45% of Israeli Youth Report Strengthening in Religion After the War

A new survey presented at a conference of the Israeli Marketing Association suggests that many young Israelis are reassessing their priorities, with nearly half reporting a growing connection to religion and spirituality. According to the data, 45% of Israeli youth say they are strengthening in religion, pointing to a broader search for values and meaning among a generation often assumed to be defined primarily by screens and social media.

The findings were unveiled at the association’s youth-focused conference and are based on research conducted by teenk in collaboration with IPANEL. The survey paints a picture of a generation that is highly aware of the downsides of constant digital engagement and increasingly drawn to real-world experiences and deeper sources of purpose.

One of the most striking figures to emerge from the study is the level of digital fatigue. According to the data, 82% of Israeli teens reported that they feel a need to take a break from social media. Rather than rejecting technology altogether, the findings suggest that young people are seeking a healthier balance and are more conscious of the emotional and mental costs of continuous online presence.

The survey also points to notable shifts in behavior following the war. More than half of respondents, 56%, said they prefer spending their free time outside the home, while 42% reported a desire to “live in the moment,” citing uncertainty about the future. These patterns suggest a turn toward immediacy, connection, and experiences that feel tangible and grounding.

Alongside these trends, the survey points to a generation guided strongly by personal values. Nearly all respondents, 95%, said independence is a central value in their lives, while 73% reported striving for a healthy lifestyle. In parallel, the rise in religious strengthening appears less as a technical shift in observance and more as part of a broader search for identity, stability, and meaning. The survey did not define what “strengthening in religion” entails, and the finding is based on the youths’ own self-assessment.

Opening the conference, Sigalit Horn-Gelfrin, CEO of the Israeli Marketing Association, described the findings as a sign of resilience. “The generation has proven that it is a generation of hope,” she said, adding that young people are not shaped only by marketing messages, but actively influence the values and expectations placed on brands and institutions.

An international perspective was provided by guest speaker Greg White, a specialist in youth marketing who addressed the conference. White distinguished between Generation Z and the younger Generation Alpha, noting that despite heavy digital use, many young people are seeking meaning beyond screens. “Despite the heavy use of digital platforms, many young people are looking for tangible, meaningful experiences in the real world,” he said. He added that the renewed focus on values identified in the survey reflects a broader search for significance among today’s youth.

White described Generation Z as pioneers of short-form video who experienced a childhood largely without smartphones before becoming immersed in digital culture as teenagers. Shaped by economic uncertainty and social activism, he said, they tend to be highly practical, especially when it comes to money, and are accustomed to researching deeply before making decisions.

Taken together, the findings suggest that Israel’s young generation is not disengaged or apathetic, but rather in the midst of a certain mount of recalibration, stepping back from constant digital noise and looking for stability, values, and meaning in an uncertain world.