Sephardic Haredim to support its position. Sephardic Haredim differ from their Ashkenazi counterparts in a number of significant ways. The central differentiating factor is that Sephardic Haredim follow the rulings and customs of their rabbis, which are rooted in the traditions of the Jews formerly from the Islamic world. Additional differences exist on issues such as political allegiance, as the vast majority of Sephardic Haredim are identified with Shas, while most Ashkenazi Haredim are identified with either United Torah Judaism or, to a lesser extent, HaEdah HaChareidis. Sephardic Haredim as a community tend to be moderately supportive of Zionism, while maintaining a
Religion in Istanbul namely Galatasaray High School and Istanbul University. It is estimated that about 5-15% of the population in Istanbul has no religion, most of them are under 35 years old. Religion in Istanbul Religion in Istanbul covers the issue of religion in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, there were 2691 active mosques, 123 active churches and 20 active synagogues in Istanbul; as well as 109 Muslim cemeteries and 57 non-Muslim cemeteries. Religious minorities include Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Christians, Catholic Levantines and Sephardic Jews. Some neighbourhoods have been known with their sizeable populations of these ethnic