On Tuesday night the eve of 21 Shevat 5774 in Yerushalayim, members, veterans and supporters of Netzach Yehuda will gather to mark 15 years since the establishment of the unit as part of the Dvir Brigade. Nachal Chareidi became a battalion in 2001. The first reserve duty battalion was established in 2009, and in 2013, 819 new recruits joined, setting a new record for new inductees, which was only 500 in 2008.
It was back in January 1999 when senior Defense Ministry official, retired Brigadier-General Yehuda Duvdevani worked with a handful of rabbonim to realize a vision, inducting 31 cadets into what was to become known as Nachal Chareidi. Udi Dror, who heads the induction unit in the Defense Ministry, explains the vision of those involved was realized and it was a success by all accounts.
Today, 14 members of Nachal Chareidi are in IDF Officers School and 30 are in the “Makim” non-commissioned officers training course.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and senior IDF commanders will be attending the event.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
Maran HaGaon HaRav Ahron Lein Shteinman shlit”a has said that even if someone is *not learning* he shouldn’t join the IDF. And if he has no way to avoid being drafted other than leaving the country, Maran HaGaon HaRav Ahron Lein Shteinman shlit”a has said it is better to run off to India (where there are virtually no Yeshivos) than to let the IDF take you in via their draft.
See:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/160906/maran-r-shteinman-tells-yeshiva-student-to-go-to-india-instead-of-idf.html
err, Maran HaGaon HaRav Ahron Leib Shteinman shlit”a.
Something is a bit fishy. I am sure he is aware of the spiritual pitfalls and dangers that abound throughout India. If the purpose of avoiding the Draft even for non-learners is the danger of capitulation before influences that will persuade a bachur to dilute or lose his commitment to observance, how would going to india be an improvement?! At least in Nachal Chareidi there is supervision, separation from women, support for shmirat Shabbat and Kashrut, times allotted for davening in groups, counseling from Chaplains, provisions for religious dress and hair/beards/payot…Let there be a campaign to raise the level of support for these guys to strengthen themselves and withstand the known nisyonos while serving!
Really?
Rav Shteinman also backed the establishment of this unit, so either he changed his mind or someone is twisting his words…
Ok, it’s official, I believe I was right. I checked on the link provided by “Toras Moshe” and I can unequivocally and confidently declare that report to be nothing more than a bunch of unsubstantiated hearsay full of holes and with little to no journalistic value, not worth the “virtual” paper it is issued on. And to make matters worse, Mr Toras Moshe completely obscured and corrupted the original message and its purpose (if we are to believe that HaRav Steinman ever said what was reported); his remarks, if ever made, were directed only to this one young man, and only because he was suspected of being an agent for the media. What ever you do, Mr Toras Moshe, please keep your day job and do not attempt to go into reporting. It requires a bit of integrity. And for all gullible readers out there, let this be a lesson. It is not that hard to check out stories like this.
“I am sure he is aware of the spiritual pitfalls and dangers that abound throughout India.”
Rav Shteinman knows that the spiritual pitfalls and dangers throughout the IDF is greater the spiritual pitfalls and dangers that are abound throughout India.
UJM, you, sir, clearly know nothing about India, particularly vis a vis Jewish youth, and I suspect you know only traces about the IDF and simply accept out of whole cloth whatever people with agendas tell you. Things are a lot more real and layered, and I trust that Maran HaRav Shteinman Shlit”a knows that. You are also responding to the link that Toras Moshe brought down according to his own brand new paraphrasing, which is completely out of context, which makes your comments moot anyway.
Mrs. D: you, ma’am, clearly know nothing about the terrible spiritual dangers from pritzus and other horrible stuff in the IDF. This is well known in the IDF. It has been full of pritzus for many decades already.
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general-news/211137/hagaon-harav-bentzion-mutzafi-on-idf-service.html
Maran HaRav Shteinman Shlit”a is 100% correct. India isn’t half as bad as joining the IDF.