

As the people of Israel cautiously dare to breathe again now that a ceasefire is in place, some astute commentators are asking if another Israeli war is starting, just as the latest crisis is winding down.
The place of the haredi community within the wider Israeli culture has been fraught with tension since the creation of the State. For years a delicate stalemate vis-à-vis service in the IDF held between the haredi community and the wider State. October 7th shattered that stalemate. With the full force of the IDF called into duty and reservists forced to abandon their lives and perform repeated tours, it was no longer possible to ignore the question of the haredi army draft.
In the midst of accusations, declarations, and scaremongering on both sides, there is the fear that this new challenge could ignite a civil war. But even in the midst of communal tension, there are voices of reason and compromise working to avoid such a calamity.

One such voice stands out as offering a concrete solution to the question, without requiring either side to abandon their values. Rabbi Menachem Bombach, founder of the Netzach Educational Network, has devoted his life to increasing haredi integration into Israeli society.
From Meah She’arim to Hebrew University
Born and bred in the heart of Meah She’arim, the archetypal haredi community, Bombach has deftly managed not only to straddle both worlds, but also to forge a path for others to follow.
He shares his personal story as an example for others to emulate. “I received the standard haredi education and considered myself to be educated overall. But then I was volunteering as a ‘big brother’ for a Russian boy from a troubled family. He came to me for help with his homework, and I was forced to tell him that I couldn’t read English or do high school-level math.”
Bombach was not content to refer the boy to another mentor. “I realized that something was missing from my education. This younger boy was ostensibly from a less advantaged background than I was, but he was facing a future with more tools for life.”
Driven as he was to raise his own level of secular learning, he worked to breach the gaps in his education, eventually graduating with an MA in Public Policy from the Hebrew University.
It was not enough for him to simply improve his own lot in life. “The Torah teaches us that we do not come to this life to simply enjoy the world Hashem created,” said Bombach. “We come here to partner with Him in Creation by doing our best to leave the world in a greater level of perfection.”
In this spirit, he set about establishing a system that would provide haredi youth with a secular education in a suitable environment and which eventually grew into a network including the full range of educational institutions.
A Sacred Duty to Share the Burden
Today Bombach acts as an ‘interpreter’ between the haredi worldview and the needs of the state. Many haredim fear that their way of life will be upended if the community integrates into wider society. Bombach does not mince words. “They are not wrong. There is a risk. But there is also a risk to driving a car. We drive cars because the benefits outweigh the risks. Haredim must integrate both for their own benefit and the country as a whole.”
In his understanding, the continued existence of the State of Israel is at risk.
“It’s predicted that by 2050, the haredi community will make up the majority of the Israeli population.” Bombach explains, “The future of the Jewish State will be in our hands. It is imperative that our physical security and financial stability be maintained. To achieve this, the haredi community must play a greater part in both of these areas.” From this perspective, it is not just a question of the burden being shared, it is an essential, unavoidable shift in perspective.
The War as a Catalyst for Change
Following October 7th, there were many grassroots efforts within the haredi community to participate in the war effort. Social media abounded with videos of activities as varied as haredim tying khaki green tzitzit ready to send to the front, to haredim standing at the roadside giving food to soldiers. Not to mention the anonymous haredi man at the EL AL ticket desk in JFK who paid for 250 tickets to bring reservists back to Israel.
“Haredim care about their fellow Jews,” Bombach explains. “Many of them want to be part of collective effort, but we need to provide them with a way to channel that desire.”
He pushes back against those who would argue that haredi participation in organizations such as Zaka, Hatzolah, Yedidim, and Yad Sara are an alternative for military participation. “The actions of these few hundred volunteers should not be viewed as a fig-leaf for those who choose not to obey the laws of the land. There must be community-wide participation in the greater society.”
The war has provided the IDF with a new urgency for enlisting haredi men. Bombach was one of those consulted on how best to integrate haredim into the ranks. “Immediately we worked on finding suitable jobs for the 2,000 haredi men who were called to enlist at the beginning of the war. I was very impressed by how dedicated the IDF leadership was to this project, despite the pressures of the war.”
Hasmonean Brigade
The IDF met the challenge of enlisting more haredim by creating the Hasmonean Brigade, hailed as the first brigade truly created to match the needs of haredim. This unit has gone beyond previous efforts to cater to haredim, by creating a male-only environment with observant commanders, haredi-suitable kashrut, and rules intended to maintain haredi community standards on base (for example recruits are only allow to have ‘kosher phones’ without access to social media.)
The first 50 active recruits and an additional 100 reservists were the inaugural members of the brigade earlier this month, marking the start of this new stage in haredi integration into the army.
“The Hasmonean Brigade is a great step forward,” Bombach said. “But the wider culture shift needs to come from within. Every haredi man who enlists in the IDF makes it easier for two more to enlist after him. Slowly we will change the community.”
Change from Within Is the Only Way
When the media is filled with footage of haredim blocking roads and setting dumpsters on fire to protest the draft, it might appear that a change “from within” is an unrealistic goal. But Bombach argues that many haredim are hungry for a new way in the world. “Full-time Torah learning will always be the haredi ideal. I also see it as the ideal, but for most it is an impossible goal. For those not suited to a lifetime of full-time Torah study, there needs to be a path to a better economic future.”
On average, haredi men earn just over half of the average salary of non-haredi men. This leaves many haredim still living below the poverty line. The desire for better job prospects is motivating many to turn to higher education. The Netzach Educational Network comprises 1,500 students in five elementary schools, three high schools; 17,000 in three post-high-school institutions, and close to 50,000 in their online program. High-school students complete the crucial Bagrut matriculation certification, while post-high school tracks span the range of professional interests from nursing and psychology to accounting.
Bombach is hard at work planning for the next wave of haredi secular education, expanding his network to meet a growing need.
The Future is with the Children
Netzach is unique among haredi training programs to offer higher level secular studies throughout the schooling process, starting at the elementary level. “It is very hard to learn basic math at the age of 20. We saw that many adult men struggled to catch up with their secular counterparts, even when given the opportunity for advanced studies. Therefore, we are creating a haredi school system that builds a strong secular education into every stage,” Bombach explains.

