The Role of Young Adult Communities in Promoting Separation-Individuation and Identity Formation among Religious-Zionist Singles

This study examined the experience of leaving the parental home and moving into a young adult community among unmarried men and women in the Religious-Zionist sector, aged 23-30, during the stage of emerging adulthood. It explored the role of these communities in processes of separation, identity formation, and belonging. Focusing on this unique population, the study sought to understand how young Religious-Zionist adults cope with the emotional and social challenges of separating from their family of origin, searching for individuality, and maintaining a connection to religious and com

munal values. The research questions addressed the meanings participants attribute to the transition from the parental home to the young adult community, the ways in which such communities serve as spaces for processing identity and belonging, and the emotional and social tensions that emerge within community life.

The study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach aimed at revealing participants’ subjective experiences. Sixteen semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight men and eight women — unmarried Religious-Zionist adults living in various young adult communities across Israel. The interviews were analyzed thematically in order to identify key themes recurring in participants’ subjective experiences in relation to the community in whice they live. 

Findings revealed that leaving home among Religious-Zionist young adults is an emotional, gradual and sometimes ambivalent process characterized by ongoing movement between dependence and autonomy, and between belonging and separation. The process was often accompanied by feelings of guilt, loyalty, or inner conflict regarding parental and communal expectations, and reflected not only physical but also religious separation— a process of negotiating personal values in relation to family and social norms. At the same time, young adult communities emerged as transitional spaces, that allow participants to explore, experiment, and build an autonomous sense of self, and as liminal spaces that mediate between dependence and independence while maintaining an emotional connection to their families. The community served as a source of support, intimacy, and security, yet sometimes also generated feelings of stagnation or fear of new dependency and even raised concerns about delaying the transition to partnership and family life.

The study contributes theoretically to understanding processes of separation and the concept of liminality in the Israeli Religious-Zionist context, and has practical and social implications for expanding professional knowledge regarding Religious-Zionist young adults. Recognizing the complexity of emerging adulthood within this group can help therapists, social workers, educators, and policymakers view singlehood as a meaningful developmental stage rather than as a deviation from social norms. This understanding may encourage a more open and respectful discourse on integration of religious identity with personal autonomy and promote the development of community frameworks that support growth and emotional maturity.