Why Diaspora Jews Should Care About a New Haredi Political Voice

For Jews outside Israel, debates over Haredi education, military service, employment and political power can sometimes appear distant or uniquely Israeli. Yet the future of Israel’s Haredi community will profoundly influence the strength, security and Jewish character of the country with which Diaspora Jews share an enduring bond.

Over recent years, the Haredi community has moved to the center of Israel’s national debate. Questions about Torah study, military service, education, employment and the relationship between Haredim and the state have become particularly urgent since the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.

Much of this debate presents a false choice. Either Haredim must be forced to change from the outside, or nothing will be resolved. Either Israel protects the world of Torah, or it demands greater participation in national life.

I am convinced that this choice is both false and dangerous. A brighter tomorrow is possible, and many within the Haredi community already want it. However, it will succeed only if it grows from within, supported by Israeli society and Jews around the world.

I recently visited towns and cities across the U.S. and witnessed firsthand how those exceedingly dedicated to Torah learning are also working, thriving and contributing. In most cities across the Diaspora, self-identifying Haredim take pride in their ability to combine dedication to Torah with civic and personal responsibility as they have done for many generations. In many cities across America, there is no contradiction between learning, being faithful to Judaism and working for a living.

In Israel, however, many Haredim feel trapped between two political camps. On one side are those who speak about Haredim primarily as a demographic, economic or security problem. Their frustration is understandable, especially after October 7, but solutions imposed without trust or an understanding of Haredi life are unlikely to bring durable solutions.

On the other side are the established Haredi parties. For four decades, they have claimed a monopoly on Haredi representation, yet they have become more effective at preserving their political power than confronting the mounting difficulties within Haredi homes and communities.

We want to protect the world of Torah, but we also understand that the current reality is unsustainable for both the Haredi community as well as the rest of Israeli society; refusing to confront reality places our shared future in danger.

It is precisely this challenge which led to the establishment of the Haredi Public Party. It is intended to provide a political home for those who believe that protecting Torah requires responsible leadership and practical solutions.

We seek to strengthen genuine Torah study while expanding educational and professional opportunities. We want to enable dignified employment, develop appropriate frameworks for military or meaningful national service, address the needs of young people who do not fit the existing system and help Haredi families achieve greater economic independence.

Why should Diaspora Jews care? Because the future of the Haredi community is inseparable from the future of Israel.

Jews around the world invest enormously in Israel, emotionally, politically, financially and spiritually. They defend it, support its institutions, send their children to study, learn and volunteer there, and stand beside it during war and crisis. They have a direct interest in whether Israel remains economically sustainable, militarily strong and socially cohesive.

The Haredi population is one of Israel’s youngest and fastest-growing communities. Its future participation in employment, education and national responsibility will help determine Israel’s economic capacity, the strength of its defense and the resilience of its society.

Continued poverty, alienation and political paralysis within such a large section of the population cannot remain an internal Haredi issue. Their consequences will affect Israel’s ability to provide social services, absorb aliyah, support Torah institutions and maintain a strong military.

Thankfully, the necessary transformation has begun in earnest. New IDF units have been created by and for Haredim who want to defend their country while retaining their lifestyle, and new educational programs and professional support courses for those who want to earn a living.

Diaspora Jews can help ensure that their support empowers initiatives advancing education, employment and integration, rather than merely sustaining failing structures. They can also lend legitimacy to courageous Haredi voices seeking solutions to these challenges while remaining faithful to Torah. However, initiatives alone are not enough. We need a political home dedicated to ensuring that these initiatives grow and receive funding, and a Haredi community that is more self-sustaining, working with all different sectors in partnership and good will.

A strong Haredi community and a strong Israel are not competing goals. They depend upon one another.

There is still a window in which to choose another path, but it will not remain open indefinitely.

The Haredi Public Party was created because the Haredi public deserves more than excuses, Israeli society deserves more than permanent confrontation, and the Jewish people deserve an Israel capable of reconciling Torah, responsibility and national unity.

The solutions must emerge from within the Haredi community, but they cannot succeed without the support of Israel and the Jewish world.

This initiative will go far beyond the Haredi community and is a vital necessity for the betterment of all of Israeli society, and for every Jew who cares about Israel’s future.

Moti Leitner is Chairman of HaTzibbur HaHaredi, the Haredi Public Party, a new political home for Haredim who believe that protecting the world of Torah requires responsible leadership and practical solutions.