Age a Factor in Determining Importance of Jewish Holidays

In the Jewish tradition, the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a time for reflection, repentance and atonement. Most Jews consider these to be the most important to their faith, but PRRI data shows that age plays a role in determining which holidays Jews find personally significant.

A majority of older Jewish Americans (53%) say Yom Kippur is the most important Jewish holiday, compared to just more than one-third (37%) of younger Jewish Americans. In contrast, 2-in-10 younger Jewish Americans (20%) say Hanukkah is the most important Jewish holiday, more than three times the number of older Jewish Americans (6%). Age does not have the same affect on other holidays, with comparable percentages of older and younger Jewish Americans selecting Rosh Hashanah (9% vs. 11%), Passover (24% vs. 21%), and assorted other holidays (9% vs. 11%).