JPOST
Dancing on the brink: Haredi draft dodging video triggers national backlash
Herb Keinon
March 14, 2025

Three recent viral videos on social media have put the issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription in the spotlight, even as the Knesset continues its inability to legislate the matter. The first, posted on February 28 by Mendel Rata – a hassidic composer and singer who is the son of the rebbe of the Shomrei Emunim hassidic sect in Ashdod – documented his seventh week in training with the new haredi Hashmoniam Brigade. Since enlisting in December, Rata has shared updates about his experience, and in this clip, he described learning navigation skills – how to get from point A to point B without a map – admitting it wasn’t his strongest suit. READ MORE