Israel’s i24 news journalist Ari Kalman interviewed four of these Israeli expatriates who are all currently staying in Lakewood, where they are working odd jobs or learning Torah and trying to acclimatize to their “refugee” status abroad. The four all stressed that sanctions will not work, as few charedim will enlist due to sanctions and the rest will find solutions that will enable them to stay within their community.
Yehuda said that when things got stressful, he left for Lakewood where “nobody is persecuting me”. He is married, with two children and his wife works in a hi-tech company. Yehuda (26) fled during the festival period when he saw he would receive a draft order. Elchanan (25) was studying and working in Jerusalem but fled before he got a draft order. Motty (21) went to China to be a kashrus supervisor and then continued to Cleveland where he is studying and misses his family very much.
When asked about the Chashmonaim charedi brigade, the youths say that they do not know enough about it but don’t believe that the army can accommodate charedi requirements.
The youths are supported by the local Lakewood community, which is sympathetic to their plight and even raises money to help those evading the draft. Some of them work as kashrus supervisors, drivers and even in refurbishment.
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