Twenty-five years ago, well before the issue came to garner the controversial attention it holds today, the concept of a dedicated program to support Haredi (ultra orthodox) integration into the IDF was developed with the basic understanding that widespread military service by Haredi soldiers was critical for the successful acclimation of the Haredi community within greater Israeli society. Many proclaimed the program would never succeed.
Today, Netzah Yehuda, interchangeably known by the name Nahal Haredi, boasts over 3,000 active IDF personnel and more than 21,000 veterans who have passed through the program.
This program proudly proves that Haredi enlistment in combat and support roles can exist and thrive hand in hand with the norms and values of the Haredi community and that a Haredi soldier need not compromise on a Torah lifestyle in order to serve his country.
Among the long-lasting effects of October 7th was the undoubtable acknowledgement that Israel needs a strong army to ensure it's security for the future. With that acknowledgement came the understanding that the army would require resources from all sectors of our population – including significant representation from the Haredi community.
"Ultimately, while Netzah Yehudah centers around military service, our overall goal is to provide our soldiers with the practical, professional, emotional and spiritual tools to integrate into the broader Israeli society" explains CEO Yossi Levy. "There is no better platform to give them that sense of motivation, purpose and meaning than through army service, while also contributing to the greater good at a time when Israel and the Jewish world needs it most".
The concept of the ‘Lone Soldier’ or Chayal Boded is well-known as referencing those young people who leave their homes, typically abroad, and choose to serve in the IDF.
In the case of the Haredi world, these soldiers are forced to leave their homes. Their ‘loneliness’ is a result not of geographic distance from their families, but because of estrangement from their parents as a result of their decisions to join the Israeli military.
Director of Lone Soldier Services at Netzah Yehudah, Yehuda Shapiro outlined the dire consequences of this tragic reality, “At first, many Haredi soldiers on leave found themselves without a roof over their heads, access to nutritious food and suffering from intense depression and psychological challenges. ”
The Netzah Yehuda Organization met this challenge establishing a revolutionary and dynamic Lone Soldier Program.
The goal of the Lone Soldier program is to ensure that these soldiers are given the resources they need to thrive within their army services, but also know that their heroic decisions to serve won’t deprive them of the ability to remain within a fully supportive environment that still allows them to observe a Torah lifestyle.
"Given how Haredi young men in the IDF face unique social, emotional and practical challenges, our programs begin well-before actual enlistment and we remain a central part of their lives for years after their service is finished", Shapiro explains.
Over the past several months since the horrors of October 7th, Haredi soldiers serving in Haredi units such as the Netzah Yehudah Brigade, Givati’s Tomer platoon, Paratroopers’ Hetz platoon, the Air Force’s Mishmar HaNegev Platoon and the Border Police platoon, have played a critical and central role in Israel’s war.
"Tragically, a significant number of these soldiers have fallen or been injured in battle. But we know that their sacrifice has helped reinforce the message that we view Haredi military enlistment as a core value in ensuring the Haredi world shares in shaping the destiny and future of Israeli society", explains Shapiro with a heavy voice.
The issue of Haredi enlistment and service in the IDF has become a piercing bone of contention, dividing much of Israeli society today who realize that the country cannot afford to have such a large percentage of the nation avert army service.
"Over much of the past year, I have served in reserves alongside fellow soldiers of all backgrounds. The sense of commitment, and tragically all too often sacrifice, is something that deserves to be embraced by all, because if we are truly ever to become one nation with one heart, then army service must be part of that vision", explains Nahal Haredi's CEO Yossi Levy.
"While this is something that we have known and appreciated for many years, we have never viewed Haredi recruitment as a burden or an obstacle to the Haredi way of life. The IDF is a large and complex infrastructure, one where protecting Haredi lifestyle interests is difficult. But that cannot – and must not- serve as a reason why Haredim should not embrace this national responsibility. Our goal for the past 25 years has been to work to create an environment where Haredim can feel accepted, validated and appreciated within the IDF, and we know that this work is only beginning", explains Levy.
The unit founders quickly understood that it was essential that Haredi veterans succeed in civilian life as well upon completing their military service. The Netzah Yehudah Bogrim (Veterans) Program was therefore designed to help soldiers navigate a successful path to tertiary education and good employment. Nahal Haredi soldiers are offered the opportunity for subsidized classes specifically in English and Math to open the doors to an academic education. In Israel a large majority of Haredim do not graduate school with full core subjects and therefore do not have the tools to apply for higher education degrees.
Levy goes on to explain that “The goal is to allow these young men, who have already sacrificed so much through their bravery and resilience manifested by their army service, a program to bridge the large gap between where they were before their service and the remarkable potential they have upon leaving the army.”
The impact of this program was to flip a 75% drop out rate of Haredi veterans completing matriculation, to a 100% success rate. This impacts upon the future of the Israeli economy too where we will see a larger integration of Haredim into the workforce.
Now, more than ever, with the war spreading to the Northern front and a nation buckling under the burden of intense compulsory army service, Nahal Hareidi is building bridges of hope and is paving the way for dialogue and unity within Israeli society.
This article was written in cooperation with Netzach Yehuda