October 7 and the Israel-Hamas war made some secular and secular-traditional Jews feel closer to Diaspora Jewry, the August 2024, Jewish People Policy Institute’s Israeli Society Index poll found.
Some 17% and 21% of secular and secular-traditional Jews in Israel respectively said that they were brought closer to diaspora Jews by “the events of October 7 and the war.”
Poll participants defined themselves from among a number of options, including secular, secular-traditional and traditional, the JPPI explained, focusing the report on those who said they were secular or secular-traditional.
Some 76% of secular and 71% of secular-traditional Jews said that there was no effect on their degree of closeness to Diaspora Jewry, and 5% of secular and 6% of secular-traditional Jews said that they were distanced from diaspora Jews.
The JPPI also asked respondents about the impact of October 7 on their Judaism, finding that while nearly a fifth of secular Jews reported feeling distanced from Judaism, almost one quarter of traditional Jews reported that October 7 brought them closer to Judaism.
This was also somewhat reflected in reports of changed behavior regarding Jewish practice.
Some 72% of secular Jews reported that October 7 did not affect their degree of closeness to Judaism, 9% said it brought them closer, and 17% said it distanced them.
When it came to practice, when asked if since October 7, they had added or reduced “activities related to Jewish tradition” in their lives, some 3% of secular Jews added, 7% reduced, and 86% did not change.
Looking at secular-traditional Jews’ responses, 64% said that October 7 did not affect their degree of closeness to Judaism; 24% said it brought them closer, and 10% said it distanced them.
When it came to the impact on their practice, 13% of secular-traditional Jews said that they added Jewish activities, 5% reduced, and 77% did not change.
Centrist results
A similar effect was seen over centrist political lines, and while 17% of Yesh Atid voters said that October 7 distanced them from Judaism compared to 8% who said it brought them closer; some 21% of National Unity voters said that the events brought them closer while 9% said it distanced them.
The report also focused on the opinions and attitudes of secular Israeli Jews to Judaism.
When looking at the importance to secular Jews that their children are Jewish, the JPPI found that this was very important to 23%, important to 35%, somewhat important to 23% and not at all important to 12%.
When asking secular-traditional Jews the same question, 66% responded that this was very important, 26% said it was important, 26% said it was somewhat important, and 1% said it was not important.
The poll also found that the majority of both secular and secular-traditional Jews said that in order to be a “good Jew” one must serve in the IDF.
When asked how much they agree with the statement that “in order to be a good Jew you have to serve in the IDF,” 45% of secular Jews, said that they agree to a very large extent, and 28% agreed to a large extent.
Among secular-traditional Jews, 52% agreed to a very large extent and 29% agreed to a large extent.
Overall, the report showed that “a large majority of secular Israeli Jews, who comprise 45% of the Israeli Jewish population, are reaffirming their Jewish identity in the face of recent events,” said the JPPI.
“When asked to rate their sense of Jewishness on a scale from 1 to 10, the average response was a striking 8.5,” the institute added.
The poll was complete among 1345 respondents, with 960 self-identified as “totally secular,” or “secular traditional.”
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