Majority of Israeli Jews Fast on Yom Kippur, Survey Finds

A new survey by the Israel Democracy Institute reveals that nearly three-quarters of Israeli Jews observe the Yom Kippur fast. Specifically, 63% of respondents reported fasting completely, while 11% fasted partially. The observance is nearly universal among the ultra-Orthodox, religious Zionist, and observant traditionalist communities, with fasting rates between 97% and 98%. Among those identifying as traditional but not religious, 90% fast at least partially, including 77% who fast the entire day.

The fast is also observed by a significant portion of secular Israelis, with nearly half (47%) fasting at least partially, including 28% who fast completely and 19% partially. The study also highlighted demographic differences, showing that 88% of Mizrahi Jews fast compared to 64% of Ashkenazi Jews. This disparity persists among secular individuals, with 63% of secular Mizrahi Jews fasting versus 39% of secular Ashkenazi Jews.

Overall, 57% of Israeli Jews attend Yom Kippur prayers, with 51% attending Orthodox services and 6% attending Reform or Masorti synagogues. One in five secular Israelis also attends synagogue on Yom Kippur. For a substantial segment of the population, Yom Kippur represents their only visit to a place of worship annually. The survey found that 18% of Israeli Jews attend Yom Kippur services without attending synagogue at any other time of the year. Among those attending Yom Kippur services, 32% never attend synagogue during the rest of the year, a figure that rises to 79% among secular attendees.