Some 200 rabbis and Jewish community leaders report a 75% increase in the number of Europeans hiding their Jewish identity; only 15% of the continent’s Jews plan to attend synagogue prayers during the High Holidays.

About 70 percent of Europe’s Jews conceal their religion and avoid any activity which may uncover their Jewish identity, likely for fear of being harassed, according to reports from rabbis and leaders of Jewish communities in the continent.

Ahead of the Jewish New Year and High Holidays, the Rabbinical Center of Europe (RCE) and European Jewish Association (EJA) asked a representative sample of 197 community leaders in Western and Eastern Europe how many people plan to visit synagogues during Rosh Hashana. According to the findings, only about 15% of Europe’s Jews plan to attend the prayers and shofar blowing with their children, while 85% will stay away.

This figure marks a considerable rise of about 75 percent in the number of Jews concealing their religion within one year, after a similar survey conducted about a year ago found that only 40 percent of Europe’s Jews fail to express their Jewish identity in any way – neither religiously nor socially-communally – and 75 percent of their children don’t go to Jewish schools.

Read the full article at YNet News