The Collapse of the Center: Religious Polarization among South African Jews

Around the world, there is evidence demonstrating religious polarization within Jewish communities. Given that trends in individual religiosity tend to be overwhelmingly away from strict forms of religion or any faith at all, polarization generally occurs when there is a countervailing force, such as higher fertility rates within more religious groups. Drawing on data from the 2019 survey of the Jews of South Africa, I assess religious trajectories, seek to uncover the underlying mechanisms responsible for polarization, and explore possible explanations for these developments.

In South Africa, the once-dominant Traditional group is losing ground and is now only slightly larger than the not strictly Orthodox. In contrast, the groups at both poles of the religious continuum (strictly Orthodox/Haredi/Chasidic and Secular/Cultural) are growing due to their ability to attract members who were raised in more centrist groups. While the growth of more liberal strands of Judaism at the expense of stricter or more centrist groups is repeated across the Jewish world, it is the simultaneous increase in numbers at the other end of the spectrum that is somewhat unusual. South African Jewry represents a unique case, representing the largest Jewish population in Africa, a population situated in a country with a much lower HDI ranking than those that are home to the vast majority of the world’s Jews. Understanding religious trends within the Jewish community necessitates a greater appreciation of the significance of national context as well as the characteristics and history of the Jewish community.