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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Israel
Index
As the references to "Orthodox Zionists," "Orthodox
non-Zionists," and "Orthodox anti-Zionists" indicate, Judaism is
not a monolithic cultural entity in contemporary Israel.
Furthermore, an understanding of religious categories in American
Judaism, is not sufficient for understanding Israeli Judaism.
Israelis religiously categorize themselves first as dati,
that is, "religiously" observant Jews or lo dati, "not
religiously" observant Jews. One who is religious strictly follows
halakah, that is, adheres to the totality of rabbinic law. One who
is not religious is not a strict follower of rabbinic law; however,
the category can be further subdivided into agnostic or atheistic
secularists, on the one hand, and individuals who are committed to
Judaism in principle, on the other. The latter groups calls
itself "traditionalist."
Many Oriental Jews, especially in the second generation since
immigration, are traditionalists, expressing this commitment in
observance of folk customs such as ethnic festivals and
pilgrimages. This group is important because, although members may
not vote directly for religious political parties, they respond
positively to religious symbols used politically by a number of
parties; for example, the idea of the Jewish people's right to a
greater, biblical land of Israel as divinely ordained.
Data as of December 1988
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