Two Chabad soldiers, who have been serving for over six months, were subject to disciplinary action after they did not get their hair cut during the days of counting the Omer.
Channel 14 reported that the two were detained by the military police, given a report, and invited to a disciplinary proceeding because they did not cut their hair, while they were adhering to the custom of not cutting their hair during the days of counting the Omer until Shavuot.
According to the soldiers, they tried to explain to the military police representative that this was a religious custom that was an integral part of their lifestyle and faith. According to them, this was not a case of refusing an order or intentionally violating discipline, but rather of maintaining a tradition practiced in Chabad Hasidism.
Both soldiers have a legally valid beard exemption, but no official exemption has been approved for them regarding haircuts. Despite this, they emphasize that beyond the issue of not cutting their hair, no other disciplinary offense has been recorded against them.
One of them said: "I'm a Chabad member. I'm not allowed to get a haircut until Shavuot. If I could, I would have gotten a haircut a long time ago.".
According to sources familiar with the matter, the affair joins other allegations that have recently emerged from ultra-Orthodox and religious soldiers, who claim that their lifestyle and religious symbols have been violated during military service.
Among other things, previous cases of punishment surrounding religious symbols were also mentioned, including the Patch 'Messiah' affair.
IDF Spokesperson's Response: The order states that a soldier is permitted to grow a beard in accordance with his wishes and personal identity, subject to compliance with military appearance requirements. To this end, he must fill out a declaration and inform his commanders. If the beard does not comply with the order, the permit may be denied, but an appeal can be made to a commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel and later to the regime and discipline branch. The permit is valid throughout the service and can be submitted at various stages of service. If a report is issued to a serviceman by the military police, the report can be appealed and canceled if it was issued in violation of policy/instructions.
The response did not say anything about the haircut.
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
