Chassidic Protest at Military Prison 10: “They Are Throwing Yeshiva Bochurim Into Jail”

While one yeshiva student from Be’er Yehuda was unexpectedly released from prison, the wave of protests outside Military Prison 10 in Israel continued on Motzoei Shabbos, with thousands from across Chassidic communities gathering to denounce the arrest and imprisonment of yeshiva bochurim and avreichim for avoiding the army draft.

The large demonstration, one of many held in recent weeks, included participation from Chassidic groups such as Gur, Vizhnitz, Seret-Vizhnitz, Boyan, Lelov, and Ziditchoiv.

Yeshiva Bochurim Behind Bars

Currently, five detainees remain behind bars in the military facility:

• Rafael Yitzchakov, talmid of Yeshivas Meoros HaTorah

• Elazar Kaufman, avreich

• Dovid Menachem Mintzberg, avreich

• Dov Aryeh Mordechai Rabinowitz, avreich

• Ro’i Helman, talmid of Yeshivas Etz Chaim under the Ahavas Shalom network

On Motzoei Shabbos, Meir Yona, a bochur from Yeshivas Be’er Yehuda, was released unexpectedly, followed this morning by Baruch Yitzchakov, a talmid of Meoros HaTorah.

In recent days, there have been dozens of attempted midnight arrests of additional yeshiva students and avreichim at their homes, including an attempted arrest of a young Sephardi avreich in Givat Mordechai, Yerushalayim, on Motzoei Shabbos.

Thousands Gather in Protest

The demonstration outside Prison 10 drew representation from multiple communities: Gur (Bnei Brak), Vizhnitz (Haifa and Bnei Brak), Seret-Vizhnitz (Haifa), Boyan (Beitar), Lelov (Bnei Brak), and Ziditchoiv.

Rabbonim and admorim addressed the crowd with fiery words:

• Rav Chaim Yisroel Abramczyk, Rosh Yeshivas Chiddushei HaRim, declared: “The Shechinah is in exile. They do not want to allow lomdei Torah in Eretz Yisroel to immerse in Torah. But there is no doubt that Hashem will remove this terrible decree. We are His messengers in this battle.”

• Rav Yosef Tzvi Eckstein, of Gur in Bnei Brak, cried out: “We are standing here at the gates of a military prison—not in Russia, but in Eretz Yisroel. Only here are they throwing into jail those who wish to learn Torah. They will not defeat us.”

• Rav Chaim Meir Weissblum, of Seret-Vizhnitz, said: “Eretz Yisroel without Torah is like a body without a soul. It is Torah that holds the land, no one else.”

• The Ziditchoiver Rebbe of Beitar addressed the gathering with emotion: “We left everything and came here to cry out against the arrest of Jews whose only ‘offense’ was wanting to learn Torah in Eretz Yisroel. We stand with you in your pain. We will not abandon you. Let them learn Torah!” With tears he added, “They are throwing yeshiva bochurim and avreichim into prison. We daven that Hashem save us from this dreadful decree.”

• Rav Dovid Tzvi Biderman, son of the Lelover Rebbe of Bnei Brak, exclaimed: “There is no place for a Torah Jew in the army, even if he is not learning full-time. Have you lost your minds? If a bochur breaks his leg, would you break his head too? You will not draft us—no matter the price.”

• Rav Mordechai Shlomo Brim, of Boyan, told the crowd: “Every mother needs to know that when she sends her child to yeshiva, alongside food and a bed, she must now also prepare for the possibility of him ending up in military prison. But we are strong, and we will stand firm.”

As the chants and cries filled the night air outside Prison 10, the message from the Chassidic community was clear: the arrests of Torah learners will not be accepted in silence.

{Matzav.com Israel}