Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reports that at the end of 2010, the chareidi tzibur comprised 8% of the country amounting to 615,000 people. The religious community represents 12% of the population and the traditional community is 38%.
Among Jews over 20-years-old (790,000 people), 21% consider themselves more religious than in the past while 14% feel less religious than in the past.
200,000 members of the chareidi community 20-year-old or over are considered baalei tshuva, representing 5.4% of the Jewish population. 49% of the baalei tshuva report that were influenced by learning and acquiring new information while 25% credit family influence, a spouse, or influence of their surroundings and 17% became frum due to a life crises.
29% of the baalei tshuva grew up in a secular home, 20% in a not-so-religious traditional home, 33% in a traditional home, and 14% in a religious home. 70% of the baalei tshuva are youths or children.
Closed Businesses on Shabbos
Most Israelis (54%) favor closing businesses and shopping centers in urban areas. Those living in the suburbs however (60%) favor opening shopping centers located in the periphery areas on Shabbos. Opening of businesses on Shabbos is broken down by population groups as follows; secularists (93%), traditionalists who are not-so-religious (76%) traditionalists-to-religious light (35%) and religious (12%).
Interestingly, 59% of the Jewish population believes one should avoid working on Shabbos [with the exception of emergency agencies such as hospitals, MDA, police and firefighters]. This is also the expressed position of newly-elected Labor Party leader, MK Shelly Yacimovich, who feels this is in line with her socialist leanings.
Some Yeshiva Stats
According to the CBS, the number of students in yeshivos and kollelim in 5770 was 138,249. This includes 83,055 avreichim and an additional 40,047 in yeshiva gedola or a comparable yeshiva gvoha of the dati leumi stream. There are 8,407 hesder yeshiva students and soldiers. 11% of the avreichim and yeshiva students (about 9,000) hold foreign citizenship, with the majority being from N. America.
Population Density
Excluding communities throughout Yehuda and Shomron; population density in 2010 averaged 334 people per square kilometer, with Bnei Brak registering 21,636 people per square kilometer.
In municipalities of more than 200,000 residents, Tel Aviv is the most crowded, with over 7,803 people per square kilometer. In second place is Yerushalayim, with 6,296 per sq. km. other municipalities with higher than average population densities include Bat Yam (15,962 people/sq. km.), Givatayim (16,647 people/sq. km.), Elad (13,921 people/sq. km.) and Kiryat Motzkin (10,170 people/sq. km.).
Cause of Death
The main cause of death in 2009 is listed as cancer (25.7%), followed by cardiac related (16.9%), diabetes (6.2%), vascular disease (5.5%) non-illness related (5.2%).
Funding for Torah & Cultural Activities
Funding for mosdos Torah amounted to NIS 1.17 billion in 2009. Alternatively, during that same year, funding for cultural activities amounted to NIS 8 billion.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
How do you define “Hareidi”??????
Beware of statisticians trying to play with social definitions. Does “Hareidi” mean learning in yeshiva and refusing to serve in the army (therefore someone with hasidic clothes, beard and peyos who works for living is by definition not hareidi)? Does “Hareidi” mean believing that the government if Medinat Yisrael is acting illegally when it acts contrary to halacha (then many if not most “religious zionists” are probably now, in the post-Gush Kateif world, “Hareidi”).