Six soldiers serving in the IDF’s Nachal Brigade identify themselves a Conservative Jews, and as such, insisted they may not shave during the Sfira (Omer), as is the case for Orthodox Jews. According to a Yisrael HaYom report, the brigade’s rav does not recognize them as Observant, and therefore, their officers compelled them to shave daily in compliance with military regulations.
The six expressed their anger and frustration, stating the rav does not recognize the Conservative Movement and as such, he does not view them as Observant Jews, compelling them to shave when normally, they do not during this period, as is the custom in religious circles.
The parents of the soldiers filed a complaint with the IDF Ombudsman’s Office, but the report states that the units regiment commander delayed changing the rav’s directive. The soldiers state they were told that if they refuse to shave, they will be kept on base on Shabbos as a punishment.
One mother stated, “We came from the United States. I know first-hand what anti-Semitism is about. This is most unfortunate”.
A spokesman for Israel’s Conservative Movement stated it is truly absurd, adding the IDF rav asked the soldiers to bring a letter from their [Conservative] rabbi attesting to their adherence to mitzvos.
Yisrael HaYom reports that its inquiry into the matter has moved through the chain of command and on Wednesday and the order permitting them not to shave will be given today, Thursday.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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22 Responses
boruch hashem. no yid, however they label themselves, should be forced to transgress any minhag or din.
“the brigade’s RAV…”
a RAV said this?!?! either he didnt say it or hes not a rav.
now i reread the article & “takeh” it doesnt quote the rav at all, only stating that he doesnt recognize the consrv. movement. But he probably had nothing to do with the decision that “their officers compeled them to shave…”
if indeed these officers compelled them ,then unfortunately they are missayeh lidvar aveira. h’ yishmareinu!!
ANY jew in the idf & iaf should be allowed to keep ANY mitsvah/halacha that he chooses .
[unless ofcourse its a situation of pikuach nefesh.]
even if hes not observing all the other mitsvot/halachot.
Let no one even attempt to understand the logic of why a Conservative Jew should have any concern adhering to an entirely non-biblical custom. The entire movement makes no sense whatsoever. It is about as self-contradictory as it gets. Besides, apart from a tiny group of clergy, the vast majority of these lost souls have no idea what it is they actually believe in.
I believe that kitnot and gebrochts are also entirely non-Biblical customs.
There are many “modern” Conserv. Jews today who are quite observant, and even have a pretty solid Hashkafa.
The reasons they don’t identify themselves as Orthodox or Chareidi are varied, ranging from family considerations to not being able to feel stifled completely (even if untrue about Orthodoxy, that’s their perception).
And sometimes it’s because of a perceived hypocrisy or a perception that the Chareidim are living in the Stone Age that prevents them from ID-ing with Chareidim.
I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, I’m simply explaining why people who are pretty observant might ID as Conservative.
They are NOT necessarily the completely misguided Conserv. of previous generations.
That being said, it seems an awful big fuss to make over something that a lot of Orthodox people don’t keep for business and other reasons.
Maybe a little suspicious that they’re making such a fuss.
Tzarich Iyun.
I concur fully with #2 eli!! Whatever connection to yiddishkeit a Jew wishes to keep/practice/observe, however tenuous it may seem to the onlooker,should be encouraged and not disparraged.And to #3 Common Sense, I’m not so sure you have much clarity about what YOU believe in. Love, I mean Really love ALL fellow yiden, even those who are not observant or are following their own hearts however misguided it may seem to you. Draw them close, encourage and support them however you are able and you will be amazed at the positive effect you will help bring about BEZ”H,
This makes no sense. Someone I know who is not frum at all decided he wanted to grow a beard while in the army. He waited for sefira and used that as an excuse and got a “heter” not to shave. This is a guy who eats on Yom Kippur and doesn’t keep any mitzvos at all. Why was he able to get away with it and not them?
The shame is on the IDF, who are they to decide if someone is observant or not and if these soldiers decided to keep one mitzva, kudos to them. It goes back to the fact that the IDF and Israeli gov’t are not representing a Jewish country. They should have made the country in Africa or some other place.
This “rav” seems to know less than these conservative boys. Any Yid who comes and wants to observe any din or the slightest minhag should in no way be pushed away. How great is the chance for kiruv that this alleged rav just missed.
This is ridicukous. WHo cares if he is generaly observant? If he wants to keep this one minhag – then this is his religious belief/connection to yiddishkeit and he should not be forced to violate his Jewish principles.
