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Last update - 15:45 31/07/2008
More and more yeshiva students choosing Torah over IDF service
By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Yeshivas, Jewish World 

The number of yeshiva students whose army service has been put on hold because they have declared Torah study as their occupation currently stands at 55,300, as opposed to just over 50,000 last year, according to Colonel Tziki Sela, head of the IDF Department of Planning and Manpower Administration.

Sela told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday that of those 55,300, about 13,000 - or 24 percent - are no longer of use to the army, as they are age 26 and above.

The number of 18-year-olds who receive exemptions from mandatory military service is currently 5,000 people.
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"We need the haredim in the army," Sela clarified. "If all the 5,000 that received exemptions would have been drafted, then it would have cleared all our reserves from operative use and they could have focused on training instead. It's a national interest."

Sela later said that his statement was his own estimation, and he did not have data to support it.

He also told the committee that the Air Force has opened two new technological training courses for ultra-Orthodox recruits, and that over 100 ultra-Orthodox attended these courses this year, with 25 studying computer programming, and 88 receiving training as aircraft mechanics.

These special courses include instruction in English and math as well as basic military training. In addition, graduates can receive advanced technical courses after their discharge from the military.

Many of the participants in the courses choose to remain in the army as career soldiers. Sela emphasized that no female soldiers take part in the courses, a policy that also exists in the ultra-Orthodox Nahal unit, an infantry battalion that consists only of ultra-Orthodox conscripts.

The committee meeting was called to review progress on the implementation of the Tal Law, a legislation which regulates the exemption of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from the mandatory three years' service in the army.

Meanwhile, the number of ultra-Orthodox youth who opt for national service instead of joining the army has doubled in recent months, according to the head of the national service administration, Reuven Gal. Though their numbers are still very low, some 180 new ultra-Orthodox volunteered to the national service in June and July in comparison with only 80 in May.

Two-thirds of national service volunteers sign up for a year's service of 8 hours a day, and a third choose to spread their service over a two-year period. National service officials released an optimistic predication that they hoped the number of ultra-Orthodox who sign up with them will reach 2,000 a year in 2012.

MK Yossi Beilin of Meretz responded to the data by saying that the number of ultra-Orthodox volunteers who joined the national service was "pitiful." The left-wing lawmaker also voiced his concern over the high cost of running the national service, and complained that many of the volunteers were given assignments in West Bank settlements which he politically opposes.

During the committee session, the national service administration asked for more funds to increase stipends given to ultra-Orthodox volunteers. Currently, a married IDF soldier with a child receives NIS 3,400 a month, while a national service volunteer with the same family background is paid NIS 1,900.ela surprised those present when he said he had no objections to the national service's request, so long as soldiers still receive higher salaries than volunteers or yeshiva students who do not join the army or the national service.
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  1.   More yeshiva students studying Torah than doing Army 06:55  |  Millicent 31/07/08
  2.   Concept of Torah like Escape Serving Nation. 06:55  |  The Archives 31/07/08
  3.   Arabs Dont Serve in the IDF 08:11  |  Ronnie 31/07/08
  4.   Alternatively, 08:35  |  English Resident 31/07/08
  5.   No more country? 08:43  |  Ulf 31/07/08
  6.   Religious Parasites 09:33  |  SJ 31/07/08
  7.   Frummers Not Fighters For Israel 09:50  |  Clickfool 31/07/08
  8.   Millicent, Your question belies your prejudice, ma`am 10:13  |  Zev Davis 31/07/08
  9.   demanding equality in gov. ser. jobs 10:15  |  m 31/07/08
  10.   Ulf, where have you been lately? 10:23  |  Zev Davis 31/07/08
  11.   Flawed Statistics 11:21  |  Avi Ben Zvi 31/07/08
  12.   to # 1 11:40  |  Rudi Shultz 31/07/08
  13.   We need to do something with those f*g haredim! 11:46  |  ALex 31/07/08
  14.   Compulsory Religious to the Army and Secular to the Yeshivahs! 11:54  |  Yannai 31/07/08
  15.   Kayn Yirbu 12:09  |  Binyamin Dissen 31/07/08
  16.   #14 ok its a deal 13:12  |  sj 31/07/08
  17.   # 15 Kayn - hate to break it to you buddy but 13:18  |  SJ 31/07/08
  18.   #3, Ronie:"Arabs Dont Serve in the IDF" 13:22  |  amihai 31/07/08
  19.   service of our country 13:28  |  Ethan 31/07/08
  20.   These young people are using their heads,they refuse to be cannon 13:29  |  lakshmi 31/07/08
  21.   #5, ULF,you are right 13:35  |  AMIHAI 31/07/08
  22.   Haredi Nahal unit success 13:48  |  Yannai 31/07/08
  23.   Removel of Jews from their homes = Removel of Jews from the IDF 14:04  |  Jew 31/07/08
  24.   AS WRITTEN IN THE TORAH 14:23  |  AMIHAI 31/07/08
  25.   NO HIDING BEHIND THE TORAH, but standing in front to defend it. 15:03  |  jewish doctor 31/07/08
  26.   #23 You are 100% correct - why support criminal action ? 15:18  |  Harry 31/07/08
  27.   Conscientious Objection 15:51  |  Howie 31/07/08
  28.   DOES HE STUDY THE LAWS OF WAR??? 16:58  |  Elisheva 31/07/08
  29.   In the Bible 17:10  |  Fatso 31/07/08
  30.   They should study the whole Bible 17:17  |  Fatso 31/07/08
  31.   To Millicent 17:32  |  Fatso 31/07/08
  32.   Isn`t Zaka volutery work? How many secular guys do that? 17:50  |  Toit Yeshivish 31/07/08
  33.   Dodging IDF Service 17:53  |  Mara D`atra 31/07/08
  34.   ok, put the schools in sderot 18:00  |  frenz 31/07/08
  35.   #10 Haredi wisdom 18:04  |  Ulf 31/07/08
  36.   Gee, ya think? 18:22  |  Lama Lowe 31/07/08
  37.   Why not mention the large % of secular who skip army 18:30  |  Jabadini 31/07/08
  38.   That`s a shame!!! 18:32  |  Northern 31/07/08
  39.   Government to stop funding those yeshivas 18:53  |  Benjamina 31/07/08
  40.   Jew 19:50  |  Connie 31/07/08
  41.   Jew 19:50  |  Connie 31/07/08
  42.   # 3 ronnie 21:58  |  Axel 31/07/08
  43.   Haredin and the Army 22:06  |  Sy Dill 31/07/08
  44.   to connie #40, #41 22:47  |  another jew 31/07/08
  45.   Ulf, If HaAretz printed it, its likely true 23:16  |  Zev Davis 31/07/08
  46.   frenz, wouldn`t ya` know . . . 23:44  |  Zev Davis 31/07/08
  47.   haredim in the army 00:08  |  JG 01/08/08
  48.   Conscientious objection 01:10  |  Stanley 01/08/08
  49.   WHY WOULD THEY CHOOSE TO TAKE THEIR FAMILIES OFF THEIR LAND/OUT 03:33  |  glenna 01/08/08
  50.   #48 - Conscientious Objection 16:53  |  Howie 01/08/08
  51.   Understanding the haredi culture 00:34  |  Nathaniel 03/08/08
  52.   Forms of national service 03:37  |  Joseph 03/08/08
  53.   Those who don`t learn Torah & don`t do army service 01:36  |  Yaakov 07/08/08
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