In Israel, young Jews more likely to keep Passover than their parents
The survey, released just before the start of Passover last year, found that some 71% of Israelis between the ages of 18 and 34 cleaned their house for the holiday.
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANPassover should not be too bitter.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Young Israeli Jews are more like to clean their homes for Passover than their parents, a new study by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) showed.The survey, released just before the start of Passover last year, found that some 71% of Israelis between the ages of 18 and 34 cleaned their house for the holiday and 75% ate kosher-for-Passover food. Passover starts Friday at sundown.Furthermore, the survey showed that 67% of the Jewish public makes sure to eat kosher-for-Passover food, even if they eat out in a restaurant. However, most (59%) of the Israeli public (58% of the Jews and 63% of the Arabs) believe that there is no need to oblige restaurants and cafes not to serve hametz during Passover.Hametz is leaven or grain food mixed with leaven.The survey was conducted by Prof. Ephraim Yaar of Tel Aviv University and Prof. Tamar Hermann at IDI between March 13 and 14. They interviewed 600 respondents.A separate survey, also conducted by IDI’s Guttman Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research in December, showed that only 41% of the Jewish public is strict about eating kosher food the rest of the year. Some 15% of Israeli Jews are careful about kashrut only in the home and another 43% are not strict at all.Last year, a survey of 3,000 respondents by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that 97% of Israeli Jews, both secular and religious, host or participate in a Passover seder. In contrast, according to the Pew Research Center survey from 2013, only 70% of American Jews took part in a Passover Seder the year prior.
