THE RABBI'S ARMY

The Rabbi’s Army - Contentions
For decades now, one of Israel’s most divisive internal questions has pertained to the participation of ultra-Orthodox Jews, or haredim, in the military. Whereas the great majority of Israeli males are conscripted into the army, the black-hatted haredim have been exempt, due mainly to rabbinic leaders’ fears that army life will expose them to the corrupting influences of secularism and women. Instead, they argue, these young men should defend Israel spiritually—through prayer and the study of sacred texts.

Needless to say, most Israelis resent this. It’s bad enough to risk one’s life in service of one’s country while others get a bye on grounds of piety. But it’s intolerable when taxpayers heavily subsidize the ultra-Orthodox learning institutions to boot. As for the haredim, their non-enlistment makes it much harder for them to earn a decent living down the road, and as a result many of them suffer intense poverty.

Now something appears to be changing. A few years ago, the army launched a special infantry unit catering to the special needs of haredim. By finding a way for them to serve, it was believed, they could join Israeli society, defuse the resentment against them, and eventually make a decent living. According to a report in the Jerusalem Post this week, the army unit has attracted the sons and grandsons of some of Israel’s top ultra-Orthodox rabbis—a development that could give the program much-needed legitimacy in the haredi world itself. If so, we may be about to see a major expansion of the program, and the first real signs of healing one of Israel’s most painful internal wounds.

Two essays on this subject appeared a few years back in Azure, and can be accessed here: Aharon Rose’s “The Haredim: A Defense” and Joel Rebibo’s “The Road Back from Utopia.”