Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox) in Israel. 8 May 2025, 10 Iyar, 5785.
Note:
The article below has been put together from several previous essays the essence of some of which were posted on Quora and others on the Brit-Am web-site https://hebrewnations.com/ in addition to several updates, additions, and emendations we have now added.
This is not our usual subject matter but questions relating to it do arise. It is of interest, and it deals with matters that Mainstream Media leaves alone or misinformed about.
Contents:
1. Economics.
2. Who Lives at Whose Expense?
3. Hareidi Women.
4. Prejudice against Haredi males in Employment. Bureaucratic Discrimination.
5. Military Service.
6. Haredi Contribution.
a. Army Service. Do the Haredi, save the IDF money?
b. Volunteer and Charity
c. Schnor ("Begging").
d. Telling the Truth.
e. Donald Trump once said.
7. Cost-Benefit Advantages of Hareidi Presence.
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1. Economics
Is an ultra-orthodox life a welfare burden on Israel?
By "Ultra-Orthodox" you mean "Hariedim."
Not everybody is the same. People do different jobs and perform varied roles. Learning Torah may help Israel more than anything else. It also improves the overall atmosphere throughout the country.
The present posting however will try to concentrated on an ECONOMIC RATIONALE. Instead of thinking in simple terms of coinage let us consider more value added versus value reduced, i.e. GOOD PUT IN VERSUS GOOD TAKE OUT.
Comparison with the Real Secular Majority.
In Israel if you work at an average job and live in a secular society you will probably need welfare or external assistance to get by! Wage equality is very low and equal to that of a third-world nation. The cost of living is high; Housing is expensive.
Professional people and businessmen may have it better and often reach levels similar to those in the Western World.
The lower Jewish tier, among other matters, will have to compete with Arabs whose housing is much cheaper and general expectations considerably lower.
Nevertheless, Jewish People get by on the whole thanks to their family, or to some fluke of chance or other that enabled them to buy a house, and so on.
Rationally,
You need to have your own business or to be a well-qualified professional, or a wizz kid on computers, or to have some kind of arrangement in addition to a regular job. You will have difficulty looking after your family, if you manage to have one. You may have to take more than one job. You will feel indigent and socially disadvantaged.
You will belong to a good portion of the population all of whom are in a similar situation. This is reality.
Things are better than they used to be.
https://www.btl.gov.il/English%20Homepage/Mediniyut/GeneralInformation/Pages/MinimumWage.aspx
April 2025.
The Minimum Wage in Israel is officially NIS 6,247 (ca. USD 1744) per month [This might pay the food bill of a large family and leave some over. After that one has rent etc. If you own your apartment and both spouses work part of the battle is behind you. ]
Many however for different reasons do not receive this amount.
In December 2024, the average monthly wage in Israel was NIS 14,334, or about USD 4013.
The median (middle level) wage was 13,000 Shekels (USD 3,629) per month.
About 66% of the population earn below average.
Medication is for free or at least cheap depending on how much of it you want and at what level.
The Government helps. For each child you will receive a certain sum. The amount goes up positively with each child.
The Hareidim also receive the same child allowance. The allowance goes up according to the number of children. It is paid to the mother. Because Haredim have more children they will receive a larger sum but will probably not meet the added expenses.
The Hareidim pay for education of their boys whereas the Secular and National-Religious do not. They may need additional welfare consideration but if they do then they will usually prefer that of private organizations and not governmental ones. The Secular who do not get by in many cases will also prefer to go to Hareidi charitable bodies.
If you are unemployed you may receive enough benefits to pay for food and part of your lodging. Education is for free for Secular and National Religious boys and for all girls.
Hareidim need to pay for boys in Yeshivot.
This can be expensive. Each boy may cost from 1000 Shekels (USD 280) to 1,400 (USD 390) a month.
A family known to us of 10 children pays ca. 7000 shekels (USD 2000) on the education of his children per month. Most of this is due to paying Yeshivot for the boys.
In some cases discounts and/or scholarships may be available but not everybody gets them or wants them for different reasons.
The Hareidim get by better on less money. There is no real social pressure. Statistically poor Haredi families do not necessarily feel indigent. The prices of foodstuff and basic necessities in Hareidi neighborhoods are lower. Often the quality is higher.