“Our future always lies in our children. At Netzach we are raising the next generation of haredim to be unapologetically haredi while also fully part of Israeli society. Both are possible.” Success stories abound. Many of the new recruits from the Hasmonean Brigade are Netzach graduates.

“We even have some shidduchim,” Bombach says. “Last month I was at the chuppah of two Netzach graduates. The groom was a Tolneh chassid, who graduated with honors from Netzach’s Midrasha HaChassidit and now serves in an elite combat unit in the Israel Defense Forces. The bride is studying Nursing at Netzach’s Ofek Women’s College in Jerusalem.” Netzach is literally creating a new generation of haredim.
Choosing to See Common Passion Instead of War
The “war” for haredi integration is not the only cultural battle facing the State of Israel.
Opposing sides of the political spectrum protesting in the streets seem to threaten physical violence. While some commentators see the destruction of Israeli society, Bombach finds a more optimistic message in the same scene.
“When you see protests at night on the Begin Highway, you could see Jews against each other. But behind the clashing voices in the two camps, I see a common value: a passion of caring,” he explains. “In the end, it’s not the screams that tell our story, but the beating heart behind them. This is the secret of our power as a nation – not the dispute, but the fire burning in our bones.”
Ultimately the fate of Israel lies not in the hands of our enemies, but in the hands of every citizen to channel their passion for our collective victory. Menachem Bombach and the Netzach Educational are working to ensure that we stand together, with a stronger, more integrated haredi community playing an integral part in Israel’s future.
Produced in collaboration with the Netzach Educational Network.