Prime Minister Netanyahu at the "Netzah" Pre-Army Programs - Ceremony

“Why did the Maccabees succeed?” Netanyahu asked the crowd. “They studied Torah. They learned. That was the foundation of their strength. But they also fought.

Simchat Torah came early this year, deep in the tunnels underneath the Western Wall, as haredi students entering seven mechinot (premilitary academies) and three yeshivot hesder (combined yeshiva-army schools) joined together, singing, dancing, and planting the seeds of the camaraderie and brotherhood that are unique to army “brothers,” connecting soldiers one to another.

Along with the singing of inspirational Hebrew songs, there was a lot of exultant jumping, clapping, and bursts of energy breaking out amid the echoes in the tunnel chamber produced by the 200 plus youthful attendees.

The feeling in the air was electric, as many different haredi factions came together. The group from a Breslov haredi hesder program led the excitement, while some of the more sedate 17-year-olds and a newly formed Chabad school clapped and sang.

All the schools operate under the umbrella school network of the 26-year-old Netzah Yehuda organization, which inducts haredi men to serve as combat or logistic soldiers in the various haredi units in the Israeli military.

One of the highlights at the event was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address. As he looked out over the youth dressed in white shirts and dark pants, some with long peyot (sidelocks), others more modern looking but still decidedly “yeshivish,” he reiterated his promise that “the strong efforts of the IDF enables someone to enlist as a haredi and to leave as a haredi – to uphold both the heritage of Israel and the defense of its ideas.”

‘OUR PURPOSE is to make sure that each haredi soldier is taken care of before he goes into the army, during his army service and after he gets out.’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses haredi pre-military students at the Western Wall tunnels. (credit: Netzah Yehuda Association)

He described the combination of Torah and battle as “safra vasayafa,” the book and the sword, and said that never in his lifetime had he seen such a potent combination.

“Why did the Maccabees succeed?” he asked the crowd. “They studied Torah. They learned. That was the foundation of their strength. But they also fought. There is no other way to preserve the heritage of Israel, because in the end it is lost if the soul is not nurtured – the heritage of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the faith of Israel.”

Netanyahu also cited the Hasmonean Brigade.

“I saw their service in Gaza, where they eliminated dozens of terrorists, cleanly and effectively…. I also saw that same bravery here in Jerusalem. Just two or three days ago, I saw that horrific massacre, and an even greater disaster was prevented by a [haredi] fighter from the Hasmonean Brigade.”

Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Yossi Levi, CEO of the Shomer Yisrael Union and founder of the Netzah mechinot, and MK Boaz Bismuth, as well as a host of other political and military celebrities, also participated in the event.

NETZAH YEHUDA creates an atmosphere that is conducive to the soldiers’ religious convictions, with the strict observance of Jewish law.

‘SIMCHAT TORAH came early this year, deep in the tunnels underneath the Western Wall.’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ventured below ground with haredi recruits to the IDF. (credit: Netzah Yehuda Association)

The Kfir Brigade comprises four battalions, but only one, the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, is haredi.

According to Yechiel Reit, a self-described haredi MD who originally enlisted with Netzah Yehudah, “For a long time, there was a big struggle in the Defense Ministry over the issue of haredim in the army.

“Netzah Yehuda came from the haredi world, not the defense industry. Netzah Yehuda stood up to the defense industry. Avigdor Kahalani, a famous war hero from the Yom Kippur War, became a protector of Netzah Yehuda. He was a hard guy for people to fight with. Still, there was a lot of opposition.”

Dr. Reit, a Beit Shemesh resident, still serves in the Netzah Yehuda reserves, Netzah Yisrael. His son also joined the Netzah Yehuda Battalion.

He said that the objections that the haredi community has to serving include the fear that young men will join the army and abandon religion because of peer pressure. But Yehudit Rotkovitch, a social worker who works with all Netzah Yehuda recruits, pointed out that in many cases the army will actually “save” haredi young men.

Reit said that when Netzah Yehuda was first established, there was also a big push to open up more army positions to women. But Netzah Yehuda soldiers were promised that they would remain separate from women.

