An emergency gathering attended by dozens of Lithuanian-haredi yeshiva deans was held Sunday to warn against what they described as a "grave spiritual danger" posed by the enlistment of haredim into army frameworks tailored for the haredi public.
Central to the gathering was the reading of a sharply-worded letter from leading rabbis opposing military enlistment, even in frameworks that claim to accommodate religious observance and allow soldiers to maintain their haredi lifestyle. In the signatories' opinion, these arrangements "regrettably do not endure over time despite promises and commitments."
Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch wrote: "It has unfortunately come to my attention that, as part of efforts to enlist Torah students, various tracks have been established and given names such as ‘Kodkod’ and others, and recently additional enlistment tracks have been added in the south, in Netivot and Be’er Sheva."
"And it is certain that all of these tracks are an integral part of the army, and one who goes there hands himself over to the control and authority of the military rulership, and becomes a full soldier in every respect, and it is similar to joining the army, which has no permissible aspect at all."
The letter also included remarks by yeshiva dean Rabbi Dov Lando, who warned: "Anyone who, G-d forbid, joins these tracks or similar, should know that beyond the personal tragedy that he brings upon himself and his household, others may, G-d forbid, be drawn after him, and his sin would be great to bear."
Other sentiments have been voiced within the hasidic-haredi community: In groups such as Belz, Sanz, Karlin, and others, married working men are permitted to participate in supervised military initiatives.