How Religious are Israeli Jews?

Publication Date: January 1996

Publisher: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Author(s): Daniel J. Elazar

Research Area: Culture and religion

Keywords: Israeli Jews; Ritual Observance; Religious Denominations; Survey

Type: Other

Coverage: Israel

Abstract:

The author bases his analysis on a survey conducted by the Guttman Institute of Applied Social Research in 1993 and seeks to understand the level of religious observance and belief of Israeli Jews. He argues that while it is generally assumed that Israeli Jews are divided into two groups--the overwhelmingly secular majority and the small religious minority--there are rather four distinct groups: ultra-Orthodox, religious Zionists, traditional Jews, and secular. The author concludes that most Israelis observe far more than the average Reform or Conservative Jew in the Diaspora.