haredi presentation

Haredi Invasion

Can Israel survive its

biggest challenge yet?

Jewish Religiosity Spectrum in Israel

Religiosity in this context is simply defined as the average proportion of time devoted to religious-specific activities

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

more religious

less religious

Jewish Religiosity in Israel

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

Sephardim

Ashkenazim Ashkenazim

Haredi Data

• Reliable data on Haredi trends are difficult to obtain:• Due to its inherent loose definition (floating signifier)

• Lack of participation in surveys

• 50% refusal rate (CBS study)

• Moreover, data is biased towards more moderate haredim

• For example, 35% of Haredi men completed military service

• This leads to an overreliance on anecdotes and poor categorisation of datasets.

"The plural of anecdote is not data." (R. Brinner)

Haredi Data

Haredi

anecdotes

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

Haredi Data

  Haredi data

categorisation

HarediUltra-

Orthodox

Dati Le’umiModern

Orthodox

MasoratiTraditional

HiloniSecular

Key Economic & Social Issues

• Low participation in workforce (particularly for men)

• Lack of marketable education

• High birth rate (7-9 per woman)

• In Haredi cities, more than half are under the age of 15

• Large informal economic activity

• Exemption from military service

• Welfare dependency

As the proportion of Haredim grow, can Israel remain a modern developed economy under these conditions?

Haredi Birth-rate

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

Female-core Female-moderate

Difference in Growth Rates between Arabs and Jews

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

-0.50%

0.00%

0.50%

1.00%

1.50%

2.00%

2.50%

Comparison with Haredim outside of Israel

• A common misperception is that Haredim in other countries are far better integrated.

• Some key characteristics are, however, very similar:• Welfare dependency

• High birth rate

• Lack of marketable education

• Informal economy

Haredi leadership

• The survival of the Haredi society is fundamentally dependant on its socioeconomic characteristics.

• Financial dependence on the internal system acts as a mechanism to prevent Haredim from defecting.

• Consequently, social punishments are very powerful.

• Lack of formal education, early marriage and high birth-rate acts as lock-in mechanisms.

• The leadership are, therefore, resistant to any change - as it is effectively a negotiation on the death of haredism

Summary & Policy Perspectives

• Acknowledging the fundamental threats to Haredi survival, and that these cannot be separated its economics characteristics.

• Welfare reform may also impact Haredi behaviour in different way.

• Should government support be available to those who leave the Haredi community?