Religion and State Program

The question of the proper role of religion in the state and the parallel role of the state in religion creates political parties, topples governments and dominates the public agenda in Israel. It is also at the core of the debate on Israel's national identity and puts a decisive stamp on Israel's relations with the Diaspora. 

The Program works to ease the tensions between religion and state in Israeli society by proposing research-based policy proposals for reform in areas such as personal status, Shabbat, kashrut and conversion, advocating for Jewish pluralism, combating religious extremism and promoting an interpretation of the Jewish tradition that is compatible with life in a Jewish democracy.

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    Adv. Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz

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    Co-founded and co-directed Itim – the Jewish Life Advocacy Center– an organization that committed to increasing participation in Jewish life by making Israel’s religious establishment respectful of and responsive to the diverse Jewish needs of the Jewish people. In this capacity, she has appeared before the Rabbinic Courts on issues of conversion, marriage, and divorce.

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    Prof. Daniel Statman

    Senior Fellow

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    Prof. Daniel Statman is a lecturer at the Philosophy department of the University of Haifa and specializes in ethics and political philosophy. He has served on several public committees, including the committee that revised the ethical code for the IDF, the committee that is responsible for decisions on new medicines to be covered by the national medical insurance, and the ethical committee of Ha-Emek hospital.

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    Prof. Benjamin Porat

    Senior Fellow

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    A senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the director of the Matz Institute for Jewish Law. After completing his doctorate at the Hebrew University, he was hosted as a post-doctoral fellow by the University of Toronto

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    Adv. Edna Harel Fisher

    Research Fellow

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    [email protected]

    Edna Harel Fisher leads policy research at the institute on the topic of funding for culture, ‘Mamlachtiyut’, and freedom of speech.

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    Dr. Ariel Finkelstein

    Researcher

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    [email protected]

    Dr. Ariel Finkelstein holds s bachelor's degree from the Integrated Program for Philosophy, Economics and Political Science at Hebrew University, and a Master's degree in Public Policy, with a specialization in local government administration and management from Haifa University, as part of the Ministry of Local Government's "Cadets for Local Government" program.

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    Ayala Goldberg

    Research Assistant

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    Research assistant in the Religion and State program at the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Shared Society, and a local governance project within the Civil Service Reform program. Holds a Bachelor's degree in the PPE program from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Currently a Master's student in government and public policy at the Open University.

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    Gal Klein

    Research Assistant

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    [email protected]

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    Ya'ari Padan

    Research Assistant

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    Hodaya Ben Ari

    Research Assistant

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    [email protected]

A summary of research that looks at the scale and demographic profile of Jewish Israeli visitors to the Tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman.

Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, Director of IDI’s Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Shared Society and Head of the Religion and State Program, joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on the Times of Israel weekly podcast, What Matters Now. Ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections, they discuss the stratification of Israeli society across different religious groups, the diversity of characteristics and values among Israel's religious populations, and how religion comes into play in Israeli politics - including at the ballot box.

As Israel marks Tisha B'Av, we recall that the Prophet Jeremiah manages to hold together pain, accusation, and despair, alongside mutual responsibility, accountability, and hope for the future. In 2026, Israel can learn several lessons from the way Jeremiah chooses to conduct a conversation.

The legislation would largely repeal reforms passed in 2021, restoring the Chief Rabbinate’s centralized role over kosher certification, reducing competition and limiting religious choice.

This review demonstrates a clear correlation between religious self-definition and voting in elections. The further one moves toward the secular end of the continuum between Haredim and secular Jews, the greater the likelihood of voting for a political camp currently identified with the opposition, and vice versa.

Israel needs a nuanced doctrine for Haredi policing: consistent enforcement against violence and obstruction; disciplined restraint in the use of force; distinctions between extremists and the broader Haredi public; and direct police service to Haredi citizens who need help.

Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, Director of the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Shared Society and Head of the Religion and State Program at IDI, spoke with Kan English Radio about the growing challenge of Haredi integration as Israel’s ultra-Orthodox population continues to grow, inequalities in subsidies and military service, and the policies Israel’s government must adopt to ensure better and more equal integration of the Haredi community into Israeli society.

