The Ins and Outs of Deferments For Yeshiva Students

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                  

In Israel, " Ultra-Orthodox men studying in religious seminaries and learn what's necessary to become a rabbi.  They learn the art of debate here, as our Jewish leaders used to get together and present their view to be acceptable of interpretation of the law of Moses.  I'm connected to Rashi, a famous teacher from Troyes, France who opened his own school.  Rashi is still #1 in this in our Tanakh.  Possibly, Netanyahu is also connected to him or others like him, as he has a rabbi ancestor, and he is the best speaker and defender of Israel I've seen for many years, and I'm related to Bibi's mother's side of the family.  

Yeshiva boys have enjoyed sweeping draft exemptions or deferments, even as other Jewish Israelis face compulsory military service.  As it turns out, we Jews are also related to each other with that connection going back pretty far for most of us, I agree there, but we have a connection to each other.   The arrangement about exemptions creates a perverse incentive: remaining in religious study is the path to avoid conscription, while leaving the seminary – and entering the labor market – exposes a young man to the draft. The result is a system that discourages employment and places an increasingly unequal military burden on the rest of society. Adding insult to injury, the Israeli taxpayer is forced to pay subsidies to the yeshiva students – rather than the students paying tuition as those in university do."

These boys are the country's insurance policy that the religion was live, will survive any wars.  They are to carry on the direction of G-d in the lives of remaining people.  Is it so bad as to insure that the Ten Commandments, along with the rest of 613 commandments are known about at least?  To look at today's civilization, an alien from outer space might wonder about that.  The surrounding goals of Iran to destroy Israel worries the Religious element in our family as well, and they pray for everyone's protection.  

If Israel changes with a new Prime Minister, or even if Netanyahu again tries to alter this rule, the Religious Parties no longer will be a part of Labor, giving it strength.  The question is:  why is this exemption so necessary for the religious students?

       Today, even our women must fight, for all hands on deck is the word.  Female Israeli citizens (primarily Jewish) are subject to compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) upon turning 18, with standard service lasting 24 months for non-combat roles and up to 32 months for combat or specific specialized roles.  

The answer is that this country was founded on the ability to be Jewish. It's as Jewish as Saudi Arabia is Muslim. 

             Jewish lady of 18 in IDF Over 90% of IDF roles—including air force pilots, navy sailors, tank crews, and mixed-gender infantry combat battalions—are open to women, Israel has no other choice-In the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the length of mandatory military service for men is 32 months (2.67 years), following a legislative extension by the Knesset.  Conscription Scope: Mandatory service applies to Jewish, Druze, and Circassian males upon reaching age 18. Non-Druze Arab citizens are generally exempt, though individual volunteering is permitted.  

 Only we do enjoy having 20% of our citizens being Christians/other religions and in Arabia, they don't.   In all the other countries we have lived in, Jews were treated as 2nd class citizens or worse.  They were the object of always being the scapegoat, suffering under attacks out of the blue.  This country was founded by Kings Saul, David and his son Solomon who fought and died for it to enable them to follow what they saw and said was G-d's wish and plans. So many of us feel all young men should be like David and Saul;  fight for our country when needed.  Now there's a huge need.                                    

No other country has been as old as Israel and survived.  No other country was founded being able to follow one G-d and practice their religion without fear.

Now, let's look at some of the men who were leaders and believed in our rights.

1.  King Saul of the 11th Century BCE was a son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin.  Samuel came from a Levitical family, straight from Aaron, brother of Moses, so he had  a powerful role among people.   The Prophet as well as a judge, Samuel, went on a quest looking for a proper king at a time the people were clamoring for one.  By this time, all the other surrounding people had kings, and they knew it.  They only had Judges for smaller gatherings.  They wanted uniformity for all.  They felt weak.  Their lives were being threatened by the occasional attack by the Philistines and Ammonites, neighbors who wanted to take more land.  