Hareidi life is based on learning Torah. Ideally, according to Maimonides one should work for about 3 to 4 hours and learn Torah the rest of the time.
Modern Life however seldom allows this. For numerous reasons it is needed that as many Jews who are able to learn full-time do so.
Parallels are to be found with the Tribe of Levi or with ordinary citizens in time of war who leave everything else for the duration.
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2. Who Lives at Whose Expense?
Hareidim put in more than they take out. Secular citizens take out more than they put in.
For example, say a Hareidim couple with 8 children need 12,000 shekels a month (perhaps more at present) to get by at a minimal but reasonable level.
Taking all government welfare assistance (Child Allowances, etc.) together it gets about 3,000 to 4, 000 shekels a month. Indirect assistance might be worth another 1000 shekels. This helps a lot but it does not solve the problem. The rest of what is needed comes from part time work, money from family overseas, money from extended family, money from the learning institution, etc. [The figures may not be exact but the overall direction is correct.] Most of the money received is almost immediately consumed. The Government takes about 20% on consumer taxes from this and at least another 20% through the cumulative effects of taxation. Out of the 12,000 shekels spent by the family the Government supplies say 5000 (maximum) and takes back ca. 4000. This is only the beginning. Meanwhile, in our example, the Hareidi family will have contributed to the economy 7,000. The Government by giving 5000 and taking back 4000 (i.e. in real terms giving a 1,000) has therefore made a net gain for the General Economy of 6000 shekels!
If you buy a house in Israel about 60% of the price is due to cumulative taxation.
By comparison Arab houses in the Arab sector cost the Arabs about 33% of what it costs the Jews.
The houses in both the Arab and Jewish sector are built by the same methods and using the same labor. This may be seen in certain townships where one has Arab sections alongside the Jewish ones with houses in the Jewish section costing several times what they do in the Arab one. TV documerntary programs have spoken of this.
Jewish Colonisation in the Holy Land.
The largest cities in Judea and Samaria are Modiin Ilit, Beitar Ilit, Maaleh Adumim, and Ariel, with a total population of 220,884 residents. Two (Modiin, Beitar Ilit) out of these 4 cities are Haredi. Cities provide infrastructure and greater self-sustainability. Haredim In Judah and Samaria account for 37% of the population, Religious Zionists 37%, and Secular Jews 26%.
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3. Hareidi Women.
The work of women is important in Haridei society. The women are not suffering because of this. On the contrary.
Here are some statistics concerning the rates of employment:
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In 1980, the Haredi community comprised only 4% of Israel's population. Presently it's just over 11%, with demographers predicting that by 2065 it will comprise over 32%.
Previously, e.g. in 2017, the rate of employment among non-haredi Jews aged 25 - 64 was 87.8% among men, and 82.1% among women, compared to 51.7% among haredi men and 73.4% among haredi women of the same age group.
Today the statistics are DIFFERENT.
See:
80% of Ultra-Orthodox Women Participate in the Workforce - 2022 Statistical Report on Ultra-Orthodox Society in Israel
https://en.idi.org.il/articles/47009#:
In the years 2003-2015, there was a turning point in the employment rates in the ultra-Orthodox population, for both men and women, and today over half of ultra-Orthodox men (51%) and over three-quarters of ultra-Orthodox women (80%) work.
Because they often have large families Hareidi women often prefer part time work, e.g. 1/2 or 3/4 of a posting.
It has been claimed (according to the published results of a study quoted by the secular newspaper, "Yediot Acharonot") that:
The self-image of Hareidi women i.e. their relative satisfaction with life and image of themselves, is HIGHER than that of any other group.
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4. Prejudice against Haredi males in Employment. Bureaucratic Discrimination.
The largest employer in Israel is the Government Civil Service. This discriminates against Hareidim in general but much more against Hareidi males than females. This discrimination is not due to Government policy but since Haredim do not usually serve in the IDF they cannot be employed so easily by the Goverment.
So too internal bureaucratic control of those manning the system itself may be against the Haredim. This is something that needs to be recognized.
The difference between what would be without the discrimination and what there is now may (or may not) be numerically quite significant.
Hareidi men have 30% more unemployed than non-hareidi males. Most of the Hareidi men who do not work learn Torah full time. In Hareidi society the more Torah you learn the more respect you receive.
