Only a third of us say Shabbat is important

A third of British Jews say observing Shabbat is “very important” to their identity, according to a survey by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR).

Based on the responses of nearly 5,000 British Jews, the research was carried out between November and December 2022.

The report, On the Seventh Day, by Senior Research Fellow Dr David Graham, explores different aspects of observing Shabbat among UK Jews.

It found 61 percent of respondents attended a Friday night meal most weeks, yet only one in five (20 percent) reported they refrain from using electricity on Shabbat

Just over one in three Jews (34 percent) say Shabbat is “very important” to their Jewish identity, a substantially lower proportion than those who say the same about “remembering the Holocaust” (71 percent), “strong moral and ethical behaviour” (69 percent) or “feeling part of the Jewish people” (65 percent).

While 88 percent of Orthodox Jews say Shabbat is very important to their Jewish identity, this is the case for only 36 percent of traditional Jews and 28 percent of Reform/Progressive Jews.

About six in 10 (61 percent) of British Jews attend a Shabbat dinner most weeks, 58 percent regularly make time for family and friends, and 50 percent take a break from work on Shabbat.

Some 80 percent of British Jews light candles on Friday night at least occasionally, and about the same proportion report buy challah at least occasionally. Observance of Shabbat peaks between the ages of 40-49.

Some 27 percent of respondents attend synagogue most Shabbats or more often. 23 percent abstain from driving on Shabbat, and 20 percent do not switch on electric lights on Shabbat.

JPR executive director Dr Jonathan Boyd said: “The observance of Shabbat has long been one of the most important dimensions of Jewish practice, perhaps even the most important of all. It continues to be today, although it is clearly marked in different ways and with different degrees of intensity along different parts of the denominational spectrum.

“This short paper shares some of the latest figures, but research demonstrates that the underlying importance of Shabbat cannot be understated – practised habitually and meaningfully, it remains the archetypal means of transmitting Jewishness to the next generation.”