Jewish, Israeli in Israel

Introduction / History

The stream of immigrants into Israel began in the 1880s with the national and cultural revival known as "Zionism." The trickle of immigrants became a flood when the nation of Israel was established in 1948. After hundreds of years, Jewish people had a home of their own.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Israel s countryside is full of villages and towns. The original kibbutzim are turning into villages. Those in the rural sector use modern farming machinery and irrigation techniques, making their farms highly productive.

Israel is highly urbanized, and they have a strong tech industry. A high percentage of them have white-collar jobs. This small country has the 26th largest GNP of any nation. Israel has three education and schooling systems for Jewish children. Children are trained to compete in a modern urban economy and in the fundamentals of Judaism and the Torah.

When Israel was founded in 1948, there were many languages. The first generations had to learn Hebrew, the language of trade and religion. Though new immigrants who speak other languages are arriving, they are uniting as Israelis partly by learning and speaking Hebrew.

Extended families are very important to Israeli Jewish people. They come together for a Jewish feast as an extended family. Members of extended families come together for weddings, which usually involve around 300 people. Even secularized Jewish people get involved with Jewish holidays and fasts. Whether they believe in God or not, this is part of their cultural tradition.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Though they are diverse in their adherence to Jewish doctrine, the Israeli Jewish people are committed to the rebuilding of the Temple. Many attend local synagogues for prayer, worship and to study the word of God. But nothing can replace the Temple in their hearts and minds. They go so far as to believe that any generation that is not committed to rebuilding the Temple is guilty of its destruction. Even secularized Jewish people yearn for the Temple to be rebuilt, though their motivation is for secular reasons rather than religious ones.

Judaism is roughly divided into three streams.

Almost half are Hilonim, secularized Jews. Their identity is in the nation-state of Israel, not in the Jewish religious system. They participate in Jewish rituals such as the Passover Seder and lighting Hanukkah candles because these reinforce their identity as being Israeli and culturally Jewish. They usually oppose shutting down businesses and public transportation on the Sabbath.

The Datiim are religiously devout Jewish people who believe in the God of the Bible and usually attend Jewish religious services. Unlike the most fundamental Jewish people, they want to travel the world, produce productive businesses, and get involved with politics and the military. They will not ride public transportation on the Sabbath or open their businesses for religious reasons.

The Haredim are the most religiously devout of any Israeli Jewish group. Their close friends are all within the Haredim community, and they will not marry outside their group. They are noted for being secluded from the rest of society. They dress far more conservatively than other Jewish groups. Haredim men usually attend religious institutions. There is an ongoing controversy about their exemption from military service. They have their doubts about the legitimacy of Israel as a nation-state because they believe the Messiah has not yet come to establish Israel.

They are committed to the rebuilding of the Temple. Many attend local synagogues for prayer, worship and to study the word of God. But nothing can replace the Temple in their hearts and minds. They go so far as to believe that any generation that is not committed to rebuilding the Temple is guilty of its destruction.

What Are Their Needs?

Jewish people are in Israel largely because they need their own nation for protection. For hundreds of years, they dealt with severe persecution in Russia, Germany, Spain, and, to a lesser extent, other parts of Europe and Latin America. Their persecutors often used Christianity as an excuse to mistreat them. For this reason, most Jewish people want nothing to do with Christianity or Christ s followers. This is a major impediment to spreading the gospel.

Prayer Points

Pray the 21st century will be a harvest time for Israeli Jewish people.
Pray that their eyes be opened to Yeshua as the only possible Jewish messiah.
Pray that good fruit will come from efforts by Christ s followers to reach out to them.

Text Source:   Joshua Project