There is no pecking order based on income and material status. The Hareidim receive some money from the government that on a good day might cover the educational fees of their children.
On the other hand, the government pays for the education of Secular children but does not fund the male offspring of Hareidim. Thus is because Haredi male children do not learn the CORE subjects required by law.
The rest of Hareidi income comes from extended family, philanthropists, and independent business. The Torah itself contributes in ways that have economic value, e.g. spiritual benefits, family stability, less crime, intellectual interests, better physical and mental health, etc.
In Hareidi society it is common (but not universal) that the men preside over the family income including that earned by the wife. This contributes to family stability. Among non-Religious Jews a similar de facto arrangement may well be prevalent but it appears to be less axiomatic.
Since non-religious families on the average are less stable this would seem logical.
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5. Military Service.
Why do Jewish Orthodox males refuse to be drafted to serve in the Israeli military?
As I understand it there are several different reasons that overlap and interlock with each other:
In Place of the Tribe of Levi. Jewish Ultra-Orthodox males to a degree learn Torah full time. They are supported by their wives and extended families and by contributions from the public, philanthropists, as well as by the Israeli government. They are fulfilling the task of the Tribe of Levi in ancient times. The Levites would serve the public in religious matters. Unlike the other tribes, Levites would not go out to war against the enemies of Israel.
Numbers ch. 26:2-51 gives a census of all the Tribes (apart from Levi) from 20 years up to 60. According to Scripture 20 years was the age an Israelite male began his obligation to do military service. The Tribe of Levi is not numbered in this census. The Tribe of Levi is however counted on its own (Numbers 26:52-62). The counting of Levi begins from a month old. Levi was not listed from the age of 20 because the Levites did not go out to war with the rest of Israel.
Maimonides (Laws of Shemitah and Yovel.
Maimonides, By Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon ("Maimonides"); translated by Eliyahu Touger
Mishneh Torah (Rambam) Sefer Zeraim Shemita, chapter 12.
12 WHY DID THE LEVITES NOT RECEIVE A PORTION IN THE INHERITANCE OF ERETZ YISRAEL AND IN THE SPOILS OF WAR LIKE THEIR BRETHREN? BECAUSE THEY WERE SET ASIDE TO SERVE GOD AND MINISTER UNTO HIM AND TO INSTRUCT PEOPLE AT LARGE IN HIS JUST PATHS AND RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENTS, AS [DEUTERONOMY 33:10] STATES:25 "THEY WILL TEACH YOUR JUDGMENTS TO JACOB AND YOUR TORAH TO ISRAEL." THEREFORE THEY WERE SET APART FROM THE WAYS OF THE WORLD. THEY DO NOT WAGE WAR LIKE THE REMAINDER OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, NOR DO THEY RECEIVE AN INHERITANCE, NOR DO THEY ACQUIRE FOR THEMSELVES THROUGH THEIR PHYSICAL POWER. INSTEAD, THEY ARE GOD'S LEGION, AS [IBID.:11]: STATES: "GOD HAS BLESSED HIS LEGION" AND HE PROVIDES FOR THEM, AS [NUMBERS 18:20] STATES: "I AM YOUR PORTION AND YOUR INHERITANCE."
13 NOT ONLY THE TRIBE OF LEVI, BUT ANY ONE OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD27 WHOSE SPIRIT GENEROUSLY MOTIVATES HIM AND HE UNDERSTANDS WITH HIS WISDOM TO SET HIMSELF ASIDE AND STAND BEFORE GOD TO SERVE HIM AND MINISTER TO HIM AND TO KNOW GOD, PROCEEDING JUSTLY AS GOD MADE HIM, REMOVING FROM HIS NECK THE YOKE OF THE MANY RECKONINGS WHICH PEOPLE SEEK, HE IS SANCTIFIED AS HOLY OF HOLIES.28 GOD WILL BE HIS PORTION AND HERITAGE FOREVER AND WILL PROVIDE WHAT IS SUFFICIENT FOR HIM IN THIS WORLD LIKE HE PROVIDES FOR THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES. AND THUS DAVID DECLARED [PSALMS 16:5]: "GOD IS THE LOT OF MY PORTION; YOU ARE MY CUP, YOU SUPPORT MY LOT."
