Hiddush (Organization)

Hiddush's stated mission is to advance freedom of religion and conscience and social and political equality without distinction based on religion.[2] The organization presents these objectives as fulfilling promises in Israel's Declaration of Independence and argues that doing so would strengthen Israel as both a democracy and a Jewish state, reinforce Jewish peoplehood, and improve Israel-Diaspora relationships. Its mission statement connects religion-and-state disputes with personal-status matters, gender equality, economic concerns, and military service.[2]

Hiddush says it does not identify with any political or religious stream and seeks cooperation across the Zionist political and religious spectrum.[4] Its FAQ identifies what it calls an "unholy alliance between religion and politics" as the root of Israel's religion-and-state problems and argues that these matters should be addressed together rather than issue by issue.[4] The U.S. Department of State lists Hiddush among NGOs seeking to challenge the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly over matters including marriage, divorce, and burial-related certification.[6]

In its 2025 "Vision for Israel 2048," Hiddush proposes freedom of choice in civil or religious marriage, pluralistic Jewish education in public schools, a shared weekly day of rest with public transportation according to local need, and equal civic duties. It also proposes abolishing the Chief Rabbinate, city rabbis, and religious councils, with religious services instead provided by municipal authorities.[8] In the debate over kosher-certification reform, Uri Regev has called for a free market in private certification, government accreditation and oversight of certifiers, and elimination of the Rabbinate as an institution.[9]

Hiddush says it was established on the eve of Rosh Hashanah in 2009 as a nonprofit promoting the religious freedom and equality promised in Israel's Declaration of Independence.[2] A Jerusalem Post biography likewise states that Regev founded Hiddush in 2009.[10]

The organization's FAQ identifies Rabbi and attorney Uri Regev and businessman Stanley Gold as its founders. It says they established Hiddush to speak for a broad cross-section of the Israeli public, including secular, traditional, religious, Reform, and Conservative Jews. Hiddush states that it has no organizational or financial link to the Reform movement, although it cooperates with that movement and other organizations.[4] In the United States, it operates as the charitable, tax-exempt organization Hiddush – Freedom of Religion for Israel, Inc.[2]

The State Department identifies Hiddush as a religious-freedom NGO supporting religious pluralism and secular-religious equality and lists it among organizations working to build dialogue between religious groups and between religious and secular Jewish communities.[6] A 2013 Ynet report described it as an Israeli-American partnership advocating religious equality in Israel, with Regev serving as CEO.[1]

Hiddush describes its methods as public advocacy, policymaker education and consultation, research and polling, coalition-building, and legal support for people harmed by religious discrimination. It also produces communications in Hebrew and English, position papers, reports, and educational materials.[2] A 2015 report said Regev spent roughly one-third of his time in the United States speaking to Jewish communities and their leaders and noted that Hiddush had developed a "Freedom of Marriage World Map" examining marriage law in 160 countries.[11]

Hiddush says it has published its annual Israel Religion and State Index since 2009. Its 2025 page describes the Index as the only systematic, in-depth periodic survey of Jewish-Israeli views on religion and state and identifies the Rafi Smith Polling Institute as conducting that edition.[5] A Washington Institute publication cited the Tenth Annual Report, dated September 2018, listing Rabbi Uri Regev with pollsters Rafi Smith and Olga Paniel as contributors.[12]

The 2014 Index reported that 89 percent of secular Jewish Israelis, 80 percent of immigrants, and 61 percent of traditionally religious Jewish Israelis were unhappy with the Chief Rabbinate's policies.[13] The 2015 Index reported that 86 percent supported the general principle of freedom of religion and conscience, while 64 percent supported recognition of civil, Reform, and Conservative marriage and the same share supported recognition of marriage or civil unions for same-sex couples.[14] A separate 2015 survey report placed dissatisfaction with government religious policy at 95 percent among secular respondents and 81 percent among Haredi respondents, although Regev cautioned that the groups could be dissatisfied for different reasons.[15]

The 2020 Index surveyed 800 adult Jews and reported that 83 percent supported freedom of religion and conscience, 63 percent supported separation of religion and state, and 65 percent supported equal status for Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform traditions.[16] It also found that 65 percent supported state recognition of civil and non-Orthodox religious marriages. Fifty-one percent said they would not have married in an Orthodox ceremony if offered a choice, compared with 35 percent in 2009, 39 percent in 2013, and 47 percent in 2016.[16]

The 2022 Index, also surveying 800 adult Jews, found 81 percent supporting freedom of religion and conscience, 59 percent supporting separation of religion and state, and 59 percent supporting equal denominational status. Seventy-five percent supported public transportation on Shabbat, and 62 percent supported state recognition of civil and non-Orthodox marriage options.[7]

