Survey: Record number of Israeli Jews believe in God
First comprehensive study in a decade also shows that 70 percent of Israelis believe the Jews are the 'Chosen People.'
By Nir Hasson Tags: Jewish law Orthodox Jews Reform JewsSome 80 percent of Israeli Jews believe that God exists - the highest figure found by the Guttman-Avi Chai survey since this review of Israeli-Jewish beliefs began two decades ago.
The latest survey of the "Beliefs, Observance and Values among Israeli Jews" was conducted in 2009 but the results were released only on Thursday, after a detailed analysis had been completed. The two previous surveys were in 1999 and 1991.
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Israelis praying at Wailing Wall |
| Photo by: Daniel Bar-On |
The study also found that 70 percent of respondents believe the Jews are the "Chosen People," 65 percent believe the Torah and mitzvot (religious commandments ) are God-given, and 56 percent believe in life after death.
Overall, the survey found an increase in attachment to Jewish religion and tradition from 1999 to 2009, following a decrease from 1991 to 1999, which was the decade of mass immigration from the former Soviet Union. Among other things, it found that less than half of Israeli Jews think that, in a clash between Jewish law and democracy, democratic values should always prevail.
The study, conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute's Guttman Center for Surveys and the Avi Chai Foundation, is based on interviews with 2,803 Israeli Jews.
It found that only 46 percent of Israeli Jews now define themselves as secular, down from 52 percent in 1999, while 22 percent define themselves as either Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox, up from 16 percent in 1999. The remaining 32 percent term themselves traditional, virtually unchanged from 1999.
This change in self-identification was also reflected in the proportion of those subscribing to traditional Jewish beliefs. For instance, 55 percent said they believe in the coming of the Messiah, up from 45 percent in 1999 but similar to 53 percent in 1991, while 37 percent said that "a Jew who does not observe the religious precepts endangers the entire Jewish people," up from 30 percent in 1999 but again similar to the 1991 figure of 35 percent.
The study's authors cited two reasons for the rise in religiosity. One is that immigrants from the former Soviet Union, who contributed to the drop in religiosity from 1991 to 1999, have now assimilated into Israeli society. Various studies have found that this process of assimilation has resulted in Soviet immigrants becoming more traditional. The second reason is the demographic change caused by the higher Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox birthrates.
The survey found that, even when individuals were asked about how their own attitudes had changed over the previous decade, the number of those that said they felt more religious and were more careful about observing the Sabbath and kashrut was higher than the number of those who said they had become more secular.
The rise in religiosity was also reflected in attitudes toward other issues. For instance, only 44 percent said that if Jewish law and democratic values clashed, the latter should always be preferred, while 20 percent said Jewish law should always be preferred and 36 percent said "sometimes one and sometimes the other."
The study also found an upswing in religious practice. For instance, 85 percent of respondents said that "celebrating the Jewish holidays as prescribed by religious tradition" was "important" or "very important," up from 63 percent in 1999, while 70 percent said they "always" or "frequently" refrained from eating hametz (leavened bread ) on Passover, up from 67 percent in 1999.
Fully 61 percent of respondents said the state should "ensure that public life is conducted according to Jewish religious tradition," up dramatically from 44 percent in 1991. But respondents also insisted on preserving their freedom of choice. For instance, between 58 and 68 percent said that shopping centers, public transportation, sporting events, cafes, restaurants and movie theaters should be allowed to operate on Shabbat (exact figures ranged from 58 percent for shopping centers to 68 percent for cafes, restaurants and movie theaters ).
Moreover, 51 percent responded "yes," "absolutely yes" or "perhaps yes" when asked if they favored the introduction of civil marriage in Israel. Those in the first two categories, at 48 percent, were down from 54 percent in 1999 but up from 39 percent in 1991.
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There is no place like home!!!
The term "chosen people" looks for me, as if it implies some superiority by those ones above all other people, and for me, as a German, that sound disturbingly familiar with our not so distant past.
I always took pride in the extremely secular nature of Israeli society and its original foundations. Unfortunately that seems to be changing and I fear it will not bode well for the future of the delicate state.
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This is a common held belief by many and the same in Israel. Jews in Israel are becoming more religious and traditional. This is a continuing trend, I do not think this is a bad thing as long as people do not impose their beliefs on others.
a compromising peace agreement with the Palestinians is possible when 46% are identified secular, 32% are identified traditional and 22% are identified as Orthodox. It's peculiar that the survey didn't specifically question relinquishing parts of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem towards a neighbouring Palestinian state for peace? Or is that another survey?
continue to support Israel whose people believe more in their religion than democracy? Oh, yes.....Israel is NOT a democracy, for it puts one race/religion ahead of all other people. As a prominent Jew recently, "Zionism has run its course."
Obviously when you are told from childhood you are part of the chosen people. Chosen by who? By god, naturally a jewish one. :-D
just get it straight that god is not Jewish . . . just god. And that is a god of not just Jews but all the universe. Ludmila don't be a child sitting at the bottom of a well looking up at the little tiny opening way up at the top of the well. chosen just means chosen by god in the Hebrew bible to be revealed to Jews within Jewish history, and to be revealed to all men. For Jews to bear witness to him, and from this also came Christianity and Islam. Don't be foolish. It's not hard to understand.