See Also:
Torah and Making a Living by Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman.
https://ohr.edu/explore_judaism/ask_the_rabbi/ask_the_rabbi/1350
That is the main reason. Due to the Holocaust and the pressures of Modern Life Religious Jews are fighting a war of survival physically and ideologically. They who learn Torah are in the front lines of this struggle.
It is felt that learning Torah brings merit on Israel. The IDF up until now has benefited from Divine Intervention on its behalf. This may in part be due to Jews learning Torah.
Together with this, there is the widely-held opinion that the present situation is not ideal. It is exceptional. The feeling is that this is what is required at present under present circumstances.
Other reasons include:
a. There is an anti-Religious ideology that permeates sections of the IDF command. Military service to some degree in the past was turned into a tool to modernize and secularize Jewish youth. This still continues. Most inductees finish the service much less observant than when they began it. There are exceptions which by definition are exceptional. The Ultra-Orthodox naturally do not want to be subject to such influences.
b. Objective difficulties.
Military Life even without an anti-religious agenda can make strict observance of the Law difficult.
Other points worth noting are:
c. The IDF does not really want Ultra-Orthodox (Hareidim). Leading officers have said as much. The peculiar requirements of Ultra-Orthodox soldiers may, in the eyes of some, cause more complications than the effort is worth. Political pressures to force the conscription of Hareidim do not usually emanate from military sources.
d. The IDF conscripts females more for ideological and social reasons than anything else. Women who serve contribute BUT that is not the reason they are serving.
e. The IDF has needs but meeting them under the present system is not necessarily the best solution.
One option is a larger permanent professional force. For example, Mishmar Ha-Gevul (The Border Police) has a larger proportion of permanent non-conscripted soldiers than other sections of the IDF. Other sectors lack that. The IDF needs soldiers BUT not necessarily in the way it presently receives them.
f. The phenomenon exists that because of the alternatives of obligatory military service more Hareidim learn than would otherwise do so. In my opinion this is for the better. Others would disagree. The Hareidim are a genuine sector of Israeli society. They contribute a lot as we have discussed elsewhere. Even Hareidim who do not learn and do not serve in the IDF fulfill a purpose.
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6. Haredi Contribution.
a. Army Service. Do the Haredi, save the IFG money?
By not serving in the IDF the Hareidim save the State a ton of money and a lot of trouble. The IDF has more inductees than it needs. It cannot reject those it does not need but it can let those who do not want to serve to go their onw wasy.
It does this to some degree. The word on the street among the youth in Israel is that whoever does not want o serve does not have to do so, just do not make a noise of it.
At present,
the IDF at times cannot afford to keep them the soldiers it has. Many are sent home early every day thus saving the cost of extra meals for them, etc..
Many of the Secular avoid military service through all kinds of exemptions and evasions, etc. The IDF is OK with this situation. It wants less inductees but cannot publicly admit it. The rate of avoidance of the Secular is not much less than that of the Ultra-Orthodox but the Secular do not learn Torah. They go to the beach. On the other hand the National Religious with less than 20% of the population contribute about 50% of the front-line soldiers and 40% of the new officers.
b. Volunteer and Charity
https://en.idi.org.il/articles/47009#
Volunteer and Charity - 40% of ultra-Orthodox volunteer for community service and 86% give money to charity, compared other Jewish Israelis 23% and 58% respectively.
# It is estimated that (the Haredi charity organization) "Yad Sarah" saves the country's economy an estimated $320 million in hospital fees and long-term care costs each year.#
c. Schnor ("Begging").
"Schnor" is a Yiddish term meaning "begging."
This is a another term for fund-raising. The State of Israel and numerous secular organizations in Israel (maybe all such bodies) frequently raise funds by public appeals overseas.
So do the Haredim.
They go overseas and raise money for educational insititutes, for themselves, and for various charities.
The moral justification for them doing this is sometimes called in question.
This is not our topic at present. It is worth noting however that most of they who give them money are themselves Jews especially Religious ones.
The money received mostly goes to help Jews and the Jews in Israel. Our impression is that there is little real waste, if any. From an economic point of view fund-raising for Haredi causes results in a de facto re-distribution of income with the overall beneficiary often being the Jewish Presence in the Holy Land.
