Masortim

Masortim (מסורתיים, Masortiim lit. "traditional [people]", also known as Shomrei Masoret lit. "upholders of tradition") is an Israeli Hebrew term for Jews who perceive and define themselves as neither strictly religious (dati) nor secular (hiloni). Their affinity is mainly to mohels and rabbis of Orthodox Judaism (for their brit milah, bar mitzvah, and weddings), and they comprise roughly one-third of the Jewish population in Israel. Masortim—not to be confused with Masorti (or Conservative) Jews—observe many of the minhagim and halachot most associated with normative Judaism. Only a few authors, like Elliot Nelson Dorff, consider the American Conservative (masorti) movement and Israeli masorti group to be one and the same. Similar to Dati and Haredi Israelis, most Masortim affirm a strong belief in God; endorse the belief that Israel was given by God to the Jews; keep kosher; observe Jewish holidays and Shabbat; and study Torah or Gemara semi-regularly. Unlike their Orthodox and Haredi coreligionists, Masortim less frequently report regular synagogue attendance or prayer; public head-covering; belief in a conflict between science and religion; or support for remaking Israel into a halachic state. Like Hilonim, most Masortim prefer Israel to be governed by democratic principles; keeping public transportation open on Shabbat; and extending the military draft to Haredi men. The number of Masortim is hard to determine since it is based upon the self-definition of the participants in surveys. According to a 2006 Israel Central Bureau of Statistics estimate, 39% of the Jewish Israeli population define themselves as Masortim. In 2016, Pew Research Center put that figure at 29% of Israeli Jews (or 23% of Israeli adults). Shomrei Masoret perceive the preservation of the Jewish tradition, minhagim, and family customs, as an educational and a family value. The tradition, minhagim, and family customs is also relevant in terms of the Jewish denomination of origin affiliation, and thus the percentage of Shomrei Masoret is especially high among the Mizrahi denomination of origin affiliation.