"It's getting worse and worse, they want to uproot the yeshivas, we may need to go back to Russia or America…Who knows if escaping at a time like this [might] constitute a physical
rescue? Iran is threatening us with bombs; Egypt's President said that
in a few years there will be no State of Israel! Yeshivas should run
back to Russia! This is no laughing matter! Or at least to America.
Things are far from laughing! Oy yeshivas! Oy yeshivas!"
Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik
Haredim Should Flee Israel For Russia Over Draft, Haredi Leader Says
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The head of a Brisk yeshiva in Jerusalem warns that haredim may have to flee Israel if the haredi draft really takes place, Behadrei Haredim reports.
"It's getting worse and worse, they want to uproot the yeshivas, we may need to go back to Russia or America," Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik told his students.
Soloveitchik is also the president of Edah Haredit, the Mea Shearim-based haredi umbrella organization, which is staging a large anti-draft demonstration tomorrow night.
Soloveitchik explained why he and others left Russia 73 years ago.
“Our flight was not [because of] physical [things – i.e., physical violence, etc.]. It was because in Russia we had to send the children to [secular] school, and we were not allowed to study Torah, and therefore we ran [from there] and put ourselves in real physical danger [in order to keep the children out of those secular schools]!…Seemingly now the situation is the same as well. They want to close the yeshivas, cutting of funding - meaning no more yeshivas,” Soloveitchik said.
Soloveitchik went on to repeat the urban legend of haredi yeshiva students being forced to let female doctors examine them for their army induction physical.
"One of the boys said he wanted a male doctor and not a female doctor, and they asked him why? He replied that his teachers told him so. They said to him: 'This is the Army, you're in the army, and the army has orders! Forget the rabbis - Rabbi's, oh Rabbis! Here is an army!’ And they detained [the yeshiva students] for six hours! They wanted to pray Mincha and they did not let them, claiming that in middle of testing you cannot pray Mincha! Who's there? Female soldiers and not male soldiers! This is truly close to the yeshivas and uprooting the entire Torah.…
"Who knows if escaping at a time like this [might] constitute a physical rescue? Iran is threatening us with bombs; Egypt's President said that in a few years there will be no State of Israel! Yeshivas should run back to Russia! This is no laughing matter! Or at least to America. Things are far from laughing! Oy yeshivas! Oy yeshivas!
"First they started with the Talmudei Torah [haredi primary schools and secondary schools] with [‘forcing them to teach the country’s] ‘core curriculum,’ and I think they wanted to uproot the Talmudei Torah and now they want to uproot the yeshivas! It is getting worse and worse. We need to think very seriously about the escape from here, and who knows if it was not for the better, if this is also not saving us physically, too ... such a tzara [distress, woe, sorrow]!" Soloveitchik said.
He also said that haredim need to start a new organization to fight budget cuts to haredi yeshivas and the haredi draft, suggesting that organization should be modeled on Atra Kadisha, the notorious haredi organization that fights against ‘desecration’ of graves caused by construction of roads and buildings.
Atra Kadisha often riots and uses vandalism to try to achieve its goals, but it was also linked to threats against archaeologists and police.
[Ht Tip: Burich.]