The 'War' Against Charedim

Is there a Shidduch crisis in the Chasidic world?

The list of “severe atrocities” the Israeli government is supposedly inflicting upon its Charedi population keeps growing. The latest was recently reported by Ynet:

“(Charedim) who have not reported to IDF enlistment offices are unable to leave Israel… Haredi public figures warned that it is also creating a crisis in matchmaking, particularly within Hasidic communities that maintain close ties with communities abroad.”

Surprisingly, the reaction from much of the American Charedi community was right on target:

“However, the focus on matchmaking during wartime has triggered a wave of criticism among ultra-Orthodox communities in the United States. Many argued that while soldiers are being killed in combat and tens of thousands of reservists are spending months away from their families, concentrating on international matchmaking difficulties reflects a disconnected sense of priorities.”

It is refreshing to see this reaction from the same community that strongly supports Keren Olam HaTorah, the fundraising initiative launched by Israeli Charedi leaders that has raised many millions of dollars on behalf of a community. Leaders that have yet to express any meaningful public empathy for those very same soldiers “being killed in combat and tens of thousands of reservists... spending months away from their families.”

It seems that every week I read another story in the Charedi media about a representative of the Israeli Charedi world insisting that “they are out to get us”. That there is a conspiracy, a “war” against Charedim that has nothing to do with Israel’s manpower shortage. But is instead a coordinated effort by a left-wing - aided by a likeminded judiciary - to destroy the Torah world.

There is an astonishing disconnect between these competing narratives. On the one hand, they surely know the realities of war and the enormous burden being borne by those serving on the front lines and in reserve duty. Same as do their American counterparts as noted. On the other hand, they never acknowledges those sacrifices.

One would think that this lack of empathy might affect the willingness of American donors to continue contributing. Yet, judging from the fundraising success of Keren Olam HaTorah, it apparently does not.

I understand why this “bill of goods” is being sold to the American Charedi public. They are told that this is not about military necessity but about a left-wing campaign against Torah itself, and that their financial support is therefore essential to preserving Torah study in Israel.

As I have said many times before, I do not question for a moment the immense value of Torah study to the Jewish state. It deserves generous communal support. What I find deeply objectionable is the implication that Torah study is the only thing that matters. And that Charedim are its exclusive guardians.

The argument repeatedly made is that drafting Charedim would destroy the Torah world, as though no one else in Israel studies Torah. As though religious Zionists who combine serious Torah learning with military service somehow don’t count.

That is what angers me…