All the way in Jerusalem, at Mea Shearim, a neighborhood populated by ultra-Orthodox Jews, is a collection of people unlike that of the rest of the Israeli population. Better known as the Haredi Jewish community, they make up 12.9% of the population and live a starkly different life to the rest of the population.
How Do Haredis Spend Their Time?
Their lives are devoted to their religion. They are full-time students in Jewish seminaries, and their role is to study scripture. In the neighborhood of Mea Shearim, Haredis also avoid using technology of any kind, including the Internet.
Every morning, they get draped in shawls and gather for the morning service. Unlike the rest of the Israeli population, ultra-Orthodox Jews are not obligated to enlist in the army, and they also have access to significant government benefits.
How Their Life Changed Forever
Now, the life of this very Jewish community might change forever as on June 25, the Supreme Court made a historic ruling that young Haredi men must be conscripted into the Israeli military. The new ruling reverses the de facto exemption that was in place 76 years ago.
Today, the new ruling has sparked a ripple of protests. One massive protest took place, with Haredis gathered in full force at the main square.
A Slew Of Protests
“For 2,000 years, we’ve been persecuted, and we’ve survived because we’re learning Torah, and now the Supreme Court wants to remove this from us, and it will cause our destruction,” says Joseph, one of the protestors. “They’re just gonna give us some dirty job there. They’re there to make us not Orthodox no longer,” another protestor said.
Massive clashes between protesters and police following a gathering at Mea Shearim showcased how much the ultra-Orthodox community is adamant about resisting the new ruling.
They believe that serving in the military is incompatible with their way of life. The clashes were so intense that some protestors were arrested.
How They Still Persist On Their Stance
Even though there are arrests and even though the court decided that the government must withdraw funding from any yeshivas whose students do not comply with draft notices, the ultra-Orthodox Jews still remain adamant about not getting drafted.
“They still refuse to join the Israeli army. They (say they) are just not worried about it. And they trust in God, that God is going to help them,” said Farber, who writes for the ultra-Orthodox Hadrei Haredim website.
Bearing witness to this unique community showcases how not all Jews follow the same stance of joining the army and taking part in the death of thousands of people.
The fact that there is a shortage of IDF soldiers may indicate that the government may take worse precautions, but we feel that the ultra-Orthodox community will not falter.
