 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
 < 11,500 (2020); 0.1% of total population | |
| Religions | |
| Hinduism Majority: Vaishnavism Minority: Shaivism | |
| Languages | |
| Sanskrit (sacred) Hebrew,Arabic, English, Russian, French,Amharic,Tigrinya andother languages of Israel |
Hinduism in Israel refers to theHindu population inIsrael. In 2020, about 0.1% of Israel's population were Hindus.[1] Hindu organisations such as Sai Organisation and Sivananand Yoga Vedanta Centre are established in Israel.
A group of devotees is living inKatzir-Harish. Another Vaishnava community in Israel is in Israeli settlementis in west bank inisraeli-occupied territory ofAriel. It is spearheaded by Jagadish and his wife, Jugala-Priti, and serves a growing community of devotees from Russia who immigrated to Israel to escape the severe economic oppression in the CIS. Jugala-Priti joined theISKCON center in Tel Aviv, in 1996 guided by Gunavatar and Varshabhanavi.[2]
Hindus are able to practice freely in the country. This is notably shown by the celebrations ofKrishna Janmashtami. Plays are staged revolving around stories of Krishna's childhood, besides singing and dancing. The event is accompanied with a feast of 108 dishes, a number that has come to be identified as pious by the faithful.[3] The organisers said they were inspired by Kumbh and started the event in Israel three years ago. Many of the visitors at the festival have been to India or are planning to visit. A number of youngsters could be seen takingYoga classes and attending Hare Krishna lectures. Long queues were to be found outside the Indian ‘dhaba’ serving boiled rice and lentil soup. Middle aged couples, draped in Indian clothes, strolled the beach, young boys and girls drew circles on the soft sand while others surfed the morning sea.[4][unreliable source?]
A Sai Organisation was officially established in Israel in 2001.[5]
The Israel branch was founded in 1971 bySwami Vishnudevananda, a direct disciple ofSri Swami Sivananda, of Rishikesh, India. The center is the largest and most comprehensive school in Israel for the study of yoga. Specific methods are taught suchasanas (postures),pranayama (breathing yoga), stress management, vegetarian diet, positive thinking, and meditation.[6][7]
Operations exist in the orchard,Eilat,Herzliya,Tel-Aviv, and the torch.[6]
