Hesder Yeshiva Leaders Struggle to Create Separate Military Frameworks for Students
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Rabbi Eyal Grajner, a Hesder Yeshiva leader, admitted that creating separate military service frameworks for students with non-combat profiles is a significant challenge. Despite efforts, integrating these students into units alongside female soldiers has proven difficult, with limited options like the Military Rabbinate not appealing to all. Grajner suggested students emphasize their religious identity and maintain professional boundaries during service, noting that Haredi conscription has indirectly helped some Hesder students find suitable roles.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Hesder Yeshiva leaders struggle to create separate military roles for students with non-combat profiles.
- Rabbi Eyal Grajner acknowledged current efforts are insufficient for a complete solution.
- Limited openings and integration with female soldiers complicate non-combat assignments.
- The Military Rabbinate is one option, but not all students wish to serve there.
- Grajner advised students to outwardly express religious identity and maintain professional boundaries.
- Haredi conscription has indirectly created more suitable service options for some Hesder students.
Rabbi Eyal Grajner, Rosh Yeshiva of Tefahot and a member of the Presidium of the Hesder Yeshivas Union, has admitted that leaders of Hesder yeshivas are finding it difficult to establish separate military service frameworks for students with non-combat profiles, despite significant efforts. In a discussion with students, Rabbi Grajner addressed the challenges arising from serving alongside female soldiers and explained why attempts to concentrate yeshiva students in dedicated units have not yet succeeded.
He acknowledged that while the premise that the issue is being ignored is incorrect, the current efforts are insufficient to provide a complete solution. "Are we doing enough? Apparently not. Are we always succeeding? Apparently not. Is it true that we are not dealing with this? That is really not true to say," he stated. A primary difficulty lies in the structure of non-combat roles, where unlike combat units that can absorb groups of yeshiva students together, non-combat positions often have limited openings and are integrated with female soldiers.
Rabbi Grajner noted that the Military Rabbinate is one of the few places where yeshiva students can be concentrated in non-combat roles, but not all students are interested in serving there. "There is one place where this can be done simply, in the Military Rabbinate. Many yeshiva students do not want to do rabbinate work, because 'they are better than that,'" he said. He conceded that currently, yeshiva leaders lack a comprehensive answer to this difficulty, with the only recourse being to advise students against enlisting in certain positions.
He suggested that students expecting non-combat roles should emphasize their religious identity through outward signs like growing beards, sidelocks, and wearing tzitzit, believing this could help them maintain boundaries. Rabbi Grajner also advised students to maintain professional relationships with female colleagues and postpone efforts to proselytize until after their military service.
Regarding the impact of Haredi conscription, Rabbi Grajner mentioned that the establishment of frameworks for Haredi soldiers has also enabled some Hesder students with non-combat profiles to find service roles that better align with their lifestyles, citing examples of students enlisting in the Hasmonean unit.