Among Those Who Rarely Or Never Attend Synagogue, What Keeps Them away?
The survey asked Jews who attend religious services a few times a year or less (including those who never attend) whether each of a number of possible factors is a reason why they do not go more often.
Respondents could select multiple reasons, indicating all that apply to them.
The most common answer was “I’m not religious,” which two-thirds (incl.
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Holidays and Milestones
Six-in-ten U.S.
Jews say they held or participated in a Seder in the year prior to the survey, and a similar share say they attended a ritual to mark a lifecycle passage or milestone, such as a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah.
Somewhat fewer (46%) say they fasted all or part of Yom Kippur.
Respondents who are Jewish by religion are far more inclined tha.
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Jewish Political Expression
Three-in-ten Jews say they often or sometimes engage in political activism as an expression of their Jewishness.
This is especially common among those who identify with Conservative Judaism (45%).
Engaging in political activism as an expression of Jewishness is about equally as common among Jews who identify with or lean toward the Republican Party.
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Keeping Kosher
Fewer than one-in-five U.S.
Jews (17%) say they keep kosher in their home, including 14% who say they separate meat and dairy and 3% who say they are vegetarian or vegan.
Keeping kosher is nearly ubiquitous in Orthodox homes: Fully 95% of Orthodox Jews in the survey say they keep kosher.
About one-quarter of Conservative Jews (24%) say they keep ko.
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Ownership of Jewish Items
Eight-in-ten U.S.
Jews say they own a menorah, a candelabra used to mark the eight days of Hanukkah.
Nearly two-thirds own a mezuzah, which is a parchment containing scripture passages typically affixed to the doorposts in Jewish homes.
Six-in-ten U.S.
Jews say they own a Hebrew-language siddur (Jewish prayer book), and 56% say they have a Seder pl.
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Participation in Chabad
Overall, 16% of U.S.
Jewish adults say they often or sometimes participate in activities or services with Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish movement and organization that offers programs and services to Jews throughout the U.S. and the world.
This includes 5% who say they “often” do this and 12% who “sometimes” participate in Chabad activities.
One-in-fiv.
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Synagogue Attendance and Membership
One-in-five U.S.
Jews say they attend services at a synagogue, temple, minyan or havurah at least once or twice a month, including 12% who go weekly or more often.
One-quarter (27%) say they attend a few times a year, such as for High Holidays.
And half of U.S.
Jews (including roughly nine-in-ten Jews of no religion) say they seldom or never attend.
Israeli Jewish right-wing militant group
The Jewish Underground, or in abbreviated form, simply makhteret, was a radical right-wing organization considered terrorist by Israel, formed by prominent members of the Israeli political movement Gush Emunim that existed from 1979 to 1984.
Two issues catalyzed the establishment of the underground: One was the signing of the Camp David Accords, which led to the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in 1979, and which the movement, opposed to the peace process, wished to block, viewing it as the first step in the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank.
A second element was the settlement project, which, in bringing two distinct ethnic communities into closer proximity, led to an uptick in hostilities that brought about a growing emphasis on the existential threat in both communities.
The Jewish Underground developed two operational objectives: One consisted of a plot to blow up the Dome of the Rock, while the other branch concentrated on both avenging acts of Palestinian violence against settlers and of establishing a punitive deterrence.
Some understood the terrorist acts as a means of inducing Palestinians to flee their homeland, based on the 1948 and 1967 experience, and parallels are drawn to the Terror Against Terror movement, which had a similar aim.
Robert Friedman stated that the Makhteret was the most violent anti-Arab terrorist organization since the birth of Israel.
