Year of Turmoil: Haredi Community Faces Ransom, Arrests, and Internal Strife
The past Hebrew year has been marked by significant events for the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community, beginning with the immense joy of the return of 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity on Hoshana Rabbah. This was followed by a wave of dramatic arrests within the Torah world, including Ariel Rosenzweig, a yeshiva student arrested during his father's shiva, and Ariel Shama, also a yeshiva student, whose arrest sparked widespread protest and a large rally led by prominent rabbis.
In Cheshvan, hundreds of thousands participated in the "Million Gathering" near Jerusalem to protest conscription into the IDF, a demonstration that saw major rabbinical figures in attendance. Later that month, a decades-long dispute within the Ponevezh Yeshiva concluded with a ruling that a faction known as 'Ha'Mefaleg' must vacate the yeshiva grounds by August 2026.
Kislev featured a large gathering led by Rabbi Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, where attendees committed to spiritual improvements and safeguarding the Jewish home, with the Rabbi also warning against the dangers of artificial intelligence. The year also saw tragic events, including the death of 14-year-old Yosef Eisenthal, a yeshiva student, who was struck by a bus after a protest against the draft law. The passing of Rabbi Uri Lupolianski, former mayor of Jerusalem and chairman of Yad Sarah, also marked a somber moment.
In Tevet, two toddlers, Leah Golovencitz and Aharon Katz, died in a daycare accident in Jerusalem's Romema neighborhood, an incident that drew significant media attention and parental defense of the caregivers. Shortly after, 17-year-old Naftali Tzvi Kramer, a student at Satmar Yeshiva in Komemiyut, was killed by a bus while returning from a protest related to the daycare incident, with video evidence raising questions about the driver's actions. The year also saw the passing of Rabbi Amos Camus Chaim Guetta, a prominent Kabbalist and head of a yeshiva in Netanya, who was fatally stabbed in his study hall.
Adar brought a significant joint Israeli-US military operation against Iran, dubbed "Operation Lion's Roar," which reportedly resulted in casualties in Beit Shemesh. During Passover, "open miracles" were reported in Bnei Brak and Arad, with families surviving direct hits from missiles. The period of Bein HaMetzarim and the beginning of Iyar were marked by the tragic drowning of two brothers, Yissachar Dov and Avraham Yeshayahu Spiegel, aged 21 and 17, at Sanz Beach in Netanya. Sivan saw the murder of Rabbi Yishai Por, a scholar at the Chazon Ish Kollel in Bnei Brak, who was fatally stabbed by a man known to have harassed him. The Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty celebrated a historic event with the dedication of a new Torah scroll written by their Rebbe, who is currently in need of healing.
Tammuz witnessed unprecedented protests by thousands of Gur Hasidim at the gates of Prison 10 against the conscription of yeshiva students, led by the Rebbe himself. This coincided with a widespread "car protest" that paralyzed major traffic arteries across Israel, with participants signaling their refusal to accept the harm of Torah scholars. Av saw a critical emergency meeting of prominent rabbis and yeshiva administrators to address the severe shortage of teachers in Haredi elementary schools (Hadarim). Elul began with an unusually strong opening of the academic year in yeshivas, despite ongoing pressures and arrests, indicating a spiritual surge.
The year concluded with a historic moment in the Satmar Hasidic community, as the two rival factions, led by the brothers Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum and Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum, met and shook hands at the White House in Washington D.C. during an event hosted by President Donald Trump, symbolizing a significant reconciliation.
