[Jerusalem] A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that the ongoing Israel–Gaza war is prompting significant changes in religious and spiritual beliefs among young Israeli adults, with more students turning toward faith or spirituality than away from it.
The research, conducted by psychologists Yaakov Greenwald, Prof. Mario Mikulincer and Prof. Ariel Knafo-Noam, surveyed over 1,200 Jewish-Israeli university students amid the war that began in 2023. About half of the respondents reported a shift in either religiosity or spirituality, with most changes trending toward increased belief.
Roughly 25% of students described becoming more religious, while 33% reported greater spiritual engagement. Researchers attribute this to the psychological impact of prolonged conflict, suggesting that exposure to war — including rocket attacks, military service and personal loss — can intensify the search for meaning.
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The study found that reactions varied by background. Students from religious or traditional communities were more likely to deepen their religious observance. In contrast, many secular students reported a rise in spirituality rather than a return to formal religious practices. A smaller portion, particularly among the secular, described moving further away from religion during the war.
Researchers framed the findings using terror management theory, which argues that heightened awareness of death may influence people to seek existential stability through culturally grounded beliefs. In Israel’s diverse Jewish society, this can mean a renewed commitment to faith or a shift toward personal spiritual exploration.
Greenwald explained that stress does not affect everyone uniformly. For some, war strengthens religious identity, while for others, it prompts a turn toward secular or nontraditional paths. He emphasized that both directions reflect meaningful responses to crisis.
The findings offer rare, real-time insight into how conflict influences belief systems. Unlike previous studies conducted after hostilities, this research captures transformations as they unfold.
The full study, titled “Widespread Religious and Spiritual Change Due to War: A Terror Management Perspective,” appears inThe International Journal for the Psychology of Religion.