It is disgusting that we live in an environment that only members of some imaginary, inspired by vanity, club are deemed worthy to keep mitzvos and oter Jews who do not fit the bill are treatedf as outcasts.
The army always has argued that you are either “secular” or “orthodox”, with nothing in between. If you aren’t 100%, you are nothing.
From the army’s perspective, it is bad enough they have to tolerate a handful of Orthodox Jews as soldiers, but they have taken steps to limit the damage to the “secularizing” mission of the army. Having anyone outside the narrowly defined religious segement doing mitzvos is a major threat to their goal of creating an Israel that is free (Am Hofshi) from Torah and Mitzvos.
We also should remember that the line between “Modern Orthodox” and “Conservative” has always been fuzzy, and as the bulk of the Conservative movement moves towards Reform on key issues (homosexuality for example), the “Conservadox” will be “orphaned” and will naturally tend to drift more towards the Orthodox side.
this story reminds me of the reform jew who won’t drink cholov stam…
As a “punishment” they will be kept on the base over Shabbos. If that is their punishment it sounds like mitzva goreres mitzva.The IDF is probably pointing to how absurd they sound. The army cannot run with everyone being allowed to pick and choose their observances. With a religious person with clear guidlines they can accomodate. When someone who observes nothing decides for his convenience that he is in the mood of this one then what can they do?
as the conservative movement trangresses most issur deoiriesa, shaving in sfira is a minor prohibition, some are even matir when exrtmely necesary. #3 they are not ‘lost preciuos neshames’ one who lives among shomtrei torah umitzvos and chooses to his own brand of whatever is not lost precious…’ one who comes from communist etc and never new better is a lost precious….’ of course we have to be mekarav but dont give a movement which is against torah legitamte.. By the #3..you have no credebility to peach..when is come to ehrlicha yidden shomrei torah like in tne alte heim ,you pour ‘pech and shwebel’ against them EG: the way we go dressed ( in recent article or in ‘coffee room’) and quite a few articles going way back, but when it comes to your kind, non shomrei torah, you you jump on the bandwagon. you should remember, the klall ‘anyone who is moide bechol hatorah but says this ois (letter) in the torah is not min hashumayim is a koifer bechol hatorah (gemmorah sanheddren, rambam) kolshken movements from MO and down who are koifer in quit big chelek in the torah some even dont believe torah mi hashomayin (reform and down definately). and please, dont come with your usual speech, show ,love etc, etc. as stated i would accept it from someone else not from one when it come to ehrliche yidde he is …see above
#6 dont be so simplistic
The Conservatives pick and choose what mitzvos they like to keep. Whatever isn’t “too hard” they’ll do. Although we don’t know what s’char Hashem will give them for what they do keep, maybe they’re just too lazy to shave and are looking to get away with it for a few weeks.
What many of you fail to realize is that the Rav must classify each soldier as Observant in order to exempt him from shaving. So you’re asking him to recognize a conservative jew as observant which he obviously can’t do.
This is the problem with labeling Jews, particularly while we are in golus. It is understandable that we, as Jews, have many among us who are a mixture of all sorts of things, but if any one single observance wants to be observed by any Jew, no matter their level of observance, who is to say wanting to do any single thing is an invalid act by that Jew? This also prompts one to thinking about the violations by those classified as observant Jews, who are learned and should know better, in contrast to the sincerity and chesed by Jews who have been kidnapped from their religion and did not have the blessing of going to yeshiva. Why should a Jew disrespect an attempt at observance by another Jew who was not brought up or even has problems with being on the derech?
#19 – bas melech. How about being dan l’kav zchus?
WOW!!! for some of you asking mechila from individuals who belong to a movement for being “Motzi shem rah” will be a tough job.
I am even wondering how many of you have even met or spoken to a Jew who considers himself part of the conservative movement. They are as colored, striped, varied and different as people who concern themselves part of Orthodoxy.
#24 its not a matter of ‘doing’. The L-D did not give a choice menu for your conviniance to do what you feel comfortable with. if you reject one mitzvah of the 613 mitzvos and say this is for the stone age, outdated etc. you are not b’klall yisroel. Jewish yes, if mother is jewish, but there is a complete set of halacha regarding such haskafa Now were not talking of one who betavon is oiver a mitzvah in passing, couldnt overcome his taivah, but to justdisregard ant mitzvah min hatorah or derabonon he is labeld a – – – – – – .Jusaism is not a religion of conviniance
Am I still the only one who noticed that his “punishment” would be that his ability to be mechalel shabbos will be limited?