JERUSALEM, Israel – Military draft exemptions for Yeshiva students have been a sore point in Israeli society for years. It means that ultra-Orthodox students don’t have to serve in the military. But one Jerusalem yeshiva doesn’t take the exemption, and their students are preparing to share the burden of military service with the rest of the country.
In central Israel, tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox demonstrators have flooded major intersections, blocking traffic and rallying against what they see as a threat to preserving their religious lifestyle.
Against this backdrop, Yeshiva Mishmar Ha Torah, founded by Rabbi David Leibel, is drawing attention for charting a different path.
“This year, 250 new recruits entered this program,” Rabbi Leibel told a group of reporters. “There’s an agreement with the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) so they can continue to study and become soldiers at the same time. We’re talking about hardcore Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) young men.”
In Israel, military service is required for most Jewish citizens over the age of eighteen. The length of service is 32 months for men and 24 months for women, plus reserve duty.
Arab citizens are generally exempt, and for decades, that included ultra-Orthodox Jewish men if they were full-time religious students.
Rabbi Benayahu Tvila, who has held senior roles in the Israeli education system, explained, “As you know, the issue of military service is at the center of public debate here in Israel. This issue is causing a major political crisis. In fact, the draft issue is related to the political instability we have seen over the last five years.”
Rabbi Tvila noted that there are currently 30 students in the Yeshiva, ten of whom are already in active service.
“For us, Torah study is a supreme value, but so is applying that study in real life. The Torah commands us, ‘Do not stand by the blood of your neighbor.’ It forbids us to ignore the distress of others,” he said.
Rabbi Leibel, an educator with more than five decades of experience, says that the program begins with 18 months of full-time yeshiva learning. The students then transition into a two-year service track in the ultra-Orthodox Haredi division called Chativat HaHashmonaim.
” An actual problem when it comes to recruiting Haredim is that when they’re around secular soldiers, they tend to lose their identity as a Haredi,” Leibel said. “For that reason, you need to make sure that you have a tailor-made program for the Haredi.”
Rabbi Leibel was heavily involved in setting up the two existing ultra-Orthodox IDF divisions.
Israel Shilo, the C.E.O. of Art Torah, the parent organization of Yeshiva Mishmar HaTorah, explained that it’s a small-scale startup attempting to create a tradition of bringing Torah and the army together.
“Before October 7th (the Hamas attack on Israel in 2023), some friends and I thought that the army did not need us, and that it would be okay, that maybe it was meant to be for the Haredim to be in yeshivas, and the rest of the people would serve in the army.”
He added, “After the 7th of October, the understanding was that it was impossible to ignore the existence of the Haredi community in Israeli society and in the army. The question changed from ‘What are we not doing’ to ‘What are we going to do?'”
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Hillel Nabeth, a student at Yeshiva Mishmar HaTorah, is part of a small but growing group of ultra-Orthodox men who say the war changed their perspective.
“A young person who wants to go to the army and is a little afraid that he will decline in spirituality, this is the place for him. This is a place that really prepares him well without having to be stressed about what will happen in the army,” Nabeth declared.
Yedidya Green is also a student at the yeshiva as well as a soldier.
He observed, “I think there’s a lot of misconception in general about what Haredim think about the Army. Because people hear a lot of shouts of (Hebrew), ‘I would rather die than draft to the army.’ Those are extremists. I always had this dream to go to combat. I think it’s a very satisfying and important thing that every man should do if he can. If you do it correctly and you’re built for it mentally, it can build you in an unbelievable way.”
Many leaders and rabbis oppose any changes, feeling military life threatens their religious life. Those like Nabeth and Green, however, are content in knowing that they are able to maintain their religious practices within the army.
Green concluded, “Me and the other guys in this yeshiva are taking a really, I would say, a big step towards Haredim in the army. And so it’s definitely a big step. I would say, in the right direction, but it’s definitely scary. Some of the Haredim are looking at you with, like, squints. They’re not sure what you’re doing is correct, but I believe we’re stepping in the right direction and doing what’s right. It’s needed.”
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