Tehila Kalagy

Energy transitions depend not only on technology and economic incentives, but also on legitimacy, trust, and local systems of authority. This article examines these dynamics through the case of “kosher electricity” in Israel's Ultra-Orthodox community: the use of fuel-powered generators to supply electricity during Shabbat and religious holidays without prohibited human intervention. Although this system is costly, polluting, and associated with safety risks, it remains socially legitimate in parts of the community. Based on a qualitative case study, including 23 semi-structured interviews, four focus groups, field observation, and a review of religious sources, the article analyzes how energy decisions are shaped in a high-cohesion religious community with strong rabbinic authority and relatively low trust in state institutions. The findings show that kosher electricity functions not only as an energy practice, but also as a religious, communal, and identity-based arrangement. Participants demonstrated practical awareness of electricity costs, appliance efficiency, and Shabbat consumption limits, yet this knowledge became behaviorally relevant only when filtered through rabbinic authority and communal legitimacy. The study further shows that shared infrastructure, internal financing, community-based governance, participation boundaries, and trust allow kosher electricity to function as an informal and unrecognized energy community. The article contributes to energy-community research by showing how collective energy arrangements can emerge outside formal, renewable, or state-recognized models. It also suggests design principles for future renewable-energy and storage pilots in religiously conservative communities.