Who should serve in the Israeli military?

It doesn’t sound like a particularly spicy question, does it? Because the obvious answer is… “Israelis.” Case closed, next question. But in this episode, Noam breaks down why Haredim, a massive force in Israel, don’t serve. He goes through the history and asks: how does this choice impact the country?

Big Ideas

1. Israel views itself as being both a Jewish and democratic state.
2. Many secular and ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis disagree on many matters of religion and state (from serving in the military to public transportation on Shabbat).
3. Many ultra-Orthodox Jews perceive service in the IDF as a potential challenge to maintaining the integrity of their deeply-held religious values and practices.

Essential Questions

• How can Israel balance being both a Jewish and democratic state?
• How can the State of Israel balance the needs of both its secular and religious citizens?
• What can serving one’s country look like in Israel?

Next: Discussion →