The departure date for the members of Agudas Yisrael’s Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael has been set for 4 Shevat 5774 after the admorim shlita realized it would not be wise to arrive in the United States during the goyish holiday season.
While their departure is on hold, the media buzz surrounding the trip has begun, including excitement and anticipation among chassidim in the USA, preparations in the various chassidic courts, objections by opponents and those questioning what the gedolim hope to accomplish.
On the one hand the admorim have been consulting with leaders of Agudas Yisrael in the United States and one must assume the mission’s pros and cons have been weighed and the decision was made to give a green light.
One Satmar Rebbe has already questioned if the non-Jewish world will ‘get it’, telling chassidim at a recent dinner function that in the eyes of the world, the chareidim are part of the Knesset, they receive state funds and even serve as ministers in some governments; and therefore, they should share an equal portion of the security burden. The rebbe however concluded that since the admorim have made the decision to make the trip, he will do his utmost to support the mission. The rebbe however was painfully clear and blamed the chareidim for this predicament, for he stated if they would not have accepted the Nachal Chareidi “compromise” over a decade ago, the attempted draft that they face today would not be taking place. The rebbe feels the chareidim in Eretz Yisrael must following the Eida Chareidis’ example and stop accepting state funds and participating in the Knesset.
The other Satmar Rebbe has come out against the planned mission.
Whatever the case may be plans are underway as the rebbes will be heading to the United States in the hope of enlisting supporting amid the Jewish community and perhaps among elected US officials. They hope to apply pressure on the Government of Israel, perhaps to embarrass officials in Jerusalem into abandoning plans to draft bnei yeshivos into the IDF and state approved national service programs.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
Very interesting article, it starts with ”Admorim Leaving for the USA”, all of a sudden we are by satmar, this atmar said this the other this, who cares and it is not in place…
1. They need to rally their own supporters to be prepared to come up with money to replace the money lost through lost government subsidies.
2. Make sure the goyim and frei Jews realize this is about peaceful Jews wanting to learn Torah and refusing to be soldiers. Remember that among most goyim and frei Jews, they have the image the frum Jews are militaristic fanatics supporting ethnic cleansing of the West Bank and it will shock them to discover there is more to Torah than the warrior image the Religious Zionists are projecting.
3. Have Agudah, Shas and Degel ha-Torah (Hasidim, Yeshivish and Sefardim) thought through the implications of being anti-zionists (which they all were 100 years ago), both financially and politically. It’s hypocritical to say “I want to learn Torah, but I want you to conquer the Arabs”.
For once i agree with the satmerer rebbe they should of never accepted money from the government ,you cant have youre cake and eat it to.
It’s about time. We were needing histadlus. How about the UN? Conscientious objector status always seems to work.
Great opportunity for likeminded Netura Karta to hop on the bandwagon.
Which Rebbes are coming?
Attention all anonomous commentators:
What gives you the right to demean Gedolim. It’s 100 percent Assur.
They are showing leadership by rallying the Torah World to support our brethren who are learning..
What are your qualifications to critisize gedolim? What are you doing to help out? Stick for Hashem and his torah already!
I’m struggling to understand what additional support the Admorim will try and get. The Chareidi public in the USA already sympathizes. The non-Charedi frum public likely couldn’t care less. The non-religious? They will ridicule them since they believe there is nothing more noble than supporting the State of Israel. Perhaps they would like to speak in front of Congress so the USA will stop funding the defense of Israel. Then all the Chareidim will leave as they are chased into the sea.
Far be it from me to question the Admorim but I am perplexed.
it’s a great chutzpa from YWN to write
While their departure is on hold, the media buzz surrounding the trip has begun, including excitement and anticipation among chassidim in the USA, preparations in the various chassidic courts, “objections by opponents and those questioning what the gedolim hope to accomplish”
as if opponents of daas torah have a place together with the daas torah. And this from an official chareidi website.
wish YWN would have the writing ethics of even the NY Times)
If the Charadim would have thanked Hashem for giving strength and wisdom to the IDF and showed genuine appreciation for the IDF instead of literally spitting at soldiers then the whole draft issue would have NEVER HAPPEN.
No one wants to be treated like a sucker by joining the IDF and doing another 20+ years of reserve duty. Missing out on countless life events of extended family and friends. Countless hours that my wife didn’t sleep not knowing if I would come home. My sons are (/and will) also follow similar tracks.
If the Charadim would have shown the slightest appreciation and if they would have dedicated their torah learning for the well being of soldiers who put their lives on the front line NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPEN.
I understand and admire those that dedicated their lives 12 to 14 hours of Torah Learning. However, those are the minority. I am totally against the way Yesh Atid went about this and they are clearly no friend of the Datim or Dosim. Naftali Bennett tried to do damage control.
If you actually look at the law it is not as bad as it is made out to be. Their is no penal enforcement only monetary. It is meant to encourage national service or nachal charadi. Most charadim won’t object to if they are not really learning.
Satmar has a minority opinion in regards to the State of Israel.
Reb Yaakov Kamanetsky said that “It is incumbent on us to understand that the establishment of the state of Israel in our day, after the the great destruction and despair that overtook the remnant, and given the desperate and destroyed status of Russian Jewry, God caused the establishment of the state of Israel in order to strengthen the connection to Judaism and to sustain the link between the Jews in exile and the Jewish nation.” Emes Le-Ya’akov Al Ha-Torah (Exodus 12:2 n. 17)
to aml – in America, and also in Israel, many non-religious Jews are antizionist – look at the Swarthmore Hillel case