The State Department reported that the 2023 Index surveyed 800 adult Jews in August and was published in September. It found 86 percent supporting freedom of religion and conscience, 60 percent supporting separation of religion and state, and 59 percent supporting equal status for Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform traditions.[17] It also reported that 66 percent supported state recognition of civil and non-Orthodox marriage options and 71 percent supported public transportation on Shabbat.[17][18]

On religious identity, the 2023 survey reported that 57 percent of Jewish citizens did not affiliate with any stream of Judaism; listed affiliations included 21 percent Religious-Zionist, 11 percent ultra-Orthodox, 5 percent Reform, 4 percent Conservative, and 2 percent ultra-Orthodox Zionist.[17] It also found that 72 percent did not observe Shabbat according to religious law and that 56 percent thought immigrants should be recognized as Jewish if they identified as such, compared with 35 percent in 2022.[17]

The 2025 Index, described as the 17th annual edition, reported that 83 percent of Israel's Jewish adult public supported freedom of religion, including 95 percent of secular Jews, 46 percent of ultra-Orthodox Jews, and 71 percent of National Religious Jews.[5] It further reported that 57 percent supported separation of religion and state, 71 percent supported pluralistic Jewish heritage programs in public schools, 57 percent supported equal denominational status, 80 percent supported requiring ultra-Orthodox men to serve in the IDF, and 75 percent supported punishing draft evaders.[5]

Hiddush has used litigation and public advocacy to challenge religious restrictions involving marriage, burial, military service, religious practices in the IDF, public transportation, and access to public institutions.

Civil Marriage and the Utah Marriage Cases

Hiddush joined eight couples in petitioning over the registration of marriages conducted online through Utah County. After district-court rulings required registration, the Population and Immigration Authority announced on December 1, 2022, that it would begin registering the marriages following a letter from Hiddush.[7] In March 2023, the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the state's appeal, leaving the Population Authority obliged to register couples married through this process.[19][20] Hiddush later reported that 150–175 Israeli couples were marrying online in Utah each month; 36 percent of Israelis knew of the option, and among those aware of it, 65 percent supported it and 31 percent opposed it.[17]

In 2013, Hiddush launched a civil-marriage campaign with American Jewish organizations. Regev said religious restrictions left hundreds of thousands of citizens unable to marry and millions unable to have a ceremony suited to their beliefs and lifestyle; these figures were presented as his advocacy claims.[1]

Military Funerals and Civil Burial

After Hiddush filed a petition in 2017, the IDF agreed in 2019 to allow military funerals conducted by non-Orthodox clergy or in a secular manner, enabling Reform and Conservative rabbis to officiate and families to hold nonreligious ceremonies.[21]

Hiddush also challenged restrictions on civil burial. The State Department reported that in 2020 the Ministry of Religious Services listed 28 dedicated cemeteries for civil burial and burial of people defined as "lacking religion," but only three were open to the general public regardless of residence, and one had been full for several years. Hiddush argued that the restrictions deprived most of the population of a legal right to secular or non-Orthodox burial. On December 12, 2020, the Supreme Court ordered the state to explain why nonresidents without another alternative could not be buried in agricultural localities.[6] On September 12, 2021, the Court rejected Hiddush's general petition but invited it to submit a new petition concerning a specific locality.[22]

IDF Religious-Practice Policies

Hiddush and the Secular Forum petitioned in 2020 for regular family visits to army bases on Shabbat after visits were repeatedly cancelled. An IDF committee established after the petition produced unified procedures, although they had not been published when the IDF informed Hiddush of the development.[16]

In 2022, the IDF announced it would stop searching soldiers' bags for non-kosher-for-Passover food following a petition by the two organizations. On March 1, the Supreme Court ordered the IDF to explain why it would not designate specific areas of bases as kosher for Passover rather than treating entire bases that way; the petition remained pending at year's end.[7]

Yeshiva Exemptions and Stipends

In 2010, Hiddush and the Forum for Equal Burden petitioned against a government decision granting a blanket military-service exemption to yeshiva students aged 22 and older, with an option of national service. They argued that the decision conflicted with the Tal Law, a prior High Court ruling, and the principle of equality.[23] A Rafi Smith Institute poll commissioned by Hiddush found that 68 percent of the Jewish public opposed the decision, including 80 percent of secular respondents and 65 percent of traditionalists, while 62 percent of Haredi respondents supported it.[24]

Hiddush also joined a 2011 petition against government-funded stipends for yeshiva students. In May 2014, a seven-judge High Court panel unanimously accepted the petition and ruled that the specified scholarships could no longer be provided after 2014. The minimum-income allocations had totaled NIS 110 million in 2011 and NIS 109 million in 2012.[25] A 2011 religious-freedom report separately attributed to Hiddush the claim that Israel financially supported more than 100,000 yeshiva students over age 18.[26]

