Poll Shows 74% of Israelis Fast for Yom Kippur, 57% Attend Services
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
A poll by the Israel Democracy Institute indicates that 74% of Israeli Jews fast for Yom Kippur, with varying levels of observance across religious and ethnic groups. Additionally, 57% of Israeli Jews attend synagogue services on the Day of Atonement, with many secular and traditional individuals attending only on this holiday.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- 74% of Israeli Jews fast for Yom Kippur, with 63% fasting completely.
- 57% of Israeli Jews attend synagogue services on Yom Kippur.
- Significant fasting and prayer attendance among religious and traditional groups.
- Demographic differences observed in fasting rates between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews.
- Many secular and traditional individuals attend synagogue only for Yom Kippur.
A new poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute reveals that 74% of Israeli Jews observe the Yom Kippur fast, with 63% fasting completely and 11% fasting partially. Among the Haredi, National Religious, and Religious Traditionalist communities, full fasting rates reach 97%-98%. For the Non-Religious Traditionalist group, 90% fast, 77% of whom do so fully. In the secular population, 47% fast at least partially, with 28% fasting fully and an additional 19% fasting partially.
The study also highlights demographic disparities, showing that 88% of Israelis of Mizrahi descent fast for Yom Kippur (81% fully), compared to 64% of Ashkenazi descent (50.5% fully). This difference persists even within the same religious self-definition. Among secular individuals, 63% of Mizrahi descent fast, versus 39% of secular Ashkenazi descent.
Regarding religious observance, 57% of all Israeli Jews attend synagogue services on Yom Kippur. Of these, 51% attend Orthodox services, while 6% attend Reform or Conservative services. Among the Religious Traditionalist population, 90% attend holiday prayers, and 67% of Non-Religious Traditionalists do so. Within the secular community, 20% attend a prayer service.
For a significant portion of the population, Yom Kippur represents their sole annual visit to a synagogue. Eighteen percent of all Jews in Israel attend holiday prayers without visiting synagogues at other times of the year. This figure rises to 37% among Non-Religious Traditionalists and 16% among secular individuals. Overall, 32% of all Yom Kippur service attendees do not visit a synagogue during the rest of the year, a figure that reaches 79% among secular attendees.
