The people

Haredi Judaism places Torah study, halakhic observance and rabbinic guidance at the center of communal life. Its principal streams are Hasidic, Lithuanian and Sephardi. Jerusalem and Bnei Brak are major population centers.

Hasidic communities organize religious life around a rebbe and a court with its own traditions. Gur, Belz, Vizhnitz, Chabad and Breslov are distinct traditions, not a single organization.

The Lithuanian or Litvish stream emphasizes yeshiva study and the authority of senior Torah scholars. The name describes a religious tradition with Eastern European roots, rather than the birthplace of every member.

Sephardi Haredi communities combine Haredi educational institutions and religious observance with Sephardi halakhic and liturgical traditions. Shas has been an important political and educational institution in this community since its establishment in 1984.

Religious Zionists combine Orthodox Jewish observance with participation in Israel’s national life. The community includes different religious and political outlooks; hesder yeshivot combine Torah study with military service.

Hardal, short for Haredi-Leumi, denotes a more religiously stringent current within religious Zionism. It is a social and religious designation, with boundaries that depend on self-identification rather than a separate census category.

Masorti means traditional: people who maintain Jewish customs with differing levels of religious observance. In this Israeli identity category, the term does not mean membership in the Conservative/Masorti religious movement.

Hiloni means secular, a self-description covering varied beliefs and practices. Many secular Israelis observe Jewish holidays or family traditions.

Reform and Conservative/Masorti Judaism have congregations and institutions in Israel. Their denominational identities differ from the everyday Israeli labels Haredi, Dati, Masorti and Hiloni, so survey percentages using these classifications are not interchangeable.

Sabra is a cultural term for a native-born Israeli Jew. It describes birthplace, not a separate ancestry or religious group; a sabra may also identify with any of the communities listed here.

Mizrahi describes Jewish origins in the Middle East and North Africa. Sephardi historically refers to Iberian Jewish ancestry and related religious traditions. The terms overlap in Israeli usage, but are not identical; family origins can be mixed.

Ashkenazi Jews trace family or religious traditions chiefly to Central and Eastern Europe. Ashkenazi identity includes secular, traditional, national-religious and Haredi Israelis; it does not determine a person's religious practice or politics.

Russian-speaking Israelis include immigrants from several former Soviet republics and their descendants. Russian is a shared language across different origins, rather than proof of Russian nationality; the large immigration wave began before the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

CBS counted 177,600 residents of Ethiopian origin at the end of 2024: 93,400 born in Ethiopia and 84,200 born in Israel to Ethiopian-born fathers. This statistical definition does not count every person with Ethiopian ancestry.

Israelis of Moroccan Jewish origin maintain traditions including Mimouna, celebrated after Passover. The festival moved with immigrant families from Morocco into Israeli family, community and public life.

Yemenite Jewish immigration began before statehood, including arrivals in 1881. The 1948–1950 airlift brought about 50,000 people to Israel. Yemenite communities preserve distinctive prayer, musical and manuscript traditions.

Iranian Jewish heritage includes Persian and other local Jewish languages. Judeo-Persian literature uses Hebrew script. These linguistic traditions survive in Israel and other diaspora communities alongside modern Hebrew and other everyday languages.

Bukharan Jews have roots in Central Asia, including Bukhara and Samarkand. Their heritage language, Bukhori or Judeo-Tajik, belongs to the Iranian language family and continues in cultural activity in Israel and New York.

Mountain Jews, or Juhuro, originate in the eastern Caucasus, especially Dagestan and Azerbaijan. Their heritage language is Juhuri, also called Judeo-Tat. It is an Iranian language, distinct from Georgian and from Russian.

Indian Jewish communities have distinct histories: Bene Israel from Maharashtra, Cochin Jews from Kerala, Baghdadi communities and Bnei Menashe from northeastern India. Their migrations to Israel occurred in different periods, rather than one common immigration wave.

“Anglo” is an informal label for English-speaking immigrants from several countries. Nefesh B’Nefesh reported assisting 4,150 North American immigrants in 2025; that is an annual flow, not the total English-speaking population of Israel.

Immigrants from France include families of both North African and European Jewish origin. The Aliyah Ministry’s year-end estimate put arrivals from France at about 3,300 in 2025; applications to immigrate are a separate measure.

Muslim Arabs are Israel’s largest Arab religious community. CBS estimated 1.849 million Muslims of all origins at the end of 2025, with Jerusalem the largest concentration. Religion, citizenship and Palestinian or Israeli identity are distinct categories.

Arab Christians belong to several churches and live mainly in northern Israel and Haifa district. Nazareth, Haifa, Jerusalem and Nof HaGalil have the largest urban communities. CBS’s December 2025 release separates Arab Christians from other Christians.

Druze are a distinct religious community with their own traditions and institutions. CBS’s April 2026 release gives a provisional population of about 154,400. Daliyat al-Karmel and Yarka were the largest Druze localities in its end-2024 tables.

Bedouin communities in the Negev include residents of towns such as Rahat, recognized villages and villages without planning recognition. Land claims, housing approvals and access to infrastructure remain central policy issues, examined in the State Comptroller’s 2026 follow-up audit.

Northern Bedouin communities include Basmat Tivon, Zarzir and Tuba-Zangariyya. Their towns and villages belong to the Galilee’s settlement pattern and are distinct from the Bedouin communities of the Negev.

Israel’s Circassian communities are centered in Kfar Kama and Rehaniya. Descendants of migrants from the Caucasus in the Ottoman period, they preserve the Adyghe language and cultural traditions alongside their Muslim faith.

The Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa and Akko is staffed by volunteers from abroad who serve for limited periods. Its own guidance states that there is no established Israeli Bahá’í community and that it does not accept local converts.

Samaritan families live chiefly in Holon and on Mount Gerizim, in Kiryat Luza near Nablus. They preserve their own Torah text, priesthood, calendar and religious traditions, distinct from rabbinic Judaism.

Ghajar is an Arabic-speaking Alawite village near the Lebanese border. Israel took control in 1967 and residents received Israeli citizenship in 1981. The UN’s Blue Line, drawn in 2000, runs through the village.

Palestinians in East Jerusalem include permanent residents and Israeli citizens. These are different legal statuses: naturalization requires an application and satisfaction of the statutory conditions. National Insurance separately examines a resident’s center of life when determining residency for benefits.

The urban area around Tel Aviv-Yafo links coastal cities with inland employment and residential centers. It includes secular, traditional and religious communities; Bnei Brak is a major Haredi and Torah-study center.

Cities Tel Aviv-Yafo · Rishon LeZion · Petah Tikva · Bnei Brak · Holon · Ramat Gan · Herzliya · Bat Yam

Jerusalem is Israel’s capital and a center of Jewish religious life, with major Muslim and Christian holy sites. Its metropolitan area extends beyond the municipality. CBS estimated the city itself at about 1.074 million residents at the end of August 2026, including foreign residents.

Cities Jerusalem · Beit Shemesh · Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut · Ma'ale Adumim

Haifa and the Krayot form an urban area around Haifa Bay and Mount Carmel. Ports and industry sit alongside universities and residential neighborhoods. Jewish and Arab communities live in Haifa and other coastal towns.

Cities Haifa · Hadera · Krayot suburbs · Acre/Akko

The Galilee includes hill country, valleys, towns, kibbutzim and moshavim. Its population includes Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and Bedouin communities. Safed and Tiberias have long histories as centers of Jewish religious learning.

Cities Nazareth · Nof HaGalil · Karmiel · Tiberias · Safed/Tzfat

The Negev is the arid southern region around Beersheba and the desert highlands. Jewish and Bedouin communities live in cities, towns and rural settlements. It is geographically distinct from the entire Southern District, which also includes coastal cities.

Cities Beer Sheva · Eilat · Dimona · Sderot · Rahat

The Sharon is part of the central coastal plain, with cities and agricultural communities north of Tel Aviv. Some Sharon localities also fall within the Tel Aviv metropolitan area; the two geographic descriptions overlap.

Cities Netanya · Kfar Saba · Ra'anana · Hod HaSharon

Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria include cities such as Modi’in Illit, Beitar Illit, Ma’ale Adumim and Ariel, alongside smaller communities. Population figures for Israeli residents do not describe the area’s entire population, which also includes Palestinian residents.

Cities Modi'in Illit · Beitar Illit · Ma'ale Adumim · Ariel · Efrat

Centers New York metro, Los Angeles, South Florida, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Bay Area

• The United States has the largest Jewish population outside Israel. Estimates vary with whether they count Jewish identity, ancestry or wider households.

Centers Paris/Île-de-France, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Strasbourg

• France’s community includes Ashkenazi families and many Sephardi families whose roots are in North Africa. Paris and its surrounding region are its main center.

Centers Toronto/GTA, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Winnipeg

• Toronto and Montreal are major centers. Montreal also has a substantial Sephardi community with North African roots.

Centers London, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Stamford Hill, Manchester/Salford/Bury, Gateshead, Leeds, Glasgow

• London and Greater Manchester are major centers, alongside smaller communities across Britain. Religious life includes Orthodox, Haredi, Masorti and Progressive congregations.

Centers Buenos Aires, Rosario, Córdoba, Mendoza

• Argentina has Latin America’s largest Jewish community. Buenos Aires is the principal center, with Ashkenazi and Sephardi communal institutions.

Centers Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara

• Moscow and Saint Petersburg are the main centers. Jewish religious and cultural organizations also operate in other regional cities.

Centers Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne

• Immigration from the former Soviet Union substantially expanded Germany’s Jewish communities after 1990. Community membership totals differ from estimates of the entire Jewish population.

Centers Melbourne, Sydney, Perth

• Melbourne and Sydney are the main centers, with smaller communities including Perth. Australian Jewish life includes Orthodox, Progressive and Masorti congregations.

Centers São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Recife

• São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are major centers. Regional Jewish federations are represented nationally by CONIB, founded in 1951.

Centers Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth

• Johannesburg and Cape Town are the largest centers. The community’s Ashkenazi heritage includes substantial immigration from Lithuania.

Centers Budapest, Small remnants in Debrecen, Miskolc, Pécs, Szeged

• Budapest is the main center. Religious traditions include Neolog and Orthodox Judaism, alongside secular cultural organizations.

Centers Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Hamadan, Yazd

• Iran’s Jewish community has ancient Persian roots. Large-scale emigration followed the 1979 revolution; the remaining community is much smaller than its pre-revolution population.

Centers Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv

• Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 displaced Jewish communities along with other Ukrainians. Population estimates are especially sensitive to wartime migration and the date of measurement.

Centers Mexico City and Mexico State, Monterrey, Guadalajara

• Mexico’s institutions reflect Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Syrian Jewish traditions. The Central Committee represents these communities, while schools and congregations maintain distinct communal histories.

Centers Antwerp, Brussels

• Brussels and Antwerp are the main centers. Antwerp has prominent Haredi and Hasidic communities; the cities have different linguistic and religious profiles.