A striking 74% of Israeli Jews fast on Yom Kippur, according to new survey data from the Israeli Democracy Institute, with observance cutting across religious boundaries in ways that challenge conventional assumptions about Israeli society.
The most notable finding concerns secular Israelis: 47% observe the Yom Kippur fast at least partially. Of these, 28% fast completely and another 19% fast partially. Among traditional non-religious Jews, the rate climbs to 90%, with 77% fasting fully.
The survey reveals a significant gap between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews. Among Mizrahim, 88% fast on Yom Kippur, 81% completely, compared to 64% of Ashkenazim, of whom 50.5% fast fully. This divide persists even when comparing Jews of the same religious self-definition: among secular Jews, 63% of Mizrahim fast versus only 39% of Ashkenazim.
Beyond fasting, a majority of Israeli Jews, 57%, attend prayer services on Yom Kippur. Of these, 51% participate in Orthodox services and 6% in Reform or Conservative services. Among traditional religious Jews, attendance reaches 90%; among traditional non-religious Jews, 67%; and even among secular Jews, one in five (20%) attends Yom Kippur prayers.
Perhaps most revealing: 18% of all Israeli Jews attend Yom Kippur services despite not attending synagogue prayers during the rest of the year. This figure rises to 37% among traditional non-religious Jews and 16% among secular Jews. In other words, 32% of all Yom Kippur worshippers don't regularly attend synagogue throughout the year. Among secular Jews who do come to Yom Kippur services, 79% fall into this category.
