More and more Israeli police are refusing to work on Shabbos and almost every police station in the country now has a shul, according to Israeli sources.
“In the past there was a shul at district headquarters and sometimes in sub-district headquarters,” a retired officer told Haaretz. “Today every police station holds prayers and even the smallest stations have shuls where officers pray.”
The increase in religiosity was reflected in many officers refusing to violate Shabbos to safeguard the crowds at Meron on Lag Ba’omer, which fell on Shabbos this year. Instead, religious police spent Shabbos in Meron or went on duty after Shabbos. Over the past two years, the force has purchased dozens of groma keyboards, telephones and pens for religious cops to use on Shabbos.
A police organization dubbed Ma’aminim Bamishtarah (Believers in the Police) was set up in 2011 to attract religious Zionist newcomers to the force and elevate those suitable to top positions. Their police training is integrated with bais medrash studies where they learn mussar and halachos relevant to police duties. In addition, rabbonim are available to answer the shailos of policemen from all over Israel.
Two years ago, most Police Academy students said in reply to a questionnaire that they were interested in courses with religious content. This resulted in the addition of voluntary courses on mussar, chagim and the weekly parsha. The police rabbinate has fourteen rabbonim and nine kashrus mashgichim and a half-million shekel annual budget for Jewish heritage programs, which include visiting kivrei tzaddikim.
{Matzav.com Israel News Bureau}
