The President and Founder of United Hatzalah, Eli Beer, has offered his solution to the Charedi draft crisis inflaming Israeli society: Charedi men should serve 2-3 years of mandatory civil service as EMTs and paramedics, along with other vital civil service roles.
By serving in organizations like Hatzalah, Beer suggests that Charedim can help alleviate the need for more Hatzalah volunteers and armed volunteers, while remaining in an environment that they do not feel could put their Charedi lifestyle in jeopardy.
Beer says: “I have seen a rise in Charedi enlistment, especially since October 7th. Many young Orthodox men have stepped up to serve their country following the Hamas attack,”
In a recent appearance on the Meaningful People podcast, Beer laid out a version of this idea, and suggested that Charedi Yeshiva Bochurim could engage in Chesed part time for a few years, while continuing their learning.
Excluding an exception for the biggest Talmidei Chachamim, which Beer believes most secular Israelis would have no issues with, Beer said: “But the rest of the people could do Chesed. What’s so wrong, you do Chesed for a few hours a day, for three years. Instead of holding guns, you don’t have to go hold guns and wear a uniform. That’s my solution, for this biggest problem, which could lead to a war between the Jewish people.”
{Matzav.com}
We do not need to appease the Irreligious people
You sound and think just like Yair Lapid, Avigdor Lieberman and the Israeli Supreme court do. You just happen to be on the other side
I have a problem with this. There are many options in terms of thinking outside the box. The Swiss have mandatory service, but it’s only five months of basic training. Not 2 to 3 years. I don’t see any reason why we have to buy into the idea that the Israeli government is correct that you need 2 to 3 years of service
Switzerland isn’t under any threat, neither military nor security. Why do they have mandatory service at all??? On the other hand, Israel is under constant threat from all its borders, from the seas and the skies, as well as from within its borders, from 15-20% of its own population. יחי ההבדל הקטן.
Eli Beer is a wonderful person
He is sincere and devoted to the Klal
While I have no problem with someone receiving credit for Hatzala as army service to say only a select few can stay to learn is not within his purview .
Eli is not someone who sat in yeshiva extensively and while he might learn a few minutes a day he’s not one of the einei haeida
How do you know how much he learns ?
Therefore what else you write is irrelevant.
Okay great. When do I start? Let’s go. I’m ready.
National Service in place of army service for men: two years of minimum 8 hours a day, for a few hundred shekels a month, no housing or other provisions (as are provided for soldiers and regular national service), for a job not everyone is cut out to do. Personally I would love it but my son is different. The choices for a frum man are extremely limited, as his research has shown. Sorry, Mr. Beer, there need to be more options.
They could also help out on farms etc.
Bnei Hayeshivos ainam hefker!!!
hes a super good guy but please be a ” makir et mikomo” and leave the decisions to the great scholars of torah – the real leaders of the jewish people. thank you.
Could work short-term. Just delays the “big issues”, but that could be a tiny plus in alleviating the issue of executing the bigger threats during the war. And it smells of Khesed — always welcome.
The Gedolim don’t say that! Nothing doing . No army service only Torah learning! And that will be a zechus for Eretz Yisroel! The answer is to listen to the Gedolim and DONT put forward your own suggestions!
He’s correct that there has been an increase in Chareidi enlistment, and this is what scares the Chareidi leadership. Consequently, they throw mud , lies, and lashon hara against Israel and the IDF. Some control freaks are in panic.
shame on us –
There is a war that threatens our lives, and every Jew – young men and women are dying every day, and hundreds of thousands are away from their families for months at a time. What constitutes a better definition of Milchamos Mitzva. There are legitimate reasons for Army exemptions, foremost a person who has devoted his whole life day and night to talmud torah and those physically and mentally not able. Yet, to claim an exemption because we wear different clothing or are more observant is an avla, it should be the exact opposite – all the young men who are chareidi should enlist and then there would be no risk of them going off the derech. I don’t see us being concerned about going on vacations to questionable places or interacting in environments that are not tznius, yet what exemption is there to protect their wives, mothers, sisters, brothers, fathers, and neighbors from being murdered, raped, or kidnapped. Shame on us. Where is the history of Klal Yisrael? Have we seen this?
Eli Beer is a tzadik, but from my perspective, his solution is divisive and dangerous.
Not to mention the THOUSANDS of righteous young men who left the Beis Medrash and went to fight (Hesder and others ) and who learn shomrei torah and mitzvot kehalacha when they were on duty.
What has become of us? Hashem Yerachem
I wish Mr. Beer would stop repeating the stupid propaganda that the Charedi draft issue is the “biggest problem, which could lead to a war between the Jewish people.” THERE WILL NOT BE A CIVIL WAR OCER THIS. MOST OF THE CHAREDIM WILL SIMPLY NOT COMPLY AND WILL BE PUNISHED FINANCIALLY (fundraising efforts from their brethren in the diaspora will increase). A FEW YESHIVA BOYS WILL BE ARRESTED TO MAKE A POINT (like was done to Peleg yerushalmi for past few years) AND RELEASED AFTER A FEW MONTHS. THERE WILL BE CONSTANT CHAREDI DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE DRAFT (just like the leftists have constantly done for the past two years against Netanyahu) — The secular people who hate Charedim will always continue to do so, regardless of the Charedi draft issue, and more or less, life will go on pretty much the same as it has since the founding of Israel
It’s only the left who threaten civil war when they don’t get what they want!
Please nobody should offer any opinion because we have gedolim for a reason and when we start offering our own brilliant opinions we destroy klal yisroel Learn from this weeks parish’s
Good proposal but when do the two years start? Certainly not for eighteen year old Yeshiva bochurim. For those looking to leave Yeshiva anyway this would be a good idea. Not for those looking to stay.
We have a new Gadol Hador solving Klal Yisroel’s problems.