A group of Rabbanim have appealed to the Israeli Defense Ministry and the army to permit the family of a fallen soldier to add ‘HY”D’ to his Kever. The request comes after the ministry refused to include the letters on the gravestone of Yisroel Yudkin HY’D, a soldier who fell in battle in Gaza on May 22.
The Tzohar rabbinical group wrote to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief-of-Staff Herzi Halevi, asking them to allow the family to add the acronym.
The ministry’s refusal was based on formalistic grounds, citing that the acronym is outside protocol for military headstones, which generally follow a uniform format with only a few permissible deviations. However, the rabbanim argue that the family’s sacrifice and interests should take precedence over uniformity.
“In light of the family’s sacrifice, we would ask that the decision be granted to forego the need for uniformity in favor of the family’s interests,” the letter reads.
Yudkin’s burial plot currently lacks a headstone, as talks between the ministry and the parents continue.
In an emotional Channel 14 television interview, Yisrael’s brother Dubi said, “It’s greatly disturbing us as a family that on Thursday, we must submit the wording of the headstone to the Ministry of Defense and my mother has asked that the words ‘Hashem shall revenge his blood’ be written on his tombstone.”
“This is the wording that frum people write on their gravestones. The Ministry of Defense does not approve the word “Hashem”, nor the root of the word “Yikom,” because revenge is forbidden, so the Ministry of Defense has not approved this.”
He added: “If you don’t respect the fallen Charedi soldiers, then how do you want me to stay in the army? If you don’t respect my brother who fell during his service, why should I respect you at all?
“I’m talking about a Charedi soldier who is killed, the family wants it to be written, ‘Hashem will avenge his blood,’ on the tombstone. It’s quite simple, it’s a simple request from my parents, and that’s what will show him respect. He grew up as a Charedi, he was killed in the Charedi regiment. They want these words to be written on the tombstone, so they come to the Ministry of Defense but they say, ‘No we are not approving these words,” he said.
Tens of Knesset Members have come out in support of the Yudkin family and the allowance of writing HYD on the tombstone. The issue is scheduled to be brought up in a Knesset hearing on Wednesday.
Cpt Yisrael Yudkin, H’yd, 23 was a resident of Kfar Chabad. He served as a company commander in the Netzach Yehudah battalion and lost his life in a Hamas sniper attack in northern Gaza’s Beit Hanoun. Yisrael H’yd, is the son of Reb Tuvia and Tzipi Yudkin, long-time residents of Kfar Chabad. His grandfather, HaRav Schneur Zalman Yudkin Zt”l, was Niftar two weeks before him in Crown Heights.
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11 Responses
An excellent example of the problems a secular zionist army faces in wanting to conscript Hareidim (and expecting them to be loyal soldiers). It should be noted that the families of deceased soldiers are not required to have them buried in secular military cemeteries, and I seriously doubt Muslim, Christian and Druze soldiers are buried in cemeteries and with rites not reflecting their religion.
This gives some insight as to why many people [including מנחם Begin זצקללה”ה] choose wisely not be interred on הר הרצל
It’s incredible that this story was published on the same day as the stupid supreme court decision. Perfect example of why it would be a disaster.
I think the family would be better off making a private burial in a regular cemetary with the wording of thier choosing. It will not be easy to get them to change. There can also be complaints from friendly fire incidents where the unfortunate person who caused the death would not want this written.
People shmad in that army from a threat of death
Anyone who supports this jew hating govt should be ashamed of themselves not to say what awaits them in front of the Dayan haemet
Part of the reason for the disallowance of HY”D on Matzeivos on Har Herzel is that there are also soldiers there who died due to something other than enemy action (accidents, etc.) – and they don’t want those who see their kevarim with only “Z”L” to think of them as “second-class” army casualties. This obviously has no impact on the Niftar, who is beyond such concerns in the Olam haEmes – but can be quite painful to their families.
There can legitimately be other views – but this is a real consideration, not some sort of anti-religious opposition to referencing HKB”H on a tombstone.
an Israeli Yid
In every jewish cementary worldwide this is on the mazevot.Only in Israel the so called Jewish state its not allowed.What a busah. They want the chareidim to go to the Army and even dont let them be buried according to jewish law.This is the result of this leftist and left high court that are are Jewish reschaim and deniers of the Thora hagedoscha.
Why does the chareidy hater Yair Lapid not intervene.He never did army service and is the biggest jewish antismite after Sanders.He likes the arabs more then the chareidim.
Israel became a banana Republik its worse then in a gojisch country where the jewish can get and write on there matzevot what ever they want.
Maybe its a wake up call to Lubavich people who sre the biggest Zionists and love the Zionist State more than anything else although it defies their way of Jewishishness theyre so obsessed with.
What a rude awakening!
Menachem Begin ימ״ש.
Just as a gentle piece of information. The guy didn’t observe the holy day of Shabos. Besides that he was כופר בעיקור. But maybe you are too.
Could Zionism have fallen deeper???
Yankele1: tell me one military cemetery which lets you write this on a matzeiva. In the U.S. cemeteries they don’t even allow writing the soldier’s Jewish name! If you don’t like the uniform tzurah of a military cemetery, you can go to a civilian cemetery, no one forced the parents to bury their child there.