Many Haredi Enroll in Israel Service

By Haaretz July 6, 2012

The uncertainty surrounding the aftermath of the Tal Law’s August 1 expiry has driven a record number of ultra-Orthodox men to volunteer for the national service program in the past few days.

Some 200 men packed Jerusalem’s Yad Sarah conference hall Thursday, constituting the largest contingent ever to join the program, launched in 2008 as an alternative to yeshiva students’ military service.

The men, coming from the Lithuanian, Sephardi and especially Hasidic factions of the Haredi community, will be joining the 1,860 Haredi men currently in the national service.

“Everyone here realizes that once the Tal Law expires, the terms might worsen for the volunteers,” said Yisrael Meir Ravitz of the National Civilian Service administration for Haredim.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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