So Saul immediately got all the strong men and trained them to fight. King Saul's army size changed at different times in the biblical account:

Standing / Selected Force: Saul initially chose 3,000 men for himself—2,000 with him at Michmash and Bethel, and 1,000 with his son Jonathan at Gibeah (1 Samuel 13:2). 
Dwindled Army: After desertions and fear during the war with the Philistines, Saul's force shrank down to about 600 men (1 Samuel 13:15).
Campaign Against the Amalekites: When summoned later to Telaim to fight the Amalekites, the army numbered 200,000 foot soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah (1 Samuel 15:4).

 They fought back on raids attacking them by now and experienced winning the battle with little losses.  One fight remembered was at Michmash which pushed back the Philistines.  Another group, the Moabites attacked and suffered great losses from Saul's army.  They had won over the Moabites, Ammonites, and Arameans who had stepped in as well.  The ancient Battle of Michmash (c. 1025 BCE) was a decisive clash recorded in the Hebrew Bible (1 Samuel 13–14) where the fledgling forces of the United Kingdom of Israel, led by King Saul and his son Jonathan, defeated the Philistines.                                                 

                                 

Later, another battle ensued and Saul was replaced by Saul with David who he appointed as king .

  David, younger and better looking, a gingy,  red cheeked, bright eyes from the tribe of Judah, A skilled shepherd who played the harp, wrote poetry, and composed many of the Book of Psalms,  had become most popular with the people  by his fighting capabilities and this had caused intense jealousy on the part of Saul who bitterly persecuted David and drove him from the country.  Then,   this new attack came upon them from the Philistines and Saul could only fight defensively and fell with his 3 sons including Jonathan in the battle on Mt Gilboa.  A surviving son, Ishbosheth, was temporarily acknowledged as Saul's successor over part of the country.  Saul's death was felt as a temporary domination of the Philistines.  However, the groundwork Saul had done and left for a successor proved effective in establishing a strong and independent Israelite monarchy. 

                                                         

David, king of Israel from 1000 to 960 BCE was the youngest of the 8  sons of Jesse, who was the grandson of Ruth and Boaz of the tribe of Judah.  Jesse was from Bethlehem but for fear of Saul, lived for some time in Moab, outside of the perimeter of his country,  and knew King Saul very well.  He had been Saul's armor-bearer at age 25.  Today, Moab is a part of Transjordan.  The Moabites were relatives of the Israelites being, like the Ammonites also were, descended from Lot, who was the son of Abraham's brother, Haran.  Their shepherds had a quarrel over pasture land, so they had divided up with Lot  trying to live in Sodom and needed Abraham to rescue him from these rather evil people.  They escaped from Sodom and his 2 sons were Ammon and Moab.  These sons had the reputation among the people later as having a drunk for a father.  They just happened to be the boundary neighbors of Israel.  

Even going back 4,000 years and one find the same problems people have today,  It's amazing!  .  Ammon and Moab ceased to exist as independent ancient nations after being conquered and absorbed by successive Mesopotamian and regional empires—primarily the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the 6th century BCE—and their territories eventually became part of modern-day Jordan.  Okay Palestinians, perhaps that is the answer.  Continue trying to live in Jordan under an established Kingship.  Leave Israel in Peace.  

This Week's News In Israel

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                  

Earlier this week, Netanyahu accused Russia of operating networks of bots targeting Israel and said he had raised the issue directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yesterday, Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying, "We were shocked by these unfounded accusations against our country, publicly voiced by the prime minister of Israel." It called them "particularly absurd."   What are bots?  A bot (short for "robot") is an automated software application that runs tasks over the internet. Bots complete simple, repetitive actions much faster and at a much larger scale than a human can.  

Malicious Bots (Bad Bots):

• Spam Bots: Accounts that send junk messages, fill out fake forms, or flood social media comment sections.
• Credential Stuffing / Brute-Force Bots: Programs that automatically test stolen username and password lists against login portals.
• Content Scrapers: Bots that steal website text, images, or pricing data without permission.  

Itamar Ben-Gvir is an Israeli politician and lawyer who has served as the minister of national security since 2022, except for a two-month gap in early 2025.  

