Life in Israel changed on October 7. With some 1,400 fatalities, more than 4,000 wounded, and some 220 abducted, no one can remain unaffected by the mega-atrocity Hamas perpetrated on the south of the country.
Every sector within Israeli society was left reeling by the events of what has become known as the “Black Shabbat.” Hence, the country witnessed a massive upswing in volunteerism. People wanted to play a part and to help in this time of need. This trend was seen within Jewish and some Arab communities. Perhaps nowhere was this more evident than within haredi (ultra-Orthodox) society.
The haredi sector has always been characterized by its voluntary organizations and hesed, good deeds. Many of these organizations act at a national level, beyond the confines of their own societies. Israelis, for example, consider an organization like Yad Sarah, which loans medical equipment, as something to be taken almost for granted.
Similarly, it is hard today to imagine Israel without the volunteers of ZAKA doing their holy work. The role of ZAKA volunteers in collecting and identifying bodies and body parts following the October 7 Hamas invasion has been crucial, working alongside other organizations in a grisly, heartbreaking, but essential task.
Yet something has changed in haredi society since October 7.
What has changed?
Last Saturday night, IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari announced that more than 2,000 haredi men had expressed a wish to join the IDF. More than 100 enlisted this week.
As Dr. Nechumi Yaffe, a public policy professor at Tel Aviv University and head of the Tatia haredi think-tank, told The Jerusalem Post, “A significant number of haredim are aiming to assimilate into the Israeli identity, and their perspective is: ‘We don’t want to feel estranged from the Israeli narrative.’ The current spike in the number of haredim eager to enlist in the IDF amid this war mirrors that sentiment.”
“On the whole, we’ve observed a substantial rise in the percentage of those wanting to aid in the war effort and align with the Israeli identity,” she noted.
This trend is particularly welcome in view of the divisiveness that marked the earlier months of the year surrounding the government’s judicial reform plan and the response to it. Protest movements like Brothers in Arms focused on their members’ military service and the lack of haredim serving, a reality that fuels the rifts between different sectors.
In an opinion piece in this paper last week, Shuki Friedman, vice president of the Jewish People Policy Institute, noted: “The last time there was some degree of haredi mobilization was during the War of Independence, 75 years ago.”
“This ‘second war of independence’ now being waged by the State of Israel can and should be a tipping point on many levels,” he said.
Friedman is correct. Although there will always be members of haredi communities who request exemption from military service, there are many others for whom the shocking terror attack will act as a catalyst for change.
The same way that Finance Minister and Religious Zionist Party head Bezalel Smotrich has announced that the state budget, based on huge sums being transferred to the haredi community, is no longer applicable, it is obvious that even when the country returns to a non-emergency mode, the bill anchoring haredi draft evasion cannot return to the top of the political agenda.
Much to contribute
Even if the haredi soldiers serve within special frameworks for shortened periods, it is clear they have much to contribute in jobs ranging from drivers, cooks, medics, and logistics to combat roles. Those who do not enlist for military service could regulate their volunteerism within a civil national service framework. (This would also be a welcome phenomenon among Arab Israeli citizens who don’t want to serve in the IDF.)
It is too early to say how the horrors of October 7 will impact Israeli society in the long term, but if there is a bright light in these dark times it has been the surge of volunteerism and solidarity. The willingness by parts of the haredi community to enlist and play a role in protecting the country should be praised and encouraged.