(LAKEWOOD – VINnews/OP-ED) : Eretz Yisroel is at war. Our brothers, fathers, and sons are literally dying on the front lines in Gaza and Lebanon. The toll of this conflict is devastating. Yiddishe families are grieving, communities are reeling, and the loss is palpable. Every day, we wake up to news of another tragedy, another life cut short. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, Eretz Yisroel, our holy land, is being kept alive through sheer nissim. Every missile intercepted, every soldier protected, every life spared feels like a miracle we must acknowledge.
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And yet, at this critical moment, a protest is staged in Lakewood—our own crown jewel of Torah and Yiddishkeit—against the State of Israel. I have to ask: Who thought this was a good idea? What are we trying to achieve? I want to make it clear—I am no Zionist. I’m a proud, card-carrying Lakewood yungerman who cherishes the values of Torah and our mesorah. I understand the deep-seated issues many in our community have with the Medina and its government, especially regarding their treatment of the Torah world, the yeshivos, and the Crown Jewels of Klal Yisroel—the Torah-observant communities.
The criticisms are valid. The way the government of Eretz Yisroel treats the frum community is deeply concerning and often unacceptable. The Medina, in many ways, needs to be held accountable for its actions and policies. However, two wrongs don’t make a right. Protesting the State of Eretz Yisroel publicly, at this fragile moment, feels misguided and counterproductive. The world is watching, and we need to be mindful of how our actions are perceived beyond our own community.
We must publicly support Eretz Yisroel in the eyes of the broader world. This isn’t about Zionism; it’s about unity and survival. The Jewish people have enough enemies seeking our destruction. When we, as a community, stage protests against Eretz Yisroel in such a public way, we risk feeding into a narrative that is harmful to all Yidden, whether religious or not. Do we care that this may turn into a national news story? “Ultra-Orthodox Jews protest Israeli government”—imagine the damage this could do. What message are we sending to the rest of the world, to the media, to those who seek to delegitimize Eretz Yisroel and the Jewish people?
I am so baffled by how we even got here. We are rachmanim bnei rachmanim (merciful ones, the children of merciful ones). Our entire identity is rooted in compassion, in caring for one another. Yet, we are acting like peasants, without any strategy or foresight. Where is our wisdom? Where is our leadership? The Torah teaches us to be thoughtful, to consider the long-term consequences of our actions. In times of crisis, we are meant to come together, to show solidarity, not to create division.
Yes, there are issues that need to be addressed with the State of Israel , and yes, there are times for protest. But this is not that time. Right now, Eretz Yisroel is in the fight for its life. Our fellow Jews are under fire. Now is the time for tefillah, for achdus , for supporting our brothers and sisters who are literally in the line of fire. There will be a time to address the flaws of the Medina, but that time is not today. Let’s not lose sight of what really matters. Let’s focus on protecting and supporting the Jewish people, on standing with Eretz Yisroel, and on showing the world that we are one united people.
One final thought. My Heilige Zaideh was an Odom Gadol and leader in the Oilam Hayeshivos of America. During the 1967 war, he didn’t eat for 6 days when the “Treifeh Medina” was under attack. This was a Yid who couldn’t stand for the faults of that Medina, yet a yid is a yid is a yid!
– Shmuel Abramson
I don’t get it. The army/charedi issue is being decided now, through the courts and the Knesset. While I agree that typically in war time we must stand together (vis-a-vis the outside world, at the least) the charedi world doesn’t have a choice. The decision time is now
So we have a einkel of Korach in our midst. Your feelings are that of a leftist socialist. I can do what I want to u but not vice versa. The israeli government has been super hostile to charedim in general. This has nothing to do with soldiers protected. You can see many clips of Satmer people giving out food resources and money to the soldiers. This is a campaign specific towards the draft. If u feel it’s not right ask the israeli government to stop.
I saw a Lakewood tefilla event about the terrible danger that Eretz Yisrael is in. I was surprised that it’s so late in the war but happy that at least it seems they finally care. Then, I saw that the event is about the olam hatorah. How tone deaf are they that they don’t realize that Iran is at the point of “lehashmid leharog l’abed es kol hayehudim” and the world is egging them on. If there are no Jews in eretz Yisrael then there won’t be any limud Torah either. I live in eretz Yisrael and I am actually directly affected by the law regarding the draft as my sons are learning in chassidish chedarim. I know this is controversial to say, but this is not shmad. This is not the cossaks who took the boys at 12 and kept them hundreds of miles from their families so they would forget yiddishkeit. This is 3 years at most of being on an army base where they see their parents regularly for shabbos. The fact that the charedi parties refuse to come up with any format where it would be possible for the boys to be on bases where they only get hadracha from charedim, doesn’t make it shmad either. It just means that both sides are too stubborn.
Hi, I’m chareidi Israeli. I think its imperative to articulate our ambivalence in this moral maze. On one hand, when we see the soldiers risking their lives on behalf of us all, we feel that we ought to be alongside them, fighting and sacrificing as them. On the other hand, we recognize the extreme danger that drafting Yeshiva boys can pose to Torah living. Anyone closing their eyes to this moral dilemma and running with one side of the issue, is missing something in their hearts.
When making a public demonstration, the clear message needs to be: we support Eretz Yisroel, but please leave the Yeshivos alone. That message is not anti-Israel, and will hopefully be understood both by the Israeli political echelon and by Israel’s enemies.
For right or for wrong the charedi community believes in building strong walls around the secular society. It isn’t just about sitting and learning. As an extemre example take a skvera or gera chusid. They have alot of rules that are impossible to observe in any secular society no matter how much they are accommodated. Now I think we can debate if this is true chasdius or just modern day extremism. it started in Hungary during the “teiling” that Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstien introduced against the neologs. And it became the norm of society. Its nearly impossible to reconcile that belief and fight in the army with any accommodation’s. Its the same issue with secular education. Of course this leads to parnioa that anyone who tries to reconcile the two is just looking to shmad you, And the probelm with todays system is that when a person for whatever reason needs to “go to work” or integrate in society, they often don’t know how to stay ehrlich. Again we can debate if this is just extermism and if it has a source in judaism. But assuming you abide by the modern day charedi belief the two are just impossible.
The bochrim who are learning full time, meaning all day should stay in the beis medresh. However, the issue is really about the bochrim who are not learning all day, but either working full time, learning part time and working part time or not doing anything at all. The army looked at Israeli tax forms and found a very large percentage of bochrim NOT learning full time. If the bochrim not doing anything but dreying around all day would go to the army, many of the problems would go away. True, the army needs fixing, so work on fixing it.
Rain or shine?
They should protest but also show their solidarity with Israel, basically hold signs protesting the governments treatment of Charaidim and other signs supporting the war against Hamas and Hezbollah.
Please take this down as it attacks daas Torah
Why are they protesting? They should just add more time to Torah learning. If Torah learning can protect isreal from Hamas and Hezbollah, it should easily protect the charideim
from the draft.
The truth is, they properly don’t believe Torah protects. It is just an excuse not to serve
Tons of buses will be coming in to Lakewood from North Jersey and in conjunction with the OU. Sarcasm intended.
The issue isn’t just this protest. It’s this protest plus the fact that when there was a unity march on Washington there was hardly a black hat to be found
Why now?
Interesting
Interesting that those attacking the writer know about their rabbis’ ban on Smartphones, yet here they are.
May your sentiments be heard and heeded – perfectly articulated.
Every person I asked In LAKEWOOD agrees to everything written in this letter
Very well said.
This is a shameful event
To join in this letter writer’s angst….
I recall last year when the was broke out how united Klal Yisroel was and there was a palpable feeling of achdus in Klal Yisroel. I remember feeling that if this status remains, Mashiach will come very soon….by the time December rolled around, that feeling was lost. Klal Yisroel was divided once again.
Why oh why can’t we be united???
To demonstrate before the גוים….pure מסירה.
I agree. I stopped giving tzedoko to any Lakewood yeshiva after seeing this. No exception. This isn’t my yiddishkeit. There’s a time to protest the state but now isn’t the time. That’s my opinion and I’m voting with my wallet. Jews are dying fighting terrorists who are trying to kill yeshiva bochurim.
Reb Shmuel. Kol HaKavod to your absolutely spot-on letter. It is courageous of you to post this letter.
Frum issues in the Holy Land are definitely a cause for concern but to tie a “unity” for Israel Atzeres haTefilla to an anti Israeli government protest is a horrible example of a chillul HASHEM.
We should protest legally and peacefully in Israel not here where the antisemitic mobs and their Neturei karta moronic allies will applaud with glee.
Thank you for speaking out. Who’s behind this event ?
Where was Lakewood to show their solidarity with E.Y. and supporting the fight against our enemies that are non-stop marching against us, when the rest of us were at the pro-israel event in Washington DC. I guess they don’t care to show the politicians that we need their funding to fight these bloodthirsty murderers.
There are no signatures, somebody’s paying. Who?