Hiloni


Hiloni, plural hilonim, derived from the Hebrew word hulin, meaning "secular" or "mundane", is the term used in Israel for non-religious Jews, some of whom identify with Jewish secularism and secular Jewish culture.
As citizens of Israel, hilonim generally speak Hebrew. Many hilonim observe national holidays, such as Israel's Independence Day and Holocaust Remembrance Day.

History of secularism in Israel

The concept of modern-day political Zionism, in itself, was founded largely upon secular beliefs and values. Theodor Herzl, founder of the modern Zionist movement, was an assimilated Austrian Jew. At first, most of those immigrating to Ottoman Palestine were Orthodox Jews who moved due to the holiness of the Land of Israel and their wish to be buried in Jerusalem. With the onset of numerous pogroms throughout Eastern Europe, some Jews moved to the Holy Land—"made aliyah"—citing security, freedom of religion, and strong Zionist affinities. During the first wave of Zionist aliyah, and especially during the Second Aliyah, the Jewish population of Ottoman Palestine, consisting mainly of secular or non-traditional Jews, greatly increased. These immigrants and their offspring founded cities such as Tel Aviv and established kibbutzim inspired by socialist theory, which was not necessarily connected to Judaism as a religion or a set of values. As the number of new immigrants increased, so did the proportion of secular Jews. Up to the establishment of the State of Israel, the number of religious Jews was relatively minor.
In 2015, Pew Research Center estimates the Israeli Jewish population breakdown as 49% Hiloni, 29% Masorti, 13% Dati, and 9% Haredi.

Conflict with observant (or more traditional) Jews

The hilonim of Israel are embroiled in many disagreements with the religious, particularly Haredi, population. The conflicts resonate from most Haredim's unwillingness to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, Haredi groups that oppose the state of Israel, the Haredi lobby's support of the ban on pork in Israel, and the mandatory closing of stores during Shabbat.