Largest Haredi Hachshmonaim Brigade Cohort Yet Declares Its Oath: “There Is a Good Atmosphere”

The declaration ceremony for the fifth cohort of the Haredi Hachshmonaim Brigade took place today (Wednesday) at the memorial near the Tombs of the Maccabees. This is the largest cohort in the brigade to declare allegiance so far, with 97 soldiers. The event is similar to a military enlistment oath ceremony, except that the soldiers declare their loyalty to the State of Israel rather than swear an oath, due to the halakhic issue surrounding oaths.

The brigade’s soldiers completed a 10-kilometer night march before arriving at the declaration ceremony, after three weeks of basic training, team assignments, and a week of fieldcraft.

Each of the soldiers has a unique personal story. Pvt. M., the youngest of nine siblings, is originally from Bnei Brak. Most of his brothers studied in prestigious yeshivas, including Ponevezh. One of his brothers served in the Negev platoon and remains in limited contact with the rest of the family. After a period in which M. searched for himself and moved to a less enclosed yeshiva, following the events of October 7 he decided he wanted to go all the way and enlist. The idea had occurred to him before, but had not materialized. He was jailed in a military prison for desertion and served his sentence in order to regularize his status and enlist properly. Following his decision to join the IDF, his family cut off contact with him. Today he lives in the yeshiva where he studied before military service. At first he worked in the kitchen at the Hachshmonaim training base, but he fought to move into combat service and in the latest cohort finally succeeded.

Pvt. A. comes from Beitar Illit, a city that does not produce many conscripts, but he felt for several years that he could not find himself in the traditional yeshiva world and wanted to reach a place where he could express himself more. He debated between several different options and tracks until he ultimately understood that the Hachshmonaim Brigade was right for him, so he could express himself as he wanted. For now, he feels that the place suits him despite what he describes as the demanding training. “There is a very good atmosphere,” he says. Many of the other soldiers are his age and not 18. “At first it was hard for my family to accept my desire to enlist, but there was a process and little by little they got used to it.”