Hisachdus, Badatz Call for Protest Today in Manhattan For Religious Girls imprisoned by the IDF

 The Atzeres Machaah will take place today at the Israeli Consulate 2nd avenue and 42nd street in Manhattan. For Transportation from Lakewood call 732 -503-6615.

This past Friday June 21 - just as some Orthodox Jews in the NYC area were preparing for a demonstration against last week's IDF campaign against Chomosaich volunteers, and the drafting of girls in general - an Israeli attorney of the sefardi organization "Igud Bnei Torah HaSefardim" was in court to deal with a case of a  the draft entanglement of a Orthodox yeshiva student. While there, he was approached by a woman, who's been a baalas teshuvah for about a decade now. She said, “Please help me, I have no one in the world to assist me.” She related her story, which, reportedly, has since been confirmed independently.



Her name is Lidor Shira bas Yaffa (Levi), 27 y/o. She studied at a Chareidi school. When she  became a baalas teshuva, about ten years ago, she was already of draft age. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, IDF officials - acting as authorities on gauging observance of a religion many of them personally hold in contempt - refused to grant her a religious exemption, thus denying her religious and civil rights to such an exemption. Lidor Shira was arrested last Wed., and is currently incarcerated in military prison number four. She maintains her resolute opposition to violating Jewish Law by enlisting in the IDF. Consequently, the Israeli prosecutor is seeking a sentence of one YEAR in jail. This despite reported confirmation by Rabbis that she is fully religious, even to the point of possessing only a highly restricted ("kosher") cell phone, which, in the Orthodox community, is considered a strong indication of strict religious observance.


One question is, after nine years of being considered a deserter, why has the army now arrested her? Apparently, till recently, the IDF had no interest in religious girls.  Military experts acknowledge that there is no military need for them.  And they certainly aren't worth the headaches they involve, in terms of taking into account their religious requirements. However, lately, the IDF has been directed to. increase enlistment of religious girls into the IDF, considered the  Israeli melting pot. So now the IDF finds reason to pursue a 27 y/o Chareidi baalas teshuvah.

 Furthermore, the IDF (now expecting a personnel surplus), is also pursuing her sister - also a ba'alas teshuva - for the same "crime" of evading the draft under the "pretext" of being religious.


Moreover, Shira, along with two other chareidi girls arrested last week, have not been provided the certified kosher food to which they're entitled, leaving them famished for days. Shira had to go to court to obtain certified kosher food. She's also prohibited from using the restroom during the entire scheduled meal period. She's been provided improper clothing, being too small for her. Her supervisors scream at her all day, punishing her if she dare complain. (The psychological tormet strikes  of the type perpetrated against Rinas Bas Chedva from Jan. 22 through Mar.1.) Today she had hearing.


The other two girls, also clearly religious, are also sisters. Moriah Leah bas Beruriah and Orah Chaya bas Beruriah (Rocklin), both over 18, were arrested at the Kossel (Western Wall). Their father is very ill with a kidney condition. Their financial situation isn't enviable. They were apparently seeking assistance to deal with his medical needs when they were arrested. Thus began a bizarre foray into Israeli criminal justice. They refused to give their names, and were held from last Thur. till Sun. without any basis whatsoever. When a family member arrived to identify them, she did so on condition that no charges would be brought. Immediately after the civilian police released them, the military police, having been lying in wait - as per the tip of the civilian police, whisked the sisters away, reportedly even before their mother could  speak to them.


These two sisters - seeking to help their ill father - are now being persecuted by being held in solitary confinement, in tiny jail cells, with the intent to break them. Reportedly, jail officials are trying to convince them to wear trousers rather than proper clothing (skirts), and eat their food, rather than the Badatz certified food religious prisoners usually get on request. A major concern here is that jail officials will manipulate any concessions on religious strictures to portray the girls as not religious. (A similar technique was employed with Yuval bas Tamar. Through their brutal abuse of her, the government endangered her life, compelling her to travel home on Shabbos, apon her collapse. In such a circumstance, travel on Shabbos was not only permitted, but apparently obligatory. Then, they claimed she wasn't religious, and thus didn't deserve an exemption.) The callousness is noteworthy.
Meanwhile, another girl, Mayan Chana bas Ilanit, is languishing in military prison since her arrest in mid-March. She has no lawyer. Tragically, as reported by Bnos Tziyon, she's is hoping to wait it out by serving enough consecutive sentences.

This follows on the heels of similar abuses committed against another baalas teshuva, Shelly bas Aliza, who was also denied proper clothing. B"H after Shavuous, she received her freedom, and her exemption, and was just married.  Another religious girl similarly obtained her freedom from prison and her exemption in the past couple weeks.



Our Sages exhort us that if there's no Justice on Earth, Justice reigns down from Heaven.