Mendel Roth Joins Charedi IDF Brigade: ‘I Must Get Up And Take Action’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) —Hasidic musician Mendel Roth, son of the Rebbe of “Shomrei Emunim” in Ashdod and a descendant of Rabbi Aharon Roth, announced Monday evening his decision to enlist in the new charedi Hashmonaim Brigade.

Roth is known for his outspoken and maverick opinions on various public and halachic issues, including chareidi conscription, the Shidduch procedure in the chasidic world (Roth divorced his wife after just a few months of marriage), music in the Sefirah and nine days and his penchant for writing love songs, a taboo in the charedi community.

In a post on his Facebook page, Roth revealed the dilemmas that have accompanied him over the past year, since the outbreak of the war: “For an entire year I knew at every moment that something is very wrong with my way of life. The blood of my brothers is being spilled like water and I sit and remain silent,” he wrote. “Instead of dragging out a bag of different excuses while inside my conscience hurts and niggles, if the truth is my objective, I must get up and take action.”

The decision was made after a decisive meeting with the commander who is slated to lead the brigade, Col. Avinoam Emunah. “I felt like I was talking more to the Rosh yeshiva than to a colonel,” he shared.

He shared his desire to enlist as a combat soldier: “The final decision was made. Mendel is going to enlist in the new charedi brigade as a combat soldier, undertaking another mission of creating Jewish spirit and spiritual influence in this brigade.”

The 33-year-old Roth added that : “I am aware of the possibility that during the basic training I will feel that I am not mentally or physically capable of the role of a combat soldier, and should that be the case, I will devote all my activities in the brigade on the spiritual and emotional level, with the help of God.”

According to Roth, the new brigade marks a fundamental shift in the IDF: “The IDF understood something it had not understood until today, and decided to do ‘everything’ for this endeavor to succeed. It decided to listen very attentively to all the spiritual and emotional needs of the charedi public.”

He claimed that most, if not all, of the charedi rabbis who were exposed to the details of the program “welcomed the tremendous initiative wholeheartedly,” although they noted that mass enlistment of haredim is possible only after a trial year.

“I am very excited and proud of this decision,” he wrote, “This brigade brings with it a new spirit and true hope, with significant historical meaning for the future of the pained and divided Israeli society.”