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. The population of Israel is now mostly Jewish. Israeli Jewish people can be from anywhere in the world where there is Judaism. There is a large number of Israelis whose grandparents are from Russia, France, the UK, Germany, Poland, or just about any other country in Europe. There are even Israeli Jewish people from Ethiopia. Though there are still French Jews, etc., they are all in the process of blending and becoming culturally Israelis.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Israeli leaders wanted to see all immigrants integrate into one Jewish people. Along with the ethnicity, a class society has developed. A person's ethnic background may shape his or her occupation and standard of living. For example, Jewish people from Ethiopia struggle more than Jewish people whose origins are in Russia or Europe.

Language is one of the distinguishing features among Jews in Israel. Within Israel, Jews may speak fluent Yiddish (a German dialect with Hebrew elements), Russian, Yudi, Ladino, or any number of other languages learned in their countries of origin or from their immigrant parents. They use Hebrew as their trade language. The younger generation is more comfortable with Hebrew than previous generations.

Most of the Israeli Jews live in cities. Attempts to start new towns and populate rural areas have been difficult. In fact, such attempts have often become scenes of ethnic unrest between Jews and Palestinians. The Jewish kibbutzim (collective farms or settlements) are losing their population as more Israeli Jews move to cities or find alternative farming arrangements. They might be dying out, but the kibbutzim are part of the Israeli Jewish cultural identity.

Unlike many Jewish communities outside Israel, extended families do not play an important part in the lives of the Israeli Jews. Rather, the nuclear family is the most important unit. Because education is highly valued in Israeli society, schools are free and compulsory up to the tenth grade. Men and women are expected to serve in the Israeli military for a time.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Rabbinical Judaism, the Orthodox branch, is politically powerful in Israel. Rabbinical Judaism replaced the temple with the synagogue, the priesthood with the rabbi, and the sacrificial ceremony with the prayer service. Emphasis was placed on study of the Torah (Hebrew name for the first five books of the Bible), the growing need for national restoration in the Promised Land, and the function of this world as preparatory for the world to come.

Conservative Judaism is the second of three sectors of Judaism. They believe the Law of the Torah is still binding but they balance it with modern demands. For example, some of them allow for same-sex marriage while others do not.

Reformed Jews believe in the evolving nature of Judaism. There is a continuous revelation. Yet they believe in the moral and ceremonial teachings of the Torah.

Approximately two-thirds to three-fourths of the Israeli Jews are non-observant. Many of these are functionally atheistic, but they identify with Jewish culture. They usually participate in events where religion and celebrations merge.

What Are Their Needs?

The Jews have a wonderful understanding of their connection with the Abrahamic covenant. However, they also have a history of rejection of Jesus Christ as Messiah, the one who has fulfilled that covenant. Throughout their history, the Jews have been discriminated against and persecuted, usually by Christianized peoples. This has added to the barrier between them and their true Messiah.

Prayer Points

Pray that as the gospel is shared with them, it will not be viewed as anti-Semitic, but rather as the fulfillment of what God promised humanity through Abraham centuries ago.
Pray for a spiritual hunger among the Jews who view their "Jewishness" as an ethnic identity and have no religious affiliation.
Pray for the Lord to thrust out the right people to reach Israel’s Jewish populations with the gospel.
Pray for Jesus Synagogues to be established throughout Israel.

Text Source:   Joshua Project