In an interview with TIME magazine, National Security Minister Ben Gvir said, "If Israel wants to continue to live and not be destroyed, we have to capture all of Gaza. We have to promote voluntary emigration. Gaza could be a Riviera. It’s a beautiful place. But we can’t have one Hamas member there." He said, "Gaza was always ours. Israel is a tiny country. We have to be wider, broader." Asked whether removing Palestinians from Gaza would deepen Israel's international isolation, Ben-Gvir replied, "I think that the stronger we are, we won’t be isolated. Israel is isolated when it’s weak.  (This comes from the Arab attitude of the strong horse is the winner).  Weakness in a horse doesn't get it very far.  It's the strong horse that wins the race.  Gvir is Israeli but sees how the Arabs such as Palestinians think.  If we help the population leave Gaza, we can be very strong." He added that he wants Netanyahu to be Prime Minister over the other candidates. 

And yet:  Taking Place in Judea and Samaria:

Israeli soldiers and emergency personnel gather near ambulances following a shooting attack near Yehuda Junction, near Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.Mahmoud Illean / AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean

Five people were wounded, included 2 critically, when 2 Hamas affiliated terrorists opened fire on soldiers and civilians near Yehuda Junction, southeast of Hebron. Hebron is a major city in the southern Judea-Samaria (West Bank), located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Jerusalem in the Judaean Hills. Hebron is home to roughly 200,000 to 220,000 Palestinian Muslims and approximately 700 to 1,100 Jews living in the H2 sector under Israeli military control. 

                       Pertaining to Police-type Work, as I see it

 The H2 sector of Hebron is the eastern and central portion of the city, covering about 20% of Hebron, which remains under full Israeli military control while Palestinians in the area are under Palestinian civil control and Israeli military law.  Israeli military law consists of three primary components: the Israel Security Service Law (conscription and service rules), the Military Justice Law (internal discipline, courts martial, and the judicial system for IDF personnel), and the body of military orders and security legislation that governs occupied territories.  

The Military Prosecution includes a specialized department – the Office of the Military Advocate for Operational Affairs – tasked with overseeing all investigations and conducting all prosecutions of alleged misconduct by IDF soldiers occurring in the context of operational activity, including alleged mistreatment of detainees, looting, abuse of authority, or the use of force in a manner not conforming with IDF rules and regulations (which incorporate the Law of Armed Conflict). This Office’s mandate specifically includes prosecution of alleged violations of the Law of Armed Conflict. Prosecutors assigned to the Office receive special training to ensure they competently manage these sensitive cases and effectively advise military police investigators on how to conduct investigations regarding IDF operations.

  Hebron is famous for being one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, a major religious pilgrimage site centered around the Cave of the Patriarchs (Tomb of the Patriarchs), and a key commercial center in the southern West Bank.  

"The Cave of Machpela has an ancient history dating back to the earliest man and woman in the Bible.  Adam and Eve are said to be buried in the cave, the first of four couples to be buried there. The Cave of Machpela and the field around it were Abraham’s first acquisition in the Land that God promised to him and his descendants.   This field and cave was legally bought by Abraham from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place for Sarah (Gen.23).  since the 6 Day War of 1967, it has been a popular place of pilgrimage for Jews.  the cave, which is blocked, is surrounded by a building, the foundations of which date back to 2nd Temple times.  

Besides Adam and Eve, the three patriarchs and matriarchs of the Jewish people – Abraham and Sarah, Rebekah and Isaac, and Jacob and Leah – are buried there as well. These three holy couples gave birth to the Jewish people and brought the awareness of God to the world.  Since Biblical times, the Cave of Machpela has been a place of prayer, meditation, and study.  The cave is respected as a gateway to the Garden of Eden, where our prayers have a special potency. Hebron was the capital of the tribe of Judah. King David began his kingship here.  From Hebron, he was crowned King of Judah seven years before he was crowned king of Israel in Jerusalem.    "

The terrorists were both 27, from Hebron, and married with children. A large quantity of explosives and ammunition was found in the terrorists' vehicle. Soldiers from the Ari Battalion (775) of the IDF Home Front Command's Search and Rescue Brigade arrived at the scene and engaