search
Menachem Bombach
President and CEO of Netzach Educational Network

Haredi Society at a Crossroads

In these days, as the echoes of violent riots at the home of Rabbi David Leibel still reverberate, we are witnessing a deep crisis threatening to tear Haredi society apart from within. The violent struggle against the Rabbi, who worked to promote Haredi enlistment in the IDF, is not just an attack on a person or an idea – it is a dangerous crack threatening to widen into an abyss that will swallow Haredi society whole.

The greatest danger lies in the profound impact of these events on the younger generation. Many young Haredim today stand shocked and confused in the face of the unbridled aggressiveness of a handful of zealots. They see how, in the name of Torah, acts contrary to every basic Jewish value are being committed. This is a defining moment for them – a moment when they are required to choose between blind loyalty and their moral conscience.

The violent struggle against Rabbi Leibel may lead to the opposite result of what its instigators seek. Instead of strengthening Haredi society, it threatens to shatter it from within. Many young people, who are already questioning their place in this society, may find themselves drifting further away. They will struggle to identify with a society that on one hand speaks in the name of Torah values, and on the other hand resorts to violence against those who seek to bridge and unite.

This violence casts the entire Haredi society in a negative light in the eyes of the wider public. It reinforces prejudices and deepens the rift between Haredi society and other parts of the nation. In doing so, it endangers the very ability of the Haredi public to integrate and influence the broader Israeli society.

The time has come for a wake-up call. The leaders of the Haredi public, rabbis and public figures alike, must strongly condemn every manifestation of violence, and make it clear that it has no place in a society guided by Torah values. This is the hour to prove that Haredi society can be a beacon of values, morality, and mutual respect, not a stronghold of fanaticism and violence.

The choice is in our hands. Will we choose the path of unity, tolerance, and dialogue, or will we allow a handful of zealots to lead us to the brink of the abyss? The answer to this question will determine the future of Haredi society.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

About the Author
‏Menachem Bombach is an entrepreneur, an educator, Rosh Yeshiva of the boys' residential high school HaMidrasha HaHassidit in Beitar Illit, and the founder and CEO of the Netzach Yisrael Educational Network. ‏Rabbi Menachem Bombach, a Vizhnitz hasid, was born and raised in the ultra-Orthodox community in Meah Shearim in Jerusalem. Following his yeshiva education at the Mir Yeshiva, he earned his undergraduate degree in Education and graduate degree in Public Policy from Hebrew University, where he also founded a preparatory program (Mechina) for Haredi students. Menachem was a fellow at Maoz and in the leadership program of Gesher and is a fellow and senior project leader at the Mandel Institute. ‏After the establishment of the Midrasha HaHassidit in 2017 and in light of its success, Menachem Bombach established Netzach Yisrael, a network of Haredi schools whose mission is to provide its students with an outstanding Haredi education, while in parallel, they work towards their bagrut (matriculation) certificate, a prerequisite for quality employment and higher education in Israel. The network’s academic program empowers graduates to create a strong, financially viable future for them, their future families, and the Israeli economy, while remaining strongly connected to their core values of Torah observance. ‏As of November 2021, the growing Netzach network is 15 schools strong. What started out with 14 students, currently serves 1900 students and fully expect to be serving 2500-3500 within two years, not including the over 26.000 registered at our Eshkolot Virtual School, an online platform which prepares Haredi students for their pre-academic studies. ‏In March 2022, the Netzach Educational Network was awarded the Annual Jerusalem Unity Prize in the category of education. The annual prize is awarded to initiatives in Israel and throughout the Jewish world that are instrumental in advancing mutual respect for others, and acknowledges accomplishments of those who work to advance the critical importance of Jewish unity, and inspire tolerance and mutual respect across the Jewish world –promoting acceptance of those who think, act or live differently.
Related Topics
Related Posts