Yohanan Chayit, a 36-year-old singer and songwriter from Beit Shemesh, married and father of four, did not expect to enlist in the IDF in midlife. But after October 7, he says he and his wife tried to understand how they could be part of the national effort, and he felt something was missing until he chose to join the combat track of the new Hashmonaim Brigade, which is designed for older Haredi recruits.
Chayit grew up in a Haredi-American home as the son of Rabbi Baruch Chayit, a musician and composer whose songs, including “Mi Ha’ish” and “Kol Ha’olam Kulo (Gesher Tzar Me’od),” became widely known beyond the Hasidic music scene. He said his father, now 80, supported his decision, drawing on his own experience in the Yom Kippur War, when he sought Rabbi Moshe Feinstein’s permission to travel to Israel and sing for soldiers.
Before the war, Chayit worked as a bank employee, then spent nearly five years teaching at his father’s yeshiva, Yeshivat Ma’arava, and another school. He said the decision to enlist was driven not only by the war in general, but also by his brother’s many reserve call-ups in the Alexandroni Brigade, during which he repeatedly served in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. Chayit first considered the shortened Shelav Bet program, but said it did not feel sufficient, so he chose full combat training instead.
The training lasted about six months, keeping him away from home except for Shabbat and sometimes less. He described the experience as physically and mentally demanding, including the unusual reality of taking orders from commanders in their 20s while being 36, married, and a father of four. After completing training, he and his unit operated in northern Israel for several weeks and are now waiting for the battalion to be formed and folded into the reserve structure, after which they are expected to hold a sector for several months.
Chayit said he now sees the service as part of “something historic,” helping build a framework that allows Haredi men to serve without giving up their way of life. Alongside his military service, he continues his music career and recently released his fourth single, “Shalom,” about public discourse and growing polarization in Israeli society. Parts of the video were filmed during the brigade’s final march and graduation ceremony.