Yeshivots and educational institutes employ architects, engineers, artisans, etc in their construction. The resulting edifices house sholarly endeavor that attracts participants from all over the world. This has a "Soft-Power" benefit. Local Publishers benefit from the demands for Jewish publications. Food producers have an inside edge in selling their products with Kosher approbations..
d. Telling the Truth.
Someone claimed that the Hartedi Jews do not always tell the truth.
Hareidi Jews are quite numerous and variegated. You have all types. As for telling the truth there are those who treat the subject lightly but most do not. Under normal circumstances very few will lie to you. I used to do business with some of them in a minor way. They were good to work with. A deal was a deal. They would believe what you said and you could rely on their word. They are known for this quality all over the world. The international diamond trade (in which Hareidim play a large part amd which in the past greatly helped the State of Israel) is built on this principle. Here and there mishaps occur but these are exceptional.
e. Donald Trump once said:
"The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.
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7. Cost-Benefit Advantages of Hareidi Presence.
More Hareidim could mean Less Bureaucracy and Better Public Service. The Israeli Public service at present is considered one of the worst in the civilized world. It may be no coincidence that today in Israel Hareidim are in effect barred from the Governmental Public Service. That is one of the reasons it does not work properly. The situation has been compared to what it was in anti-Jewish countries such as Poland before the 2nd Word War.
Nevertheless, nowadays Hareidi run cities, townships, etc., In most cases, shekel for shekel, the Hareidi places work better, look nicer, have happier dwellers. They are more user-friendly, and provide better services. Haridim work when work is available and they usually want to help others, be considerate, efficient, and do the job. The Hareidim have proven what they can do on a small scale, now see what they will do on a larger one.
Social Improvements
Based on present-day Hareidi society as compared to the secular reality more Hareidim and greater Hareidi influence could bring about the following changes:
Less crime, more social harmony, a healthier population, bigger and more stable families, less mental problems, earlier literacy and fewer illiterates, a happier more intellectual spiritual populace, etc.
Haredim travel less, use public transport more.
In Israel ca. 50% of traffic accidents take place on Shabatot and Holidays. Israeli Society Economy pays a lot for this. Haredim do not travel on such days.
Defense
A Defense Force is needed for the Jews in Israel. It should be as efficient as humanly possible. This may mean not conscripting everyone but only a portion, training them very well and remunerating them in proportion. It means getting the best equipment and using the most up-to-date methods. Hareidim are often good at computers and the like. The IDF could use much more of this expertise in specialized fields. Hareidim are used to analytical thought, studying for long hours, thinking outside the box, and innovative approaches. Quality over Quantity is what is needed though numbers are also important. What the Secular Jews have been able to do the Hareidim may be ably to greatly improve upon. [Perhaps the Secular Jews in their hearts know this and that is what they are really afraid of?] Even now, person for person, Religious Jewish families (judged by family) contribute more. More Hareidi influence could also entail more full-time professionals in fighting units. So too, no girl soldiers may result in a more effective army. In some fields where women are better than the males (if such is the case) then they may be employed without coercion in a more civilian-type framework.
The Haredim - A Human reservoir of Untapped Potential.
For many years the main export industry of Israel was processed diamonds. This was an extension of the diamond trade in Belgium. It was thanks to the Hareidim that Israel got a share.
Nowadays Israel concentrates on the "Jewish Brain" high-tech and technological advancements.
The intellectual prowess of Jews is due to learning Torah. Three generations after abandoning Torah the average advantage of Jews over Gentiles diminishes significantly.
The Hareidim in effect form a human reservoir that is constantly being drawn upon by Secular Society.
Another point is that despite protests to the contrary Israel still needs help from outside. Hareidim give more. Among the Gentiles the USA gives most.
The generosity of the USA is fueled by Biblically-conscious Americans. Superficially these are quite different from the Hareidim but inside the difference is not that great. A recent work however claims that the The USA helps Israel because it pays the USA to do so.
From an economic and social point of view Israel would actually probably be better off if the number of Jews learning Torah full-time were to increase three or four times over!
When and if more Jews keep the Torah and Commandments and spend some time each day learning it the situation may change.
Meanwhile the Torah World has created a bastion-type existence that Functions and G-d willing shall continue to do so.