On Shavuot, Jewish tradition celebrates the story of Ruth, emphasizing choice, loyalty, and belonging as the central qualities shaping the boundaries of the Jewish community. A proposed amendment to the Law of Return would go against this spirit – everything you need to know about the bill and the history on the issue.

In Haredi society, the question of whether or not to follow IDF Home Front Command instructions can sometimes be far from straightforward. The Haredi leadership needs to speak up clearly and uniformly and call for full obedience to these instructions.

Ahead of Yom Kippur, this analysis looks at data collected on attendance at prayers or religious ceremonies in Orthodox synagogues, as well as in Reform or Conservative synagogues in Israel. A majority of Jewish Israelis attend synagogue at least once per year.

Quantity and Demographic Profile of Visitors to the Tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman Among the Jewish Public in Israel.

The Attorney General recently gave instructions to halt government funding for yeshivot for young Haredim who have dropped out. These instructions promote the value of equality and may also help advance the status of the young men who have dropped out.

A recent Supreme Court decision rules that the Chief Rabbinate must allow women to take the Halakhic exams it administers for the purpose of ordaining rabbis. While this does not mean they will be ordained as rabbis, this is good news for women in their struggle for the value of their Torah study to be recognized.

Exactly one year ago, Israel's Supreme Court ruled—in a measured manner—that the state must follow its own laws on drafting Haredim. But of the 19,000 summons issued by early June 2025, only about 5% (996) reported to induction centers, and just 1.2% (232) were actually conscripted.

The events of October 7, the judicial overhaul, continuous war, murderous violence on the streets, a spiraling cost of living—none of these have been enough to destabilize the coalition. Will it be the conflict over drafting yeshiva students that ultimately brings down the Netanyahu government?

While the Haredi leadership is fighting against military service for yeshiva students, real change is already visible on the margins of Haredi society, with a growing desire among young men to serve in the IDF like other Israelis. What’s needed now is for the politicians, the religious leadership, and the government to adapt to the changes on the ground.

The recently proposed bill runs counter to accepted budgeting principles and undermines the autonomy of local governance. 

Israel’s challenges on Tisha B’Av 5784 are severe and complex. The costs we pay for living here are heavy and bloody. Yet the people living in Zion cling to the tradition of their forefathers and foremothers and to generations of pioneers who lived and died hoping to establish a model society here.

9 B'av commemorates the destruction of the Second Temple in 70AD. As we mark the day, we face intense polarization within Israeli society and threats against our security from without. What lessons can we take from the story of the Temple's destruction that might serve us well today?

On Monday August 5, 2024 and Tuesday August 6, 2024—900 ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students were required to present themselves at IDF enlistment centers. Shlomit Ravitsky Tur-Paz, Dr. Eran Shamir-Borer and Mirit Lavi explain the next steps the IDF will need to take in order to enforce the legal obligation of conscription. 

As the IDF issues the first batches of draft orders for ultra-Orthodox men, the following outlines the challenges, opportunities and objectives of an amended conscription law. 

The IDF should do what it can to ease the transition of Haredim from the social frameworks in which they have grown up and been educated into the military, but it is also important for new conscripts to understand that the rules cannot be changed according to the preferences of every single soldier or group.

Elections for the Chief Rabbinate Council and the two chief rabbis (“the Chief Rabbinate elections”) will likely be announced in the near term. The present document suggests a number of fundamental changes to its membership, with the goal of making it more representative.

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"It's a matter of a change in the trajectory," says Yohanan Plesner, president of IDI following the Israeli Supreme Court ruling on the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription.

The Supreme Court ruling on June 25th addresses the question of whether the government is operating in accordance with the law. It determined that the state must act in accordance with the law and act to draft ultra-Orthodox. It also connects between the issue of exemptions and the criteria for eligibility for yeshiva budget funds.

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"Basically we've entered into a new unknown terrain," says IDI President Yohanan Plesner.

