Yom Kippur: One-in-three Israeli Jews won’t fast, 39 percent won’t attend shul

A new survey has revealed that one-in-three Jewish Israelis will not fast on Yom Kippur, while almost two fifths don’t plan on attending shul.

60.5 percent plan to abstain from eating and drinking, while 39 percent aren’t going to synagogue at all on the Day of Awe.

In a survey conducted by the Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research of the Israel Democracy Institute, it has been revealed that 27.5 percent of Jewish Israelis won’t be fasting, while 5 percent will consume liquids, and seven percent are undecided.

The data also shows that less than a quarter of people will attend all synagogue services (23 percent) with an overwhelming number not planning on going at all (39 percent). Just over a tenth of those surveyed will go to shul just for the shofar.

Figures show a similar number of Jewish Israelis fasting as in 2000, when it was at 63 percent, but a significant drop from 1994, down from over 70 percent.

They survey was conducted on the phone and online among 501 people.