Yom Kippur Fasting and Prayer Habits Revealed in Israeli Survey

A recent survey by the Israel Democracy Institute, conducted ahead of Yom Kippur, reveals diverse approaches to the Day of Atonement among Israeli Jews. While 63% of Jewish Israelis observe a complete fast, this practice varies significantly across secular and traditional segments of the population. Among secular Israelis, only 28% fast completely, compared to 77% of those who identify as traditional but not religious. An additional 11% reported partial fasting, either for part of the day or not every year. In contrast, adherence to a full fast is nearly universal among the ultra-Orthodox (97-98%) and religious communities.

The survey also highlighted differing levels of engagement with prayer services. Overall, 57% of Jewish Israelis participate in Yom Kippur prayers, with the majority attending Orthodox services. Among specific groups, 90% of religious traditionalists, 67% of non-religious traditionalists, and only 20% of secular Israelis attend prayers. Notably, one in five Jewish Israelis, particularly those who are non-religious but follow traditions, attend synagogue only on Yom Kippur.

Differences were also observed between men and women, especially among non-religious traditionalists, where 76% of men pray compared to 56% of women. The survey, which included 1002 men and women over 18, also indicated that women, particularly younger ones, tend to fast less strictly than men, a trend researchers attribute partly to medical reasons such as pregnancy and breastfeeding. The research was conducted by Ariel Finkelstein, Shlomit Ravitzky-Tur-Paz, and Yaari Padan from the Israel Democracy Institute, with assistance from the Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research.