The aim of this review is to present the views of the Jewish public in Israel regarding the institution of the Chief Rabbinate, based on the findings of an opinion survey that was conducted in May 2024.

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Yohanan Plesner, President of IDI lays out the basic principles for a fair draft law.

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What are the economic impacts of the Haredi blanket exemption and how would drafting the ultra-Orthodox benefit Israeli society and economy?

Ahead of the Shavuot holiday, the Israel Democracy Institute is releasing a series of source materials for study during the "tikkun leil Shavuot" (the traditional Shavuot eve study session).

The discussion in the Supreme Court yesterday was not about whether a law exempting yeshiva students harms the principle of equality. It was about a much more basic question: is the State of Israel acting in accordance with the principle of the rule of law—that is, can yeshiva students be exempted from enlisting in the IDF, when there is no law allowing for this.

Israel's Supreme Court convened to hear arguments on the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students who no longer are exempt from military service, and the legality of providing funding for yeshivas that enroll them as long as no new law has been legislated on this issue.

Religious Zionism (the sector, not the political party that appropriated the name) is one of the most influential population groups in Israel. In the following essay, I wish to draw attention to a worrying process afflicting religious Zionism, the roots of which can be traced back to its early days and has dramatically worsened in recent years.

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We examine the increased burden of reserve service that the defense establishment is seeking to impose on the population groups that already perform regular and reserve service, and the economic-budgetary implications of this step for the period through to 2050.

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Dr. Asaf Malchi's research explores the perspective of yeshiva students, their personal and social challenges and highlights a subgroup of 'alterative yeshivas' and their shifting perspectives on vocational training and employment.

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IDI's Dr. Gilad Malach explains what a fair draft law for the ultra-Orthodox would look like. One that would distribute the burden over Israel's security more equally while enabling young Haredi men to integrate into the job market.

This study was designed to assess the level of satisfaction among students in higher yeshivot (ages 17 and above), their personal and social challenges, and their attitudes toward possible alternatives to yeshiva studies, such as vocational training and employment.

Response to the Government's Proposal for Haredi (non-) Conscription by Yohanan Plesner, President of the Israel Democracy Institute, and Dr. Gilad Malach, Head of IDI's Ultra-Orthodox in Israel Program

Internal struggles between factions within the Sepharadic ultra-religious movement Shas are only beginning. The absence of the unifying figure of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is still sorely felt, and only time will tell whether the rabbinical elite or the Knesset members representing a moderate electorate will gain the upper hand.

The legal basis for deferring military service for Yeshiva students no longer exists, removing legal justification for the transference of funds to religious institutions with students under 26. Funding for Torah study institutions is the most substantial question that needs to be addressed at the current time, when Israeli society is rethinking its relations with the Haredi public. 

Recently, a new answer to the dilemma of the 'modern Haredi' has been advanced enthusiastically by Rabbi David Leibel, one that maintains religiosity while increasing civic participation in the economy and in defense of Israel. 

The Israel Democracy Institute published new chapters of the first Biennial Statistical Report on Religion and State.

The question of how much power the government should wield was one that generations of halakhic decisors (poskim) worked to curtail.

A special survey Jacobs Center for Shared Society and the Viterbi Family Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research, found that almost half of Israelis think that the diaspora Jewry should be part of the public debate on the Law of Return and 51% think that canceling the "grandchild clause" in the Law of Return is liable to significantly reduce immigration to Israel.

Will the ultra-Orthodox break with tradition in the next government, by serving as ministers – or will they continue to the masquerade of serving as deputy ministers with status of ministers? Probably not – but they should.

70% of Jewish Israelis do not accept patrilineal descent and therefore do not consider those born to a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother to be Jewish. The new IDI survey reveals what Israelis really think on matters of religion and state

IDI’s inaugural Biennial Statistical Report on Religion and State was published ahead of the annual conference organized by the Religion and State Program in the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Shared Society.

On questions of religion and state the tensions between the centralized and decentralized approaches can be misleading and creative rethinking might provides opportunities for achieving new agreements and a more balanced reality

Is the insistence on preventing public transportation on Shabbat for those who would use it a lost cause - and should it even be a cause at all?

