Ultra-Orthodox Father Details Family Rift Over Son’s IDF Enlistment Amid Community Backlash

A 50-year-old ultra-Orthodox father from a Haredi city in Israel recounts the heavy personal and communal price of his decision to have his son enlist in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). After deciding that his son would complete yeshiva studies and then join the military, the son was expelled from his yeshiva, labeled a disruptive influence, and the family faced severe backlash from their community and relatives. The father describes a profound moral crisis within the Haredi leadership and community, criticizing the "Basic Law: Torah Study" and the prevailing narrative that the IDF aims to destroy religion.

He recounts a disturbing sermon by a yeshiva head during the outbreak of the recent war, which called the fallen soldiers and victims "wicked" and celebrated their deaths as divine purification. This rhetoric, he says, deepened his alienation and shame. The father also describes attempts to engage local synagogues and community leaders to support soldiers, only to be met with rejection and silence.

The father argues that the Haredi leadership should have encouraged young men not fully committed to Torah study to enlist and serve in combat units, combining military service with basic religious observance. Instead, he sees the community as morally bankrupt, with many young men protesting military service and adopting hostile attitudes toward the state.

Despite the social and familial rupture, including a painful break with his own parents, the father stands firm in his conviction that military service is a moral imperative for all, including Torah scholars. He expresses pride in his son’s choice to serve "with holiness, reverence, and responsibility," even as he anticipates further ostracism from the community. The father’s testimony highlights the deep divisions and tensions within the Haredi sector amid Israel’s ongoing conflict and societal challenges.