55 percent of the Asians, and 53 percent of the Republicans polled oppose the concept of same-sex marriage.

But in a related question, some 61 percent of African-Americans, 65 percent of Asians, and 52 percent of Republicans say they believe the state of New Jersey should abandon its court challenge to the gay couples suing for the right to marry "and use the resources to focus on other matters, like the economy."

"Clearly, I would prefer that everyone supported the idea of same-sex marriage," said Pople. "They may have negative attitudes" toward homosexuality, "but there are levels of concern. They may also be strongly against the state using its funds to deny a basic civil rights to some members of our society."

To Clarsse Zieja, president of the Bergen County PFLAG chapter, the NJ poll results speak to needs that go beyond the legal and political.

"Like all fair-minded people, we want to see the rights of our children protected. We want to be able to dance at their weddings some day."

Zogby's findings among likely NJ voters stand in sharp contrast to results of a nationwide poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, conducted in late June and early July. Its basic numbers showed 53 percent of respondents oppose gay marriage, 38 percent support the notion.

Pew's previous national poll, taken in 1996, showed 65 percent opposed to gay marriage, 27 percent in favor.

Robert Wiener can be reached at .