 

 

Shlomit Ravitsky-Tur Paz, Director of IDI’s Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Shared Society, joined Gilad Halpern and Yael Berda of the Tel Aviv Review podcast to discuss the findings presented in the inaugural Biennial Statistical Report on Religion and State. Compiled based on existing data, detailed surveys and research conducted “in the field,” The Statistical Report on Religion and State, provides a vast base of knowledge on the contentious topic at the core of this issue including marriage and divorce, conversion, burial, prayer, and public Shabbat observance.

People today are largely judged on merits and not their lineage - except when technology preserves an inherited 'illegitimate' status in ways Jewish law never anticipated.

They do reduce the Rabbinate's centralized power, but in very different ways, which fundamentally upholds the rabbis' authority, rather than undermining it

Most of the public support limiting local authority rabbis' term of service to five years and giving them the option to be re-appointed at the end of each term

The friction and hostility we witnessed today at one of Judaism's holiest sites is unacceptable and could have been avoided if the previously agreed upon 'Western Wall Compromise' had been honored.

In this season of slichot (penitence) we should ask ourselves - does the essence of apology lie in the sense of regret, or in its expression?

Congratulations to the Bennett government on approving the outline for lowering the age of the students exempted from service in the IDF to 21. This is a vital and necessary step that the Israel Democracy Institute has recommended in recent years. A kind of necessary evil that will lead in the short term to the entry of about 5,000 ultra-Orthodox into the labor market and thousands more in the coming years.

There are many urgent things on the new government's desk - will they have the ability to tackle questions on religion and state?

A new study by IDI expert Ariel Finkelstein presents a detailed and systematic analysis of the conduct of Israel's rabbinical courts - finds 30% of complaints categorized as: "Violation of the Principles of Natural Justice"

Although 25 years have passed since that terrible night - the mourning for a murdered prime minister, assassinated out of political and religious motives, must never fade away and must never be forgotten

How does Israel’s national-ultra-Orthodox population (“Hardalim”) combine ideals of the "new Jew" with their ultra-Orthodox religious world view?

The coronavirus crisis proves once again that the lives of all Israelis are intertwined with those of the ultra-Orthodox and the country cannot be sustained with an autonomy living behind closed walls. Without shared responsibility for public health - 'normal life' will not be possible the post-COVID-19 era

Israeli secularism has largely abandoned the ideal of the “new Jew” in recent decades, but religious Zionism has remained fervently loyal to it

Political positions, ideologies and worldviews, support for the Prime Minister or opposition to him—have been transformed into religious beliefs - a dangerous development for the future of Israeli society

As Israel has grappled with the resurgence of COVID-19, tribalism has become more fierce as the country shifted from a state with a deep-seated sense of solidarity to a society in which the interests of one’s own sector comes first.

The Kashrut market in Israel is still very much a monopoly market driven and all of Israelis are paying the price

Every generation has its own barns, whose stock is the source of its national resilience. We have a supreme obligation to protect them against those who would set them afire to promote their ideology

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The government must be attuned to the will of the overwhelming majority of the people and amend the Nation State Law by adding the obligation to act in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence

Jewish communities around the world have been hard-hit by the coronavirus and are still struggling to deal with its implications. In an in-depth study, Dr. Shuki Friedman and Gabriel Abensour analyze how the pandemic has created challenges for halakha (Jewish law) and upended communal life and what these communities should be preparing for when this crisis finally subsides.

Tel Aviv wants to set its own policies, regardless of what the rest of the nation desires. It will go it alone, but will still take funds from the national government.

Now more than ever Israel needs a leader who will bolster its inner strength - is the leadership up to the task? 

Reinforcing the Rabbinate's monopoly on conversion to Judaism places unnecessary roadblocks before those who want to join the Jewish people and deepens the rift with the Diaspora

The Israeli religious courts are being handed back to the ultra-Orthodox parties - will they adhere to professional standards?