“Even high-ranking female officers were not allowed onto the Netzah bases,” he said. “When Netzah was training, they cleared out all women.”

Dr. Nechumi Yaffe, PhD, a demography researcher with Tel Aviv University, said that thanks to sensitivity to their needs, she expects to see many haredim softening their hardline views against conscription and to see more of them enlisting.

Reit said that during basic training the Netzah Yehuda Battalion is also walled off from other soldiers. He mentioned that after basic training, in some cases, an entire kitchen for a huge brigade becomes kosher l’mehadrin, with special kashrut supervision for all the soldiers.

“If you’re someone very strong from a strong ideological background, you can be with people that you aren’t generally used to,” Reit said. “Kids from the haredi community are generally the weakest ones, because if they were doing well in yeshiva they would stay in yeshiva. If you throw them into a dining room where kids are pulling out their cellphones on Shabbat, it is hard for them. Keeping them separate is the solution Netzah Yehuda came up with, and for the most part it worked.”

WHILE NETZAH Yehuda is a military battalion, the civilian not-for-profit Netzah Yehuda organization partners with the battalion to ensure that all haredi units in the army are taken care of.

“Our purpose is to make sure that each haredi soldier that joins the IDF is taken care of before he goes into the army, during his army service, and after he gets out,” explained Adrian Treger, vice president of the Netzah Yehuda organization. He said the soldiers are even helped to pass their high school matriculation exams, get jobs, and they are treated to courses on financial management and how to buy a home, post-service.

“In the beginning, 80% of the haredi soldiers joining Netzah Yehuda joined as lone soldiers, even though they had family in Israel,” Treger said. The stigma of joining the IDF made it difficult for them in their communities. He pointed out that even the co-founder of Nahal Haredi, Rabbi Yitzhak Bar Haim, had his windows smashed by objectors. The number of haredi lone soldiers has dropped considerably over the years, now standing at 27%.

Haredim can be found beyond the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, said Treger. There is the growing Hashmonaim Brigade, expected to include 4,000 haredi soldiers, and there are several companies of around 100 soldiers each, including the Tomer Givati company, the Hetz company of the Paratroopers, the Palgat Hanegev air force company, and the Granit Border Police unit. All are served by Magen Yisrael, an umbrella organization.

“Many haredi men are completely unprepared for the rigors of the army,” Treger said. They also have not had a strong core curriculum in subjects like math and science. “The hesder yeshivot help bring them up to speed, giving them three years of learning that includes Talmud and Torah, but also physical training and core subjects. One haredi hesder yeshiva in Gan Yavne teaches cybersecurity to future soldiers aspiring to join Unit 8200 of the Intelligence Corps. Another in Jerusalem offers optical engineering.”

In addition, Treger said, a whole host of rabbinical mentors go to 40 bases each day, giving Torah talks and getting to know each haredi soldier. The army gives the rabbis complete access to the soldiers, except in active war zones. A social worker makes sure that the soldiers get what they are entitled to in terms of government perks, and therapists are on hand to help them adjust to being in the army.

“With seven mechinot and about 400 students learning Torah, as well as navigational skills and physical training, almost all go to haredi combat units, and about 20% go to leadership courses to become squad officers and commanders. This is core to helping the haredi units grow – and to create haredi leaders who are examples, supporters, and role models for the other haredi soldiers.”

“It is our responsibility to provide them with resources,” Treger concluded. “When you take someone out of his community, if he isn’t successful it will destroy him, both within his community and in the army. We are committed to making sure that doesn’t happen.”

Netzah Yehuda is supported by tax deductible donations from within Israel at netzahyehuda.org. In the US, UK and Australia, where only nonmilitary contributions are allowed, donations are earmarked to help educate the soldiers and address their adjustments, transitions and trauma at nachalharedi.org.

Prime Minister Netanyahu at the “Netzah” Pre-Army Programs – Ceremony

“Why did the Maccabees succeed?” Netanyahu asked the crowd. “They studied Torah. They learned. That was the foundation of their strength. But they also fought.

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