From tefillin and Shabbat to kabbala and mysticism, Jewish tradition has become cultural currency among secular Israeli artists and celebrities. But this selective return to Judaism embraces its symbols while sidestepping their religious and political implicationsShani Pocker12:55 AM • August 26 2026 IDTInterest in Judaism has been growing in Israel's cultural world in recent years. Artists don a mystical air and sprinkle Jewish references in their works. Influencers babble about kabbala. Celebs put on tefillin, declare that they are "first and foremost Jews" and embrace markers of Jewish tradition without calling themselves religious.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:JudaismIsraeli cultureCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesAltalenaE1SyriaWest BankNetanyahuGazaMansour AbbasPollsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastThe United Arab List Is Selling the House for a Night in a HotelAt Family's Request, Shin Bet Joins Search for Ethiopian Girl Missing Since 2024Report: U.S. to Hold Off Iran Strikes Until After U.S. MidtermsMan Says Police Beat Him, Left Him Wounded in Remote Location in Southern IsraelIsrael Bars Dutch Officials From U.S. Base Overseeing Gaza Over Settlement BanRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAn Israeli Startup Is Reinventing Salmon Farming. It May Upend a Global IndustryHasan Piker Talks Hamas, anti-Zionism and Why Americans Are Fed Up With IsraelBeing Israeli Abroad Has Become Embarrassing. You Don't Talk About ItDavid Remnick on Netanyahu, Mamdani and Israel's 'Failure to Face' GazaGermany Found Its Israeli Villain. Will It Continue to Ignore What Produced Him?AIPAC's Last-minute Spending Spree Fails to Block California Progressive