Nahal Charedi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nahal Haredi is a battalion in the Israeli Army (IDF).
Nahal Haredi was created in 1999 by a group of rabbis in cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces and the Ministry of Defense, as a venue for young men who wish to serve the national interests of Eretz Yisrael while adhering to the highest religious standards. From a small unit of 30 soldiers, Nahal Haredi has become an IDF battalion of close to 1,000 troops, and now aims to reach the requisite threshold for designation as a fully operative infantry brigade. Nahal Haredi continues to develop and implement programming designed to provide military, educational, and economic opportunity to Israel's growing Haredi community.
Nahal Haredi was founded on the premise that physical strength alone is not enough - the spirit of Torah and Mitzvot must underlie all that is achieved. The Nahal provides religious men who seek to contribute to Israel's military defense with a framework for personal and professional achievement that in every way promotes a Torah-true lifestyle.
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[edit] Mission Statement
- To provide for the unique spiritual needs of Haredi youth, while also enabling them to participate in the defense of Israel.
- To provide these young men with the educational and professional qualifications needed to achieve economic independence.
- To provide the Haredi community with a unique opportunity to share the nation's military burden as well as bridging the social gap between the secular and religious populations in Israel.
[edit] Working with the Israel Defense Forces
The Nahal Haredi non-profit organization (Amuta in Hebrew) works arm-in-arm with both the Israel Defense Forces and the Ministry of Defense, defining the units' Religion related regulations and unique needs. What differentiates this battalion is the fact that Nahal Haredi's rabbinical and lay leadership is actively involved in providing for each and every soldiers physical and spiritual needs-from the minute he dons the uniform, to the day that he leaves the IDF and begins his new life in the real world.
Nahal Haredi has well-defined recruitment guidelines as outlined by both the IDF and Ministry of Defense and subsidizes many of its recruitment activities. As part of the organization's symbiotic relationship with the military establishment, The Nahal Haredi organization shares the responsibility and costs for developing critical third year educational programs with the Ministry of Defense.
[edit] Staff
Rabbi Tzvi Klebanow, Director of the Nahal Haredi organization, Rabbi Klebanow serves as the liaison to the IDF and the Ministry of Defense. He is responsible for organization policy decisions and program coordination. Rabbi Klebanow holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a M.S. in Computer Engineering. In addition to his organizational leadership, Rabbi Klebanow is a frequent guest speaker presenting the Nahal Haredi to Jewish communities around the world. He resides with his wife and family in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, an outstanding Torah scholar and prolific writer has published over 200 seforim. He is a product of the great Yeshivot Poneviz and Mir and merited to study with the famous Mashgiach of Yeshivat Mir, Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitch zt"l. As a past Mashgiach in Yeshivat Itri and currently a Ram in Yeshivat Dvar Yerushalayim, Rabbi Schwartz brings scores of years of experience in Torah education to the Nahal Haredi. Rabbi Schwartz has served as a spiritual advisor and educator since the inception of the program in 1999. He resides in Jerusalem with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Rabbi Zecharya Ben Shlomo, Reserve Duty Major in Military Rabbinate, Rosh Kollel Shaalavim and Rosh Bet Midrash Nahal Haredi is a well known military halachic authority. He is the author of the compendium of army halacha called Military Halacha. He is also the director of the Center of Army Halachic Issues and over the past 25 years has instructed thousands of soldiers in halachic issues. Rabbi Ben Shlomo has published several books and numerous articles on Jewish law. He resides with his wife and family in the Shaalavim community.
Rabbi Yitzchok Bar Chaim, a gifted lecturer and energetic motivator is a product of Yeshivat Hebron. He has also studied Dayanut at Machon Harry Fischel. Rabbi Bar Chaim was mainly responsible for the establishment of the Nahal Haredi program. In addition to his relentless dedication to the Nahal he also serves as a Mashgiach in Yeshivat Be'ar Avraham. He resides with his wife and family in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Dovid Fuchs, is a model of a beloved educator. From the inception of the Nahal Haredi program Rabbi Fuchs continues to travel to the Nahal Haredi bases to encourage our soldiers and instill within them the love of Torah and Eretz Yisroel. Be it a roadblock checkpoint or the top of a mountain, soldiers can rest assure that Rabbi Fuchs will make his way to them. He studied at Yeshiva Grodna in Ashdod. He resides with his wife and family in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Dovid Bloch, is the official spokesman for the Organization. Rabbi Bloch studied at Yeshivat Ponivez and for many years served as Rosh Yeshiva of the Midrashia in Pardes Hannah. He currently is a Ram in Nahora Yeshiva High School and a Rosh Kollel in Jerusalem. Rabbi Bloch, one of the initial movers of the Nahal Haredi continues to contribute valuable expertise from his wealth of educational experience. He resides with his wife and family in Bnei Brak.
Rabbi Shlomo Ben-Zeev, served in the IDF as a member of a Hesder unit from Yeshivat Shaalavim. After studying at Yeshivot Mir and Itri, he received a M.A. in Jewish education. Rabbi Ben-Zeev joined the Nahal Haredi staff in 2004. He is responsible for assisting the new recruits with their difficult transition into the army and serves as a spiritual advisor during the course of their basic training. He resides with his wife and family at Shaalavim.
Rabbi Meir Ben Haim, served in the IDF as a member of an elite Air Force unit. After studying at Yeshivat Tifrach, he received a B.S. in electronics at the Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT). He has served as the Founder and Director of the preparatory academic program at JCT for the past ten years. Rabbi Ben Chaim serves as a guidance counselor and program coordinator for the Nahal Haredi third year educational program. He resides with his wife and family in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Yisroel Tzvi Marcus, educated both in Torah and the sciences, joined the Nahal Haredi staff in 2003. He serves as an educational advisor for the third year educational track of the Nahal Haredi. He resides with his wife and family in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Moshe Tzorfati, recently joined the Organization's staff. His exuberance and outwardly love for his fellow Jew always receives a warm welcome from our soldiers. Rabbi Tzorfati spends many Shabbatot with the soldiers at the battalion and the special radiance of Shabbat is especially felt with his presence. He resides with his wife and family in Jerusalem.