In 2013, Hiddush's analysis of state-submitted data concluded that 48,000 yeshiva students would receive full exemptions under the incoming government's arrangement—26,000 immediately and 22,000 over four years—compared with an annual intake of 46,000 Jewish men aged 18. Regev argued that the arrangement increased discrimination between Jews and cast doubt on the proposed draft targets.[27]

Municipal Religious Listings

In February 2020, Hiddush sued over a Jerusalem municipal website section that listed Orthodox synagogues and institutions but excluded non-Orthodox Jewish communities and primarily Muslim and Christian institutions.[6] After the municipality deleted its synagogue list, Hiddush said the city had acted to avoid publicizing non-Orthodox synagogues and non-Jewish houses of worship; the State Department presented this as Hiddush's characterization.[6]

Sabbath Public Transportation

Hiddush joined a 2016 petition seeking Sabbath public transportation. The petitioners asked the Transport Ministry to survey residents' needs and establish suitable services on days of rest. The High Court deleted the petition in 2017 with the parties' consent while reserving their rights, after indicating that transport operators should seek individual review of proposed services.[28]

Kosher Certification and Religious Courts

In 2015, the Chief Rabbinate issued new hotel and hostel certification rules after reportedly facing threatened legal action by Hiddush. The rules removed restrictions on photography, films, music, and Christian symbols at private hotel events on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, as well as a requirement that Saturday receptionists be non-Jews.[14]

Hiddush has also assisted individual litigants affected by religious-court authority. In a 2015 case, it joined an ultra-Orthodox woman identified as "C" after a religious court attempted to pressure her to leave civil proceedings and issued a writ of refusal when she declined. Regev argued that religious-court arbitration requires both parties' consent and that religious authorities should not obstruct access to civil justice.[11]

Beyond litigation, Hiddush has developed a research and public-outreach operation whose polling has been cited in U.S. Department of State reports and publications of the American Jewish Committee and Washington Institute for Near East Policy.[29][12] Its annual Index provides recurring breakdowns of attitudes among secular, traditional, Religious-Zionist, and ultra-Orthodox respondents.[17]

Hiddush describes one of its central roles as mobilizing support among Israelis and world Jewry and providing information to policymakers and the media.[2] A 2015 report said Regev regularly addressed American Jewish communities and their leaders as part of the organization's campaign for freedom of marriage.[11]

The organization has also produced comparative educational tools, including its "Freedom of Marriage World Map" covering 160 countries. Its research and position papers address religious-court authority, the Rabbinate's role in life-cycle events, marriage law, and the religion-and-state demands of ultra-Orthodox political parties.[11]

An American Jewish Committee essay reported that a Hiddush survey found 65 percent of the Israeli Jewish public supported equal status for Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform Judaism, rising to 92 percent among secular Israeli Jews. The essay did not provide the survey's date, sample size, or methodology.[29]

Across cited editions of the Index, reported support for freedom of religion and conscience remained above 80 percent, while support for separation of religion and state ranged from 57 to 63 percent and support for equal denominational status ranged from 57 to 65 percent.[14][5]

Marriage responses varied over time. In 2020, 51 percent said they would not have married in an Orthodox ceremony if given a choice, compared with 35 percent in 2009.[16] In 2023, the equivalent figure was 47 percent, while 66 percent supported state recognition of civil and non-Orthodox religious marriage options.[17]

The 2025 page reported 80 percent support for requiring ultra-Orthodox men to serve in the IDF, 75 percent support for punishing draft evaders, and 71 percent support for pluralistic Jewish heritage programs in public schools. These findings were reported by Hiddush from research it commissioned, and the page did not disclose the sample size, fieldwork dates, sampling method, or margin of error.[5]

Hiddush operates in a contested policy arena, and some of its campaigns have attracted substantive opposition. In 2022, the Lawfare Project opposed a lawsuit by Hiddush and the Secular Forum challenging the IDF's prohibition on food that was not kosher for Passover on military bases. It argued that allowing chametz would infringe on observant soldiers' religious freedom and undermine Israel's Jewish character; those judgments represented the Lawfare Project's advocacy position.[30]

Hiddush's survey findings are produced from research it commissions through the Rafi Smith Polling Institute. The organization's 2025 Index page did not disclose the survey's sample size, fieldwork dates, sampling method, or margin of error, limiting external assessment of that edition's precision.[5]

Hiddush's description of an "unholy alliance between religion and politics" as the root of religion-and-state problems reflects the organization's advocacy standpoint.[4] Similarly, the State Department attributed to Hiddush—not to an independent finding—its characterization of the Jerusalem municipality's reason for deleting a synagogue list.[6] Figures Regev cited concerning the number of Israelis unable to marry under existing law were likewise presented as his advocacy claims.[1]