New Fund Offers $270 Daily for Torah Scholars Detained by Military

A new initiative called "Kelef 1000" (Prison 1000) has been established to provide financial support to the families of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men, known as "Bnei Torah," who are arrested by military authorities for refusing military service. The fund, overseen by prominent rabbinical authorities, aims to offer a financial safety net and economic backing to these families.

The program will grant 1,000 Israeli shekels (approximately $270) for each day a Torah scholar is detained. This sum is intended to cover expenses such as legal counsel, travel for visits, and lost income for family members. The initiative is funded by a symbolic participation model where members contribute a minimal amount daily, with the cost per member decreasing as the number of participants grows.

Leading rabbis, including Rabbi Naftali Nussbaum and Rabbi Yaakov Ezra Tofik Aviazri, are heading the fund's committee, ensuring all halachic (Jewish law) decisions and fund allocations are made according to their guidance. They have called upon the public to join the project, emphasizing mutual responsibility and partnership.

Eligibility for the fund is restricted to "surprise arrests" resulting from a scholar's conscientious objection to military service. Arrests resulting from voluntary actions, such as reporting to draft offices or attempting to cross borders, are not covered. Registration is currently expanding within Haredi communities, yeshivas, and kollels (post-graduate Torah study institutions).