National religious rabbi pans Haredi leaders for holding day of fasting against conscription

Rabbi David Stav, chairman of the national religious Tzohar rabbinical organization, slams Haredi leaders for holding a day of prayer and fasting against conscription while tens of thousands of reservists are preparing to go into battle in Gaza.

“It is truly shocking to witness how while hundreds of thousands of families are being separated from parents and children being called back into war in Gaza, a segment of the population is completely absolving itself of their social responsibility,” the rabbi tells The Times of Israel in a statement.

“They are clearly transgressing the commandment prohibiting standing by while the blood of their brothers and sisters is being spilled; and to do so while claiming to be acting in the name of the Torah is nothing short of a despicable disgrace of God’s name.”

Ultra-Orthodox leaders called for an international day of prayer and fasting on Thursday in response to recent government efforts to conscript ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students and arrest those who ignore government orders to enlist.

Rabbi Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of Degel Hatorah, one of the two factions of the Haredi United Torah Judaism party, issued a public appeal to Jews around the world to treat the day as if it were Yom Kippur Katan, a minor fast day in which worshipers recite prayers usually read on the Jewish Day of Atonement.

In the United States and Europe, Haredi Jews are “preparing to tear open the gates of heaven to overturn the conscription decree that threatens the Torah world,” party newspaper Yated Neeman declared on its front page on Tuesday, quoting Lando as saying that “Jews are persecuting Jews because they are learning Torah.”

Rav Dov Lando and yeshiva students at Slobodka in Bnei Brak say Yom Kippur prayers to appeal for the end of conscription of Haredi yeshiva students pic.twitter.com/yYdert39tu

— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) August 21, 2025