And their father Ibraham PBUH are the chosen ones. We the decendants of our forefathers, Jews,Muslims and Chritstians alike, are a disgrace to them.we choose to believe in God, Allah, Jesus, but then we chose to ignore some,if not all of his commandments.
Absolutely so
well that's the point of a narrow minded, bigoted, secular, left wing elitist. Doesn't mean your entirely wrong, but neither entirely right. Why don't you look into it in a less biased more objective fashion. Maybe you'll lean something.from the morons.
that's what the coiuntry looks like...HE will clear the garbage, take care of nature and environment (to name just a few of the things he'll do) and HE''ll make the goyim pay for it.
The " chosen people " , no more and no less .
And here's what I can't ever get, no matter how it is explained to me: if Judaism is a religion and those who belong to it are Jews, how can Jews not believe in god? Doesn't it stand to reason that all Jews believe in god otherwise they can't be jews? Duh! Now, I've never heard of a Baptist or a Catholic or a Mormon who didn't believe in god. Only here!
I am delighted to see that the percentage is so high.
Excellent news!!!
Arabs believed that G-D was the most important issue of the Holy Land while Israeli Jews believed it was the last important issue. Much good can come from Jews, Muslims and Christians who can agree with the importance of G-D.
It is stunning to this old Jew to learn of the great similarity of Israel to the officially Islamic states (a minority of the Arab states). And, could someone explain to me the philosophical and moral differences, if any, between the concept of the God's chosen people and the concept of the master race?
What were the Jews chosen to do? Christians believe the people were chosen to produce the Messiah and to hold the record of G-D's deeds among these people. A master race is built upon the idea of an ideal or super man who is better than the rest. The Jews are no better than anyone else, Jews are just blessed for keeping the records and following them. The long lived Rebbe are a testamony to this whereas those Jews who reject the Torah in favor of pleasure don't last any longer than anyone else.
YES, YES , YOU ARE GOD CHOSEN PEOPLE!!!!!!! Rebuild JERUSALEM CITY, it is yours!!! East Jerusalem is yours , rebuild it. God bless Israel!!!! - Do not be afraid , israel is protected by God, --
No you are wrong read your bible.
Black people are the original Jews. Everyone else are the New
Jews are the original blacks! Look it up wise guy. Really most of us are in some way Jews. There is some universality in it if you look for it.
No question in my mind that the Jews are the chosen people. Chosen for what?
and soon it will be 100% believing in God. The temple will be rebuilt and the Lord will return his eye on the Zion. And everybody will see it with their own eyes. Then there will be no more threats and all people will live in security and rest. But to achieve that, Jews must return to morals and their own law. Then the Lord will return to Jews. It has already started, it will rain justice and peace in Israel!
the "chosen people" wouldn't have got owned so many times throughout history in just about every way imagineable...
Jews got "owned" so many times in history because historically and culturally they held so many of the really revolutionary "dangerous" ideas that they got from their interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. Many of these ideas are embodied in the American Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Look into it and you'll see this is so. Be thankful Tommy that the Jews carried these ideas in the world and paid such a dear price. If not maybe you'd still be worshiping rocks and eating your neighbors body parts.
You got no temple and no Messiah. He came by a while back but you still choose to ignore him.
Chosen to do what? As the prophet Yeshayahu said " We are a light to the nations". We are a light to the nations only when we burn with the fire of TRUTH, not simply because of who we are but how we act.
What if everyone treated their neighbor with love instead of hate? Our world would be a different place and Heaven will reach maximum capacity. We can start today on the world being a different place though and leave it up to G-d for the rest.
Great point, and that is why sometimes some Jews have asked, "why the heck didn't he chose someone else!" It hard to burn with the fire of truth and it illuminates you as a target for all the dark forces.
people are drowning they cling to straws
The Jews are not the chosen people but God was the chosen God, who accepted this Jewish offer (as the Jews say). Thank you.
chosen people for what?
You don't have to be chosen in order to love your neighbor. G-d first and neighbor second. The second can only happen if you do the first, IMO.
Most Israelis believe it's ok to theive land, go figure.
I doubt if 70% of American Jews believe they are 'the chosen people.' Israel, I could see.
The Jews of Israel know there will never be another exile.
If the Deity exists, then by definition there is no-one above him, and therefore he is a hard-line atheist. If he is good, he would not want you thinking any differently than he thinks himself.
The chosen people.... By whom? Is recommended the lecture of: "The Angel of Death" by Ernesto Sabatom that offers some interesting alternatives.
That is the problem that 70% of Jews have. . . Some sort of superiority belief. Mauri ora - Good health
And, the other 30%, are they descended from Dathan who wanted to lead the Hebrews back into slavery in Egypt? I can unserstand that out here amongst the Goiim there is a significant number of people who don't believe in YHWH-God. But, why would anybody who wants to be counted as Jewish consider any other god? Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord thy God is one God!