Yom Kippur Observance High Among Secular Israelis, New Study Finds
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
A new survey by the Israel Democracy Institute shows that 74% of Israeli Jews fast on Yom Kippur, with significant observance among secular and non-religious traditional populations. The study also found differences in fasting practices between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews, and that many Israelis attend synagogue only on Yom Kippur.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- 74% of Israeli Jews fast on Yom Kippur, including nearly half of secular Jews.
- Significant fasting observed among non-religious traditional Jews (90%).
- Mizrahi Jews fast more frequently than Ashkenazi Jews.
- 20% of secular Jews attend synagogue on Yom Kippur.
- Many Israelis attend synagogue only on Yom Kippur.
- The survey highlights Yom Kippur's unifying role in Israeli society.
A new survey by the Israel Democracy Institute reveals that Yom Kippur remains a unifying and significant day for Israeli society, even among those who do not identify as religious. The study found that 74% of Israeli Jews fast on Yom Kippur, with 63% observing a full fast and 11% a partial fast. Among the Haredi, Religious Zionist, and traditional-religious populations, full fast observance is as high as 97%-98%.
Notably, the survey highlights significant observance among secular and non-religious traditional Israelis. Nearly half of secular Israelis, 47%, fast on Yom Kippur, with 28% fasting fully and 19% partially. Among non-religious traditional Jews, 90% fast at least partially, with 77% observing a full fast.
The study also identified a notable difference in fasting practices between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews. 88% of Mizrahi Jews fast, 81% fully, compared to 64% of Ashkenazi Jews, 50.5% of whom fast fully. This disparity persists even when comparing individuals with the same level of religious identification; among secular Jews, 63% of Mizrahim fast fully or partially, versus 39% of Ashkenazim.
Beyond fasting, 57% of Israeli Jews participate in Yom Kippur prayers, with 51% attending Orthodox services and 6% Reform or Conservative services. Even among secular Israelis, 20% attend synagogue services on Yom Kippur. For many, Yom Kippur is the only day of the year they visit a synagogue, with 18% of all Israeli Jews attending services on this day, a figure that rises to 37% for non-religious traditional Jews and 16% for secular Jews. Approximately one-third of all Yom Kippur prayer attendees do not visit synagogues at other times of the year, a figure that jumps to 79% among secular attendees.
The survey, conducted by Dr. Ariel Finkelstein, Adv. Shlomit Ravitzky Tur-Paz, and Yaari Padan, involved 1,002 Jews aged 18 and over in July-August 2026, with a maximum margin of error of 3.1%.
Mentioned
