Many Haredi Enroll in Israel Service

By Haaretz July 6, 2012

The uncertainty surrounding the aftermath of the Tal Law’s August 1 expiry has driven a record number of ultra-Orthodox men to volunteer for the national service program in the past few days.

Some 200 men packed Jerusalem’s Yad Sarah conference hall Thursday, constituting the largest contingent ever to join the program, launched in 2008 as an alternative to yeshiva students’ military service.

The men, coming from the Lithuanian, Sephardi and especially Hasidic factions of the Haredi community, will be joining the 1,860 Haredi men currently in the national service.

“Everyone here realizes that once the Tal Law expires, the terms might worsen for the volunteers,” said Yisrael Meir Ravitz of the National Civilian Service administration for Haredim.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO