Poll Highlights Secular Jews’ Desire to Study the Torah
- By Alison Lesley --
- 07 Mar 2015 --
A poll was conducted focused on examining whether the populace of Israel would be interested in learning more about the teachings of Maimonides, who was an Egyptian Jewish Torah scholar in the 12th century.
The results were surprising in that a majority of Jews in Israel do not consider themselves “observant” and instead identify as “secular.” A secular Jew is Jewish by birth, but does not practice the Jewish faith. Of the secular Jews in Israel, more than half said they would be interested to learn more about the Torah and its teachings.
A7 Most Secular, Traditional Jewish Israelis Want to Study Torah: Poll reveals that a majority of Israeli Jews… http://t.co/zvNXXMGF44
— Jewish News Feeds (@JewishNewsFeeds) February 3, 2015
54% of those who responded to the poll admitted that their grasp of the religion of Judaism was basic, while less than one in ten (9%) said they possessed a more advanced understanding. Almost half of those responding said they would like study the Jewish family laws and traditions more deeply. A quarter of respondents said they would like to know more about the origins of important Jewish holidays.
Another surprising result showed that the strong desire to return to the roots of Judaism was driven by older respondents, with most of those expressing interest in studying the Torah being 45 or older. The poll drew from Tel Aviv and the central region of the coast, which is home to nearly three-quarters of the population of Israel. It is an area that is widely known as the heart of the secular Jew population within the Jewish state. However, this poll is the latest in a long line of signs that the area may be experiencing a religious renaissance.
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