The 21st century is perceived as period in which few people comply with distinct categories of religiousness and secularism. Most people around the globe are adopting more subjective approaches towards religious faith and affiliation. The same goes for Jewish people in Israel, where we might see diverse definitions of affinity to Jewish religious practice, including ultra-Orthodox, national-Haredi, national religious, lite religious, ex-religious, atheists, secular Jews and more.
The non-binary nature of religious affiliations in the case of Judaism is also evident concerning the weekend, and the recreational activities characterizing Shabbat. During Shabbat, many Jews in Israel tend to combine consumerist and leisure activity, which characterizes the secular weekend, with various halachic commandments, which characterize the religious weekend. Thus we might observe various pluralist incidents of Jewish Shabbat activities in Israel.
As part of my PhD study, which is based on in-depth interviews with young people of various religious sectors in Israel, I argue that despite the different ways in which weekend time is used, in concurrence with various religious beliefs, one can still observe a layer of meaning attached to this passage of time, affecting the formation of thought and behavioral patterns. As evidence, one might cite the way in which people along the religious continuum in Israel enshrine elements of enjoyment, rest, and spending time with one’s family within the weekend. My findings indicate that despite the different contents taking place during the weekend, the social construction of time still formulates, and perhaps even limits, the possible religious Pluralism space in Israel.