Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, a prominent figure in the haredi community, recently held an emergency meeting at his home with leading rabbis from major yeshivot. The urgent gathering was convened to address growing concerns over a small but notable trend: yeshiva students from haredi backgrounds beginning to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The discussion focused on reports of students joining military frameworks tailored for the haredi sector, such as the Hasmonaim infantry brigade or technological tracks like the KodCode program. These programs offer conditions that align more closely with haredi sensibilities, including options like uniform exemptions, allowing participants to keep their military service discreet within their communities.
Although the number of enlistments remains relatively low, senior haredi leaders fear that the trend may signal an erosion of the community’s long-standing opposition to IDF service.
“In the vast majority of our institutions, military service is not even being considered,” Rabbi Hirsch was quoted as saying on Ynet. He emphasized that this phenomenon is limited and does not reflect broader change: “I don’t see this happening in places like Slabodka or Ponevezh.”
The issue drew renewed attention last week when three students at Wolfson Yeshiva announced plans to enlist, two opting for the KodCode program and one for combat service. In response, the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Daniel Wolfson, addressed the student body to strongly denounce the move. He argued that existing military tracks are incompatible with the traditional haredi lifestyle and do not offer sufficient religious accommodations.