The Bakum induction base of the IDF, located at Tel Hashomer, operated on a mehadrin protocol on Sunday as 73 new chareidi inductees were scheduled to arrive at 10:00am. Their processing is being handled exclusively by male personnel, in compliance with guidelines agreed upon between rabbonim and the IDF.
The new inductees are not entering the popular Netzach Yehuda Nachal Chareidi unit, but they are being inducted into the navy and air force, most slated to do 2-4 years of service, many in intelligence units. 60 will be in army intelligence and 13 in the navy. The new inductees are part of the expanding number of chareidim entering the armed forces, and they will receive mehadrin food with a hechsher of the Badatz Eida Chareidis as well as framework during basic training and during their service that is in line with their frum lifestyle.
Previous programs including an air force induction which placed recruits in technical posts have been hailed as a major success, with senior commanders praising the high motivation of the chareidi inductees and their exuberance towards performing their tasks on a high standard.
One new recruit, a resident from Haifa being assigned to the navy, received a telephone call last week from Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who congratulated him on his impending induction. A Haifa official involved in the program spoke with Barak, explaining that there are growing number of Avreichim joining the IDF after learning for a number of years, even married men, prompting Barak to track down this Haifa inductee to congratulate him in person. Barak told him that he views this a true Kiddush Hashem, adding that he is certain the avreich is aware that Eliyahu revealed himself on Har HaCarmel in Haifa, bestowing upon him all the brochos.
The avreich first believed the phone call was a prank, but then realized that he was indeed speaking with the defense minister, who took the time to personally phone him and wish him success in his military service.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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7 Responses
May HaShem keep them and all the members of the IDF and all Yidden worldwide safe!
“Bakum” is an acronym for induction base, so the “Bakum induction base” is incorrect.
If the people are “Avreichim” rather than unemployed ex-yeshiva students, then it is a tremendous victory for the hilonim in their struggle, now in its third century, to get Bnei Torah to give up Torah and take up something else (and suggests that perhaps the Harediim should at least consider hesder yeshivos). From most press accounts, however, these are not people who are giving up learning to play soldier, but are people who have left yeshiva for other reasons.
unemployed ex-yeshiva students,
This is a perfect solution to obtain techo, writing, computer skills by joining the IDF and then being ready for the work world when finished.
#2 Al zeh necherav hamikdash. Hashem yishmorem
“Barak told him that he views this a true Kiddush Hashem, adding that he is certain the avreich is aware that Eliyahu revealed himself on Har HaCarmel in Haifa, bestowing upon him all the brochos”. HaKol Kol Yaakov….
#5 Well worth mentioning!
I say mazal tov to the 73 avreichim who faught to get the standards that would make being a soldier of Israel “kosher.” Let’s not forget throughout history, Israel always had soldiers fighting for our land, for our Bais Hamikdash x2. One slight difference between the armies back then and the armies now…….. Our young bnos Yisroel were not mingled in. So Sh-koyach to the 73 who didn’t land simple army soldier positions – 30 in intellegence and 13 in Navy. If they were indeed drop-out yeshiva boys as some of the above comments claimed, than how did they land such high level positions?
May HaShem guide them and protect them, as well as the entire army so that they may have the koach and the yeshuv hada’at to have mesirut nefesh to protect the land of Yisrael and klal Yisroel – Amen!
Well said, #7. We need both learning and fighting. Not every hareidi yungerman is cut out for sitting on a kollel bench all day, and the time has come for intellectual honesty.
If the army is going to be able to offer a suitable framework for its soldiers, much of the 60 years of argument against doing service, get thrown out of the window.