Two Chabad soldiers serving in the IDF for more than six months were subjected to disciplinary proceedings for not cutting their hair during Sefiras HaOmer.
According to a Channel 14 report, the two soldiers were detained by a military police officer, issued citations, and summoned to disciplinary hearings.
The soldiers said they tried to explain to the military police representative that their lack of haircuts did not stem from disrespect for orders but was due to a religious minhag that is an integral part of their emunah.
Both soldiers have valid army-issued beard exemptions, but did not receive official exemptions regarding haircuts. They stressed that no other disciplinary violations were issued against them.
One of the soldiers said, “I’m a Chabad chassid. I’m not allowed to get a haircut until Shavuos. If I could, I would have gotten one long ago.”
According to sources familiar with the matter, the incident joins a growing list of complaints from Chareidi and religious soldiers who claim their religious lifestyle and symbols have been infringed upon during military service.
Among the examples cited were previous incidents involving disciplinary action over religious symbols, including the “Moshiach” patch affair.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
An army that seeks to indoctrinate young soldiers into atheism and trans gay lifestyles is an army of Sodom. I asked my 13 year old grandson if when he is 16 I will bring him to America to continue learning Torah. He said no. He will fight back and if need be go to jail for being a Torah Jew.
Why had they not requested and received a P’tor Sei’ar – they would have received one. The army does grant these pretty much automatically for exactly this type of reason – and while some discretion could have been exercised in this case, this is not an “attack on Chareidim”.
an Israeli Yid
the israeli army is no place for jews. it’s run by and for goyim!
Good. Don’t enlist in a secular army.
And they still want chareidim to enlist to the Anti-Religious army?!
nothing was done yet; wait to see if they are incarcerated.
Dr yidd, they already incarcerated and locked up a Lubavitcher soldier for wearing a mossiach patch on his uniform. He got thirty days in jail. An Arab who punches a Jew gets top a little probation.
anIsraeli Yid sounds reasonable. It is hard to imagine that there are only two guys who do not shave during sefirah. So, it is some sort of outlier. Possibly, many people do not shave for 33 days at different times, while Chabad takes whole 49 days?