IDF Establishes New Frum Brigade ‘Chashmonaim’ Of 3,000 Soldiers

By FrumNews.com 

The IDF’s Chief of Staff, Hertzi Halevi, approved an operational plan for establishing a Frum Chareidi brigade called Chashmonaim with 3,000 soldiers.

This comes as the political fight over Yeshiva Bochurim and the IDF draft continues in the Knesset and far-left Supreme Court.

According to an Army Radio report on Thursday morning, the brigade will include three battalions: two regular infantry units with full service and one reserve battalion. It will be led by the head of the IDF Manpower Directorate, Maj.-Gen. Yaniv Asor and the commander of the IDF training unit General David Zini. And Rabbonim, led by Rabbi Dovid Label.

The training period for the Chareidi reserve soldiers will last three months. Afterward, they will be released and called up when needed.

The IDF agreed that the brigade would not include women and would have a special admissions committee verifying that applicants are indeed Chareidi. Additionally, all the commanders will be Frum.

***

FrumNews.com wants to highlight that since the start of the milchama on Simchas Torah, thousands of Frum Israeli Charedim have voluntarily enlisted on their own into the IDF, mostly joining and expanding the already established Frum chassidishe units in combat divisions such as:

• Netzach Yehuda–Nachal Charedi Battalion in Kfir
• Tomer Battalion in Givati
• Chetz Battalion in Tzanchanim (Paratroopers)
• And the popular Shachar Kachol non-combat unit established for Yingerleit.

Additionally, there are dozens of large Hesder Yeshivas that combine Limud Hatorah and volunteering in the IDF. The Hesder Yeshiva (Dati Leumi) Bochurim, mostly from Yishuvim in Yehuda and Shomron, proudly serve, as Bnei Yeshiva and Bnei Torah together with their fellow classmates and Rebbeim in all units, branches and divisions of the IDF. In fact, many motivated Hesder yeshiva bochurim make it to top units and special forces divisions within the IDF, all while being Shomer Torah Umitzvos.

The Frum and Chassidish communities of Eretz Yisroel have the highest percentage of volunteers for emergency rescue chesed organizations in every Israeli city, including Zaka, United Hatzalah of Israel, Magen Dovid Adom (MDA) and Yedidim.