Yom Kippur Survey: 63% of Israeli Jews Fast, 57% Attend Services

A new survey by the Israel Democracy Institute reveals that 63% of Jewish Israelis fully fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This includes 28% of secular individuals and 77% of those identifying as traditional but not religious. An additional 11% reported fasting partially, either for part of the day or in some years. Among secular respondents, 19% observed a partial fast, while 13% of traditional non-religious individuals did so.

Participation in Yom Kippur prayers is high, with 57% of Jewish Israelis attending services. Of these, 51% pray in an Orthodox community, while 6% attend Reform or Conservative services. Prayer attendance is significantly higher among religious and traditional groups, with 90% of religiously traditional individuals and 67% of secularly traditional individuals participating. Even among secular Jews, 20% attend Yom Kippur prayers, with 7% of them in non-Orthodox congregations.

The survey also highlighted that for 18% of Jewish Israelis, their Yom Kippur synagogue visit is their only one of the entire year. This is particularly noted among secularly traditional individuals (37%), religiously traditional individuals (21%), and secular individuals (16%).

Differences in prayer attendance were observed between men and women, especially within traditional communities. In the secularly traditional group, 76% of men attend prayers compared to 56% of women. Regarding ethnic background, 68% of those of Mizrahi (Middle Eastern/North African) descent attend prayers, compared to 50% of Ashkenazi (European) descent and 51% of those with mixed heritage.

Overall, women, particularly younger women, tend to fast slightly less than men, which researchers attribute to potential health concerns, especially for pregnant or nursing women. The survey, conducted by Ariel Finklestein, Shlomit Ravitzky Tur-Paz, and Yaari Padan, involved 1,002 Jewish Israelis aged 18 and above, representing a cross-section of Israeli Jewish society.