Jerusalem Municipality and Ministry Fund Artists Who Performed for Draft Dodgers

A festive procession in Bnei Brak honoring 160 Haredi draft dodgers recently released from military prison has drawn sharp criticism. The event, which featured celebratory dancing and singing, was criticized for honoring those who evaded military service. Further controversy has emerged with the revelation that the singers and choir who performed at the event have received funding and support for years from the Jerusalem Municipality and the Ministry of Jerusalem and Tradition.

Singer Moshe David Weissmandl and the Neshamah choir, who performed at the draft dodgers' celebration, have participated in numerous events and video clips over the years that were funded by the Jerusalem Municipality's Religious Culture Department. This department, responsible for planning traditional events for Jerusalem residents, has sponsored performances and clips featuring Weissmandl and the choir during holidays. For instance, Weissmandl hosted a concert in Jerusalem last October, with the Religious Culture Department's logo prominently displayed on the invitation.

In September 2021, a video clip featuring Weissmandl was filmed in the Jerusalem Mayor's sukkah. Later, the Jerusalem City Council reported that the municipality spent approximately a quarter of a million shekels on an 11-minute video titled "Jerusalem Sukkot," with 80,000 shekels allocated for the artists' fees. Mayor Moshe Leon defended the expenditure, stating that online performances have become central to cultural consumption, especially post-COVID, and that the video received significant viewership.

Weissmandl and the Neshamah choir also performed at a large tribute event for Haredi draft dodgers in February 2025, and the Religious Culture Department later produced a Passover-themed show featuring them. The Jerusalem Municipality stated that the artists were chosen for artistic reasons, not political ones, and that their political stances were unknown to the municipality.

Regarding the Ministry of Jerusalem and Tradition, its involvement was in sponsoring a video clip for the Meron disaster victims, "Ma'alot Kedoshim." The ministry clarified that it does not directly fund the choir and had no connection to its activities, stating that the project was handled by an external contractor who hired the choir as a subcontractor. The ministry asserted that any attempt to link it to other activities of the choir is baseless.