CHANUKAH 5785, SECTION D, PAGE 15
The Israel Defense Forces plans to form the first company of the new Hasmonean Brigade, to be made up of ultra-Orthodox soldiers, by Chanukah, which this year starts on Dec. 25.
(IDF Spokesperson)
The IDF wants to capitalize on the symbolism. The Hasmonean Dynasty began after the Jews threw off the yoke of Hellenistic rule in the Maccabean Revolt (167 to 141 BCE) against the Seleucid Empire — the act of liberation that the holiday of Chanukah commemorates.
Thirty young men have already passed the first screenings and dozens of others have expressed interest in serving in the brigade, Ynet reported.
The army is also looking to make haredi soldiers currently serving in noncombat roles into combat soldiers for the brigade.
A company is made up of 60 to 80 soldiers.
The IDF is taking a gradual approach, hoping that the haredi community will take note that the brigade is responsive to the religious needs of the ultra-Orthodox — kosher food, separation of the sexes, time for Torah study and prayer — creating trust between the community and the army.
The new brigade requires recruits to follow a strict halachic lifestyle, one in keeping with religious law.
Observant Jews will serve as commanders in the brigade.
Brigade enlistees will sign a document accepting its rules.
One clause states that recruits will at all times maintain an ultra-Orthodox way of life, be careful to use clean speech, keep beards and sidelocks throughout their service if they entered the army with them, and wear Sabbath clothes during Sabbath prayers and meals “as is customary in ultra-Orthodox society (and even a suit and a hat).”
All the courses and training for soldiers in the brigade will be conducted internally to avoid mixing with non-Orthodox units, a nod to a concern of the ultra-Orthodox, who view the mixing of the sexes (as in non-Orthodox units) as a violation of the IDF’s obligation to preserve their strict lifestyle.
According to Israel Hayom, the unit will be based in the Jordan Valley, at the Tavetz training base that is undergoing a multi-million-dollar transformation to accommodate religious requirements.
Brigade commander Col. Avinoam Emunah said:
“I am privileged to be the commander of the ultra-Orthodox brigade and to be part of this special project that can bring about a change in Israeli society and in the entire people of Israel.
“We established a brigade, which for the first time since the establishment of the IDF and the establishment of the state, will allow the ultra-Orthodox public to enlist and serve in combat according to their lifestyle and preserve their identity,” he said.
The brigade is expected to be fully combat ready by November, 2025, Israel Hayom reported.
Earlier this year, Israel’s Supreme Court ruled that haredi men are eligible for compulsory service, ending decades of a blanket exemption.
The court also cut off funding to yeshivas that do not provide recruits to the IDF. To many in the haredi community, the funding cut validated its distrust of the secular elite in Israel, embodied in the Supreme Court, which the haredi community views as determined to undermine haredi society out of ideological considerations.
It is this distrust that the IDF must overcome to attract haredi recruits.
The court’s funding cut prompted a nine-figure fundraising campain by haredi activists to sustain the yeshivas. Some religious Jews in Israel, including haredi critics, decried the efforts to fundraise abroad, saying it enables a large community not to make sacrifices being made by other Israelis.
The IDF has been seeking ways to recruit more haredi men. It had set a target of 4,800 recruits for the current recruitment year, a significant increase from the 1,800 who enlisted last year.
While most of the IDF’s draft notices to that community have gone unanswered, it says that the number of recruits is growing through other channels. While all non-serving haredi young men are registered at yeshivas, not all are studying full time.
The IJN contributed to this story.
