As nation haggles over universal draft, civilian corps sees dramatic rise in Haredi volunteers
Numbers of ultra-Orthodox joining civilian service have been on the rise since the Tal Law was struck down
While the rest of the country was busy arguing about whether the ultra-Orthodox should be forced to serve the country, and how to punish those that don’t, a record number of yeshiva students were inducted into the country’s civilian service corps.
On Thursday morning, some 200 ultra-Orthodox men attended an introductory orientation to Israel’s civilian service in Jerusalem. The group was the highest number of volunteers to ever begin their civilian service in a single day, according to Sar-Shalom Jerby, the head of the administration.
The induction came against the backdrop of the release Wednesday of recommendations to push the ultra-Orthodox to join military or national service, which is mandatory for most of the population at 18. Currently, yeshiva students can claim exemptions under the Tal Law, which is set to expire at the end of July after the High Court ruled it unconstitutional.
Under the law, those who wish to serve, but not in the military, can do a form of national or civilian service, which places volunteers in schools, hospitals, immigrant absorption centers and other places. Upon completion of their service, they are entitled to the same rights and benefits that discharged soldiers receive.
“I have no doubt that with the formulation of a replacement to the Tal Law, this trend will continue and the number of people who register from the ultra-Orthodox community will continue to grow,” Jerby told the inductees.
The volunteers heard lectures on a wide range of subjects including their rights and obligations in the civil service, family finances, and academic studies.
Jerby assured the volunteers that he has no intention of turning the National Service Administration into a “melting pot,” emphasizing that “everyone who enters the civilian service as ultra-Orthodox will also leave as ultra-Orthodox.”
The number of ultra-Orthodox to register for civil service has been gradually increasing ever since the Tal Law was struck down. Today’s 200 inductees all registered in June 2012, up from the 74 people who registered in June one year ago.