After three contentious election campaigns Israel's new government has been sworn in. IDI's experts weigh-in with their recommendations on the most important issues on the agenda. Dr. Shuki Friedman on the challenges facing the 35th government in matters of religion and state.

The Prime Minister’s supporters are trying to entrench a perception among the public that he is facing a political – rather than a criminal – trial.

The cause for the past year's political crisis lie in the ever-widening gap between the two main pillars of the State of Israel’s identity—its “Jewish” and “democratic” components.

Let’s imagine a conversation between Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hacohen Kook, religious Zionism’s greatest thinker, and the four Yamina Party leaders.

A 3-pronged plan to change the balance of power in government threatens everyone who cares about human rights, regardless of politics

After years of struggles over issues related to religion and state, we hereby agree to adopt a new approach, which will create a covenant to provide a new system of arrangements and agreements to strengthen the link between the Israeli public and the Jewish identity of the State of Israel.

Jewish Diaspora communities find it hard to identify with Israel and Israel's Jewery.

In the case of a MK against whom the attorney-general has decided to file an indictment, the members of his party and of his Knesset bloc vote as one.

Rabbis are not necessarily any better or worse than other politicians.

Turning 1.2 million Israelis with FSU origins into a state-sanctioned punching bag is intolerable, and calls for radical and immediate change

Israel's once sacrosanct status quo seems less relevant than ever, with the essence of what it means to be a Jewish state in flux and at stake.

As a rule, it is not just their extremist ideology that has sent them to camp on the hilltops, but also the alternative they have chosen to replace the staid, bourgeois life they left behind.

All of us face the dread of the unknown future and the fate it holds for us.

Despite all the fears, voter turnout was quite respectable (the third-highest rate in the seven elections this century).

Recent elections have brought to fore the struggle between religion and state - the balance between the constitutional elecemtns and the place of religion. In this tug-of-war, a compromise can be the only victory.

Jewish solidarity is an existential imperative. As we mark the solemn day of Tisha B'Av, Dr. Friedman reflects on the importance of strengthening the common denominator among all Jewish communities. 

 

Strengthening the norms that are founded on our shared national traditions can help fortify our shared national identity - but any attempt to impose religious norms on a public when the majority does not identify with them will only lead to division and hate, says Yair Sheleg as we mark the mourning day of Tisha BÁv.

An unflattering US report on freedom of religion would have us believe that Israel is being run by an ayatollah-like regime. While some limits to freedom of religion exist, Israel is a free country

 

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Ultra-Orthodox Conscription | Supreme Court Ruling | Yohanan Plesner on CNN

June 26, 2024

"It's a matter of a change in the trajectory," says Yohanan Plesner, president of IDI following the Israeli Supreme Court ruling on the issue of ultra-Orthodox conscription.

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Supreme Court Ruling on Haredi Draft | Yohanan Plesner on BBC News

June 26, 2024

"Basically we've entered into a new unknown terrain," says IDI President Yohanan Plesner.

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Principles for a Fair Draft Law

June 19, 2024

Yohanan Plesner, President of IDI lays out the basic principles for a fair draft law.

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The Economic Impact of Haredi (non) Enlistment

June 13, 2024

What are the economic impacts of the Haredi blanket exemption and how would drafting the ultra-Orthodox benefit Israeli society and economy?

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Timeline: The Ultra-Orthodox and the IDF Draft

May 16, 2024

When did the ultra-Orthodox first receive an exemption from military service? How have Haredi demographics influenced this issue?

This is a timeline of the central milestones affecting the issue of Haredi conscription. 

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Alternative Yeshivas and Changing Perspectives Among Haredi Youth

April 11, 2024

Dr. Asaf Malchi's research explores the perspective of yeshiva students, their personal and social challenges and highlights a subgroup of 'alterative yeshivas' and their shifting perspectives on vocational training and employment.

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A Fair Draft Law, What Would That Look Like?

April 04, 2024

IDI's Dr. Gilad Malach explains what a fair draft law for the ultra-Orthodox would look like. One that would distribute the burden over Israel's security more equally while enabling young Haredi men to integrate into the job market.

The Kosher Monopoly

June 14, 2016