JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Rabbi Dov Landau has joined with Rabbi Meir Kessler, the rabbi of Modiin Illit, in warning against Charedi women being employed as civilian members of the IDF.
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In a letter published in the Yated Neeman newspaper on Friday, Rabbi Landau compared working for the IDF with the prohibition issued by the Chazon Ish against drafting women into the army.
Rabbi Kessler notes that Rabbi Gershon Edelstein Ztsl was strongly opposed to women working within army auspices even as civilians, as this would contradict the values of modesty required by women.
The reason for this is that beyond the issue of employers and employees, the army and those working for it are subordinate to the commanders and this can represent a real problem for those working there.
Rabbi Landau added that “These matters are serious and harm the foundations of Judaism. They are included in the ruling of the Chazon Ish against women enlisting for national service and there is no room to claim that some cases are excluded from this..”
Currently there are a number of special programs to train seminary girls as programmers and analysts, after which they are integrated in the air forces Ofek program and the 8200 intelligence unit, and other hi-tech units. The workers are civilian workers for the IDF employed by the Defense Ministry.
During the course of their studies, the students participate in projects. At a recent graduation ceremony the Ofek commander said that he has 15 charedi women working on developing operational systems and added that “The success is not just at a professional level but in the meaning and significance of the associations it creates. Integrating charedi graduates is a national strategic goal.”
The project was initially sponsored by Degel Hatorah representatives and has been kept under wraps for fear of opposition to the initiative. IDF sources said that the seminars and the charedi society have had an active role in the project.
Why a prohibition just for Charedi women? If it’s a tznius issue, wouldn’t that apply to all women?
Why do woman have to work at all. Shouldn’t it be the husbands are the bread winners, and woman take care of the household? Vin’ahapoch Hu
It’s important to recognize the extremist elements of our community.
yup, women must always be barefoot and pregnant, in the kitchen.
Well if the women cannot make a livong to support their large families, I guess the husbands will have to leave Kollel to put bread in the table. No, I have a better idea, the hsubands can come late to seder in the mornings while they go collectong (begging) after Shacharis
Rabbi Dov Landau is paskening for his kehila, not for the whole world. Other rabbonim pasken it is fine for charedi women to be employed in this manner. They are not forced to do anything. They are not conscripts of the army and can quit any time they want.
His proposal is mammash today’s daf. Amazing how today’s daf, last in Gittin, is a newstory but where goyim outcry a husband wanting to do like the gmara.
https://us.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-tells-wife-she-wear-021500803.html
It’s all a Gezeiro L’Gzeiro, that it brings us closer to the idea that Chareidim are somewhat connected to the Army. And one thing leads to another.
All these protests and counter-protests, are all for one reason; Chareidy mothers are horrified that their child might one day have to fight in a dangerous war.
Who could blame a mother’s feelings for her child.
The issue with civil service by gyuis bnos was because it was a compromise and in realty the rasha Ben Gurion wanted to draft women. The fear was this would lead to that. In this case noone wants to draft frum women. Kind of an odd compasrion
Off course Rabbi Landau is 100% correct. A Jewish women has no business to be in the IDF.
And a Frum man has no business to be in the IDF.