Shtreimels & Fatigues: Celebrating Hassidim Who Serve

As an education entrepreneur, my “Nasdaq bell-ringing” moment happened last week as I was standing under the wedding canopy with Yitzchak and Rivka – a handsome young Tolne- Hassid and his bride. Suddenly I felt that my schools network start-up was truly paying dividends!

“Yitzchak”, wearing full Chassidish garb under the Chupah, is an honors graduate of Netzach’s Midrasha HaChassidit, who now serves in an elite combat unit in the Israel Defense Forces. The bride (we’ll call her Rivka) is studying Nursing at Netzach’s Ofek Women’s College in Jerusalem.

Not only were both families bursting with pride for their children, but they were joined by soldiers from the groom’s combat unit, who danced and sang with gusto. For many of them, this was their first time attending a Haredi wedding. I was moved to watch this couple bridging the social gap and uniting the Jewish people without compromising their traditions and values, and supported by their family and community.

Conflicting Values

I am not so naïve as to claim that it is easy for Haredim to serve in the IDF. The army is working on tackling this problem by opening all-Haredi units. Netzach Yehuda and the new Hashmonayim unitare designed to meet their religious needs, but the overall culture of the army is still foreign to most Yeshiva bachurim. Surveys show that the majority of Haredim in Israel are either nervous of or hostile to the idea of army service. This erects huge social barriers in the path of any young man who decides to enlist.

Mainstream young Hareidi men who sign up to join the IDF have usually grown up without any Zionist ideology or expectations. Those who admit to falling short of the 10 hours of daily Gemara learning that is expected of them may be reluctant to commit to staying in Yeshiva and live in poverty until age 27 without the option to earn a living, as currently required by law.

Those who choose to “jump-ship” by enlisting in the IDF risk being labelled “Sug Bet” or second-class by their society. They oftenstruggle to meld their religious values with the new social norms that they encounter in the IDF melting-pot. They usually face family and community opposition, which will impact who they are permitted to marry, and whether they are invited to family gatherings.

The Golden Path

By contrast, our Chatan Yitzchak was fortunate to learn in Netzach’s Hassidic Yeshiva High School in Beitar from age fourteen to eighteen, with the full support of his family. He learned about Israel, met Jews who held diverse political opinions and kept different traditions, and learned to respect what they have in common. He had the opportunity to learn about Israel’s miraculous history and understood that he too could play a part in our national story. He and his fellow students learned Math, English, Ivrit, History, Geography, Civics and Science, as well as Mishnah, Gemara and Tanakh. They graduated high school with a full Bagrut certificate that will open any door into academia or employment, and a successful future in the profession of their choice.

When he graduated from our Michlala four years ago, Yitzchak was awarded an honors certificate for his high grades. He went on to study mathematics and engineering at the Jerusalem College of Technology in Jerusalem (formerly Machon Lev), and he served in a cyber unit in the IDF. He has continued to learn Torah and live as a fully observant Hassid, never compromising his traditions or beliefs. Once she graduates, his bride Rivka will join a growing cohort of Haredi women, including hundreds of Ofek College graduates, who are working in Israel’s medical profession.
Yitzchak and Rivka’s wedding proved to me that the Netzach Educational Network that I founded seven years ago is having a real impact. In the past, a Hassid had to choose between serving his country and leaving his community. Today, couples like Yitzchak and Rivka are demonstrating that you can live as an authentic Haredi Jew and make a real contribution to Israeli society.

Revolution or Evolution?

Some will argue that we are doing too little, too late, and that we need to draft thousands of Haredim in order to relieve the pressure on the rest of Israeli society. I am not a revolutionary and I believe in incremental, evolutionary change. As the Ethics of the Fathers (2:16) tells us, it is not for us to complete the task, but neither can we evade our responsibility to do as much as we can.

Ideas spread organically through conservative communities, where progress is anathema and attempts to pressure people to change leads to fierce resistance. I have written before about the surprisingopenness of the apparently uber-conservative Hasidic communities to embrace change. Every Haredi soldier who steps off the normative path in the Yeshiva world is making a bold statement and risking his family’s standing in their community. Perhaps it is obvious, but every time we show our appreciation by thanking a Haredi soldier for his service, we empower him to encourage others in his community to enlist.

Yitzchak is one of many graduates of our Yeshiva High Schools who have chosen to serve their country in uniform, and I believe that many more will join them. Yitzchak and Rivka are not unique, but they are trailblazers in their communities. I hope and pray that others will follow their example, and I urge everyone to appreciate the bravery of each and every one of our brave fighters. May Hashem keep them safe and bring them home soon, together with our hostages, our evacuees, and all who are suffering the terrible effects of this war. Am Yisrael Chai!