The question as to who exactly is responsible for developing educational material for IDF soldiers is a matter of sharp dispute as IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier-General Avichai Ronsky and IDF Chief Education Office Brigadier-General Eli Shermeister. Unable to reach an agreement, the matter has been brought to IDF Chief of Human Resources, Major-General Elazar Stern, to render a decision. In the meantime, many educational programs for soldiers have been halted.

Rav Ronsky, a former combat officer, has been working to make the Rabbinate a more “relevant” organ within the IDF, even moving to create a special officers training component for combat officers seeking to serve in the IDF Rabbinate. He is trying to improve on the Torah content of material presented to soldiers, who in many cases, have not been exposed to Jewish tradition in their schools prior to entering the military.

Shermeister however views Ronsky’s good intentions as stepping on his toes, explaining educational activities have traditionally been in under the umbrella of the Education Corps, not the Rabbinate.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)