A growing movement inside Israel’s charedi community is reshaping the balance between Torah study, work, and modern life.
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t is no secret that the charedi community in Israel has been in crisis mode for years, even before October 7. The rise of the internet, smartphones, and social media challenged the insular structure of the community, and its leaders initially responded by banning these technologies altogether.
Over time, however, that approach became harder to sustain. As digital tools became essential for many forms of employment, an uneasy compromise emerged: they could be used for “work purposes.” That concession had a far-reaching effect in practice.
It gave rise to a new kind of charedi: ambitious, capable, tech-savvy young men who realized they could not indefinitely remain in kollel while relying on their wives to support the household.
Yet even as some found financial stability, their place in the community became more precarious. Many were treated as second-class citizens. Their children were denied admission to schools, and they were often marginalized in communal life.
For many, the result was not just social isolation but spiritual discouragement. Working charedim who wanted to remain committed to Torah life often found themselves with fewer supports than ever before.
Into that void stepped Rabbi David Leibel, a talmid chacham and rosh kollel associated with the classic world of Bnei Brak learning. Educated in Gateshead and Ponovezh, he embodied the traditional model of a full-time Torah scholar.
Yet what he saw deeply troubled him. Many families were struggling financially, and the lack of basic secular education meant their children faced limited opportunities.
About 15 years ago, he founded a kollel for working charedim. It evolved into Achvas Torah, a network designed to provide dignity, community, and serious Torah learning for working men.
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Everyone needs everyone. The working person needs the avrech, and the avrech needs the working person.
More than just providing a place to learn, Rabbi Leibel offered these men something they had often been denied: honor. He framed their path as a legitimate and meaningful way of life.
He later founded Avratech, combining Torah study with preparation for careers in technology, and L’Ovda, a track focused on practical skills like electrical work.
The movement he helped build is reshaping the conversation around work, dignity, and Torah life in the charedi world, creating an entirely new framework for community.
There is no shame in working.
If there is work, there is no schnorering.
This is amazing and we need more of this. Charedim need to stop living in the bubble . Hashem wants many to work. Yes there is a place for koleel. But at least some kind of Lakewood style where around 50% end up working. It shouldn’t be so taboo. And don’t sell me the army excuse. It’s baloney. They just live in this bubble where oy vey I’ll have to work in an office with non frum? It’s like such a sin. Enough of this gehto society . Learn how to stay frum while working with shiktzas too
Right now, Chareidi in Eretz Yisrael have government power. If there comes a time they are out of government, there will be terrible consequences for the refusal to learn basic English and math, and to contribute in a tangible way to national service.
Better to find a way to deal with this now rather than put it off and face the consequences of slashed budget and increased violence/hatred from large sectors of Israeli society (aside from the chilul H’shem which is not bain adam l’adam).
Led from the ground up . . .
Sounds like machon lparnassa
I think the way to understand the opposition may be found here (note especially the last line): Rav Dessler (Michtav M’Eliyahu 3:356-357): [translation copyrighted] ……… In contrast the Lithuanian yeshivos focused on a single goal – to create great Torah scholars who were also G-d fearing people. To accomplish this they prohibited going to university. They realized that there was no other way to produce great Torah scholars except by concentrating all their students’ energies and desires exclusively to learning Torah. Don’t think that they didn’t realize from the beginning that this approach would ruin some who would not be able to deal with this extreme lifestyle and would consequently leave religious observance. But this is the price that they paid for the sake of producing in their schools great Torah scholars who were G‑d fearing. Obviously they tried their best to deal with those who could not remain full time yeshiva students – but not in a way which would encourage others to follow in their path of leaving yeshiva
Bsorot Tovot
When was the last time I saw an article on vin news about a new yeshiva etc. instead your busy about how problematic we are, “IF PESACH SHOULD TEACH YOU SOMETHING ITS PRIDE IN WHO YOU ARE”
Imagine a modern day Shadchanit saying: The girl is a perfect tzadekket, and a world class bat talmid chacham. But she can’t find a shidduch because nebbach, miskein, one of her brothers , the one named Zevulun , works instead of kollel.
Rabbi Hoffman is on the wrong as usual, there are many great gedolim and rabbis in this generation and the previous that obviously feel/felt different, you have one Rabbi leibel that differs in opinion then thousands of the most respected rabbis in the last 75 years and for some reason he is the one that has the correct opinion how the chareidim need to go to work, I know it sounds the most reasonable and it’s common sense, but we are taught and so does rabbi Huffman write on many occasions that we are obligated to listen to our gedolim even when we don’t understand.