How October 7 reshaped Israelis’ relationship with Judaism, faith and tradition

The October 7, 2023 attack has reshaped the way many Israelis relate to Judaism, faith and tradition, with some secular Israelis finding new meaning in religious practices while others have questioned their belief in God, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Adele Raemer, a secular Jew from Kibbutz Nirim near the Gaza border, is preparing for Yom Kippur, but does not plan to fast.

“I’m not an observant Jew, and I don’t fast on Yom Kippur because I think it would be hypocritical,” she told The Jerusalem Post. “For me it’s a day of quiet introspection. Sometimes we have discussion groups, but it’s a day that I appreciate that I’m in my kibbutz, in my country, and the Jewish nation.”


Raemer was at Nirim when around 150 Hamas terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz on October 7, killing five community members and taking five others hostage to Gaza. Three women were later released under a ceasefire deal, while two men were killed in the tunnels. Three Israeli soldiers were also killed fighting in the kibbutz.

Raemer spent hours hiding in her safe room before Israeli soldiers rescued her and took her to Eilat. After reaching safety, she instinctively turned to a Jewish prayer traditionally recited after surviving a life-threatening event.

“When we finally arrived in Eilat, I took out my phone and googled Birkat Hagomel (the traditional Jewish prayer said after surviving a potential life-threatening event),” she said. “It was just this instinct. The terrorists tried to murder me because of my Jewishness, and it was just my instinct to do this.”

The attack has affected Israelis across the country, with many knowing someone who was killed or taken hostage. For some, the events have also raised fundamental questions about faith.

“Where was God on October 7?” asked Jonathan Livny, a Jerusalem lawyer. “I think we invented God because it can’t be that a God would not prevent such a catastrophe.”

For others, however, the experience has strengthened their connection to Jewish traditions, even when they do not consider themselves traditionally religious.

“This year I can’t fast because I’ll be eight months pregnant, but I’ll go to shul,” said Danielle Glickman, 34, adding that she usually fasts. “I think I’ll try not to use technology. Since October 7, I think it’s even more important to keep traditions, especially when we are growing our family.”

Some former hostages have also spoken about becoming closer to religion during and after their captivity. Former hostage Eliya Cohen, who spent more than 500 days in Hamas tunnels, said at his recent wedding that he had promised to publicly recite the “Shema Yisrael” prayer if he ever married his partner, Ziv Abud, whom he had believed was dead. He fulfilled that vow in front of more than 1,000 guests.

Other former hostages have described maintaining religious practices in captivity. Agam Berger spoke about keeping Shabbat, while Daniella Gilboa recalled singing “Shalom Aleichem” in Arabic. Some hostages also said they fasted on Yom Kippur.

Israel's special relationship with Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur has traditionally brought much of Israel to a standstill. The country, including its airport, largely shuts down, while bicycles fill roads that are normally busy with traffic.

A study by the Israel Democracy Institute cited by The Jerusalem Post found that 60% of Israelis completely fast on Yom Kippur, while another 5% do not eat but continue drinking liquids. This is despite fewer than 25% of Israelis describing themselves as Orthodox, according to the Pew Research Foundation.

Several rabbis told the Post that October 7 has prompted more Israelis to explore their Jewish identity and spirituality, although this does not necessarily mean a shift towards traditional religious observance.

Rabbi Haviva Ner David, who runs Shmaya: A Mikveh for Mind, Body, and Soul at Kibbutz Hanaton, said she has seen an increase in people converting to Judaism since the attack, particularly non-Jews married to Jewish Israelis.

“Many of them have been living in Israel for years, and they say that after October 7, they want to throw their lot in with the Jewish people,” she told the Post.

Yom Kippur is also one of the busiest days of the year at the mikveh, Ner David said, reflecting the Jewish tradition of immersion on the day before Yom Kippur as part of the process of atonement.

Rabbi Yael Vurgan, who works with kibbutzim near Gaza in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, said there has also been growing interest in non-traditional forms of Jewish observance. The Reform movement, she said, has for years offered alternative Yom Kippur services at one kibbutz, while this year services will be held at two.

Vurgan also recalled officiating at a bar and bat mitzvah ceremony for six people in their 80s and 90s just days before October 7. They had never undergone the traditional Jewish rite of passage and had spent three months preparing for the ceremony, which was held on October 3, 2023.

Since October 7, she said, people in the region have increasingly sought ways to connect with spirituality through community gatherings involving activities such as song and poetry.

The war, and particularly the fate of the hostages, also led to increased use of prayers and psalms in synagogues across Israel.

“Many people had more and more need for ways to express their feelings in a cultural, spiritual way as a community together,” she said.

“I felt that people want what I have to offer, spirituality done by liberal voices and texts and songs,” she said.