IDF Veteran Offers Guide for Leading Religious Soldiers

A former combat soldier in the Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the Rotem Brigade, Tzvi Gross, has outlined four key principles for commanders leading religious and tradition-observing soldiers in the IDF. Gross, drawing on his own experiences, emphasizes the importance of using common sense, building trust, respecting Halakha (Jewish law) and its authorities, and understanding how the treatment of religious soldiers impacts the recruitment of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men.

Gross advises commanders to avoid stubbornness and unnecessary conflict. He recounts an instance during basic training where religious soldiers requested to be excused from a performance involving female singers to uphold their religious beliefs. While their direct commanders understood and granted permission, other officers attempted to force them to stay. Gross highlights that the understanding commanders, who knew the soldiers were not shirking duty but acting out of genuine religious need, prevented a needless confrontation that would have damaged morale.

Building trust is crucial, Gross states, citing a case where a Haredi soldier refused to perform certain tasks on Shabbat, even for operational needs, due to a lack of faith in command to accurately assess necessity. He explains that if soldiers have been misled about Shabbat observance in the past, they will not trust commanders' claims of operational necessity in the future.

Respect for Halakha and its authorities is also paramount. Gross points to past incidents where military rabbis faced public criticism and pressure to retract religious rulings, particularly concerning the role of women in the military. This, he argues, sends a message to religious soldiers that they cannot rely on military rabbinical authorities, leading them to seek guidance from external rabbis, which undermines the military rabbinate's effectiveness.

Finally, Gross connects the treatment of religious soldiers to the recruitment of Haredi men. He argues that broken promises regarding religious accommodations and perceived attempts to influence their faith will deter Haredi enlistment, mirroring a trend of some religious Zionist youth avoiding certain IDF units. Gross concludes that for the IDF to effectively integrate religious soldiers, it must adhere to joint service orders, act with common sense, be truthful, build trust, and respect Jewish law and its interpreters.