A new survey reveals that an absolute majority of Israelis will strictly observe the prohibition on eating chametz during Pesach.
In the framework of the monthly peace index of Tel Aviv University and the Israel Democracy Institute, the sample study examined the subject, and 67.3 percent of Israelis – Jews of course – said they intended to eat only kosher food for Pesach, even outside the home. Only 32.7% said they would not take care.
In addition, most Israelis are now cleaning their homes for Pesach, out of every fear of chametz: slightly more than 63% of the respondents confirmed that they do so and only 37% do not plan such cleaning.
However, the question of whether cafés and restaurants should be required not to serve chametz food on Pesach, only about 40% responded positively.
A few days ago, the State submitted its response to the High Court of Justice, to a petition filed by the “secular forum” together with Meretz chairman Tamar Sandberg and other MKs from the left against the ban on food entering hospitals for fear of chametz.
The official response of the Ministry of Health and the Chief Rabbinate stated, inter alia: “This is a reasonable and proper procedure that is intended to ensure the need to keep the hospitals accessible for people who practice kashrut customs on Pesach.”
The Deputy Health Minister, who said at a conference in Tel Aviv that “there is no permission for any hospital director not to implement the procedure of not putting chametz into hospitals, is a procedure that has been practiced for 70 years.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
This is truly wonderful! Acheinu bnei Yisroel, even if they have strayed from the derech, still feel enough for the chag that established the Jewish people to keep the ikar. The poll evidently didn’t ask how many people will have some form of seder too, but from what I know of the non-frum in the US, they will at least try.
Remember that most of the people polled didn’t have a Torah upbringing, and yet they still remember the mesorah, even if in a diluted form. This shows how much we should support kiruv and organizations like Lev L’Achim. The pintele yid is still there – we only need to fan the flame.