More prayers and tefillin — but not more faith: the change among teenagers
A survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute found that 22% of non-religious teenagers pray more and 14% read more Psalms. 46% testify that their friends observe more Jewish customs. Among the "completely secular," the opposite trend is recorded.
On one hand, teenagers in Israel today pray more, put on tefillin, and wear tzitzit. On the other hand, there is no evidence of an increase in the rate of those who believe in God following the war.
Teenagers aged 15-18 declare a greater closeness to religion, both for themselves and their friends, since October 7. Almost half of the teenagers (46%) say that their friends currently observe more Jewish customs than in the past — this is according to a survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) which examined the attitude of non-religious teenagers in Israel toward religion and tradition, conducted in July 2026.
Among "friends," the strengthening is greater
The survey also checked the habits of the teenagers: 22% declared that they pray more, 18% of the girls said they light Shabbat candles more often, and 9% dress more modestly. 14% of the young people read more Psalms, 7% of the boys testified that they put on tefillin more often, and 2% began to wear tzitzit more frequently.
The findings show that despite the high public visibility of tefillin and tzitzit, the most significant increase is occurring precisely in personal and quieter customs — prayer, reciting Psalms, and lighting Shabbat candles.
About 270 Jewish teenagers who do not define themselves as religious participated in the survey. They were also asked to what extent their friends had strengthened regarding religion — and there the figures soared: 26% claimed that their friends put on tefillin more, 25% claimed that their friends pray more, 23% claimed that their friends go to synagogues more, and 21% claimed that more of their friends walk around with tzitzit.
Gaps between traditional and secular
Alongside this, a little more than half (55%) of non-religious teenagers say they believe in God, but large gaps are hidden behind the average. Among the traditional, almost everyone believes (90%), while among teenagers who define themselves as "completely secular," only 23% believe, and 43% declared that they do not believe. The rest (34%) had difficulty giving an answer. A comparison with previous JPPI studies and other surveys shows that there is no evidence of a significant increase in the rate of believers following the war.
"The research shows that teenagers in Israel are changing and expressing with greater intensity the identity in which they grew up," says the CEO of the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), Dr. Shuki Friedman. "Teenagers who grew up in homes with an affinity for tradition are in many cases adopting additional expressions of Jewish identity ('religious strengthening'). In contrast, among the secular group, a distancing is actually noticeable. Among those who define themselves as 'completely secular': 35% reported that they observe tradition less today, only 4% reported that they observe more tradition."
