Travel restrictions imposed on bnei yeshivos who have been classified as “draft evaders” are creating a deep crisis in the Chassidish shidduch world and posing major obstacles to the very foundation of Yiddishkeit, the establishment of Batei Ne’eman b’Yisrael.

In a painful and emotional interview with Kikar HaShabbat, Rabbi Shlomo Weiss, spokesperson for the main Vizhnitz community in Bnei Brak, said: “Bochurim can’t fly to get engaged, families can’t attend chasunos, and young avreichim are being arrested at the airport in front of their children.” He added, “We’re in complete chaos. There is no one to talk to.”

“There is a deep problem within the Chassidish community that people are not really talking about,” Rabbi Weiss began. “In the Chassidish world, international shidduchim within the community are very common. Most major chassidish groups have large communities abroad—in Boro Park, Williamsburg, London, Antwerp, and Montreal. These internal marriages are routine, but now that routine has become impossible.”

“The classic case works like this,” he explained. “A bochur in Israel becomes engaged to a girl from London. The chassan needs to travel to the kallah’s community for the engagement and later for the chasuna, which is usually held where the kallah lives. Today, the bochur simply cannot leave the country. He is stuck. And even if askanim somehow manage to arrange something in a particular case, then the chasuna arrives—and the chassan’s brothers, who are also yeshiva bochurim, can’t travel to participate in the simchah. The situation has created a severe crisis.”

And even when an international chasuna does take place, the problems don’t stop there. Rabbi Weiss described a difficult reality in which young couples already living abroad are afraid to travel to Israel.

“A young avreich who wants to come to Israel to visit his parents, spend Yomim Tovim here, or be with his Rebbe cannot land in Israel, because the moment he passes through Ben Gurion Airport, he may be arrested as a draft evader.”

He shared two recent incidents that illustrate the scope of enforcement at the airport. “Only about a week and a half ago, a young avreich who came to Israel with his one-year-old son was detained and arrested in front of his family.”

“I personally handled a previous case about two months ago. An avreich who arrived in Israel was arrested early Thursday morning. He remained in detention, and there was serious concern that he wouldn’t be released for Shabbos. The entire family was under enormous pressure because it was his brother’s Shabbos sheva brachos in Bnei Brak. After tremendous efforts, he was released and arrived home just minutes before Shabbos began. The family members were stressed and pressured instead of enjoying their simcha.”

Asked whether there have been attempts to reach understandings with the military or legal authorities regarding specific events such as chasunos, Rabbi Weiss responded painfully: “We are in complete chaos. There is no one to talk to. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Every day, something else happens.”

“There are askanim, advocates, and attorneys who are trying to help. Just this week, Rabbi Shlomi Greenberger, chairman of Vizhnitz’s political committee, met with Adv. Menachem Stauber over several urgent cases involving detainees. But we are only at the beginning of this situation, and the number of detained bochurim will only increase.”

Beyond the specific shidduch crisis, Rabbi Weiss warned of a broader problem that could affect the entire Chareidi community next month during Bein Hazemanim.

“Many yeshiva bochurim and avreichim travel throughout the country—to the north, Tiveria, and other places—to recharge and return to learning. The major concern is checkpoints and traffic police stopping bochurim and avreichim during these trips. That would become a widespread problem affecting everyone.”

Asked whether Vizhnitz might adopt approaches similar to other Chassidish groups that sometimes take a more pragmatic line regarding military authorities, Rabbi Weiss said unequivocally that the answer is no.

“The Rebbe follows the approach of ‘Give me Yavneh and its sages,’” he explained. “We do not involve ourselves in the details of the draft law, but the Rebbe is deeply pained by the current situation and follows it with great concern. He expresses his pain and says that the Olam HaTorah is the protection of Am Yisrael with 100% emunah sheleimah. There’s a feeling in the air that people are trying to harm the very soul of Lomdei Torah, and you see that the moment they are harmed, nothing works properly in the country—not even from a security standpoint. That should set off alarm bells.”

Rabbi Weiss completely rejected discussions about drafting those who are not actively learning. “The army today is simply not suited for the Chareidi public. Not only is it unsuitable, but there are also opposing interests there—agendas, progressivism, and educational values that contradict everything we were raised on. When there is no basic Shemiras Shabbos and no minimum conditions for a Chareidi Jew, there is nothing to talk about.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)