Litvaks said no to Satmar: "Our resistance – is different"

The resistance to recruit reveals major differences between U.S. haredi leaders: A rally against conscription of yeshiva students which the Satmar Rebbe tries to initiate, caused unrest in the Litvak community.

Central figures in the American yeshiva world, which include Hgra"d Wachtfogel - Rosh Yeshiva of South Paulsburg, and Hagaon Rabbi Moshe Solomon - Lakewood Yeshiva mashgiach, announced that they disclaim Satmar's rally and will not participate in it. They said Hagaon R' Aharon Leib Steinman is not interested in such rallies, and they are going his way.

Clear support for the rally came from the direction of Hagaon R' Dovid Soloveitchik, Rosh Yeshiva of Brisk. In his words he condemned the U.S. Roshei Yeshiva who are not willing to participate in it and said, "These people who call themselves Roshei Yeshiva, are ready to delete all of Judaism for tails and some respect. It is a great disgrace they are called Roshei Yeshiva".

Traditionally, Brisk maintains independence within the Litvak society and does not always agree with the leader in the general public. It is considered close to the Eida Haredis institutions and supports extreme resistance to recruitment.

Behind the scenes of the preparations for the rally were internal differences in outlook between the camps which led to the renouncement of Roshei Yeshivos. After the announcement of the Satmar Rebbe of the existence of the rally, representatives were sent on his behalf to the Litvishe community leaders, with a request to participate and express their support.

Initially they expressed willingness, given the broad consensus in the haredi public against the conscription. The reason that led them to retract their support, was the Rebbe's speech at the hillula of his father, the Rebbe Barech Moshe of Satmar zt"l. In his remarks he said, "The decree of conscription is worse than the destruction of Klal Yisroel."

These sharp words arise from Satmar's sharp attitude against anything related to Zionism, but the Roshei Yeshivos do not agree to identify with such a spirit. In their view, the problem is Bitul Torah, and not since the IDF is a body worse than the destruction of Klal Yisroel. The deep gulf in guiding ideology led them to understand that they must make a separate assembly and not to express solidarity with the Satmar method.

A similar controversy arose around the rally held by the Eida Haredis against the draft. Until the last minute the organizers tried to bring the participation of key factors in Haredi society, but besides Hgr"s Auerbach - they failed. During the days before the rally contacts were made with Gur Chassidus, which conditioned its participation in that the assembly will be against recruitment and not against Zionism, but they did not mature into acceptance and support.

Actions of the Eida Haredis in Jerusalem and Satmar in the United States reveal attempts on their part to take advantage of the storm against the conscription of yeshiva students to obtain recognition of the central Orthodoxy. After years the haredi public chooses to participate in state elections through the Torah Judaism party, while abstaining factors are considered marginal.

Until now, the Haredi community sharpens its messages and manages to make it clear that there was no change in its position and that the opposition is focused on recruiting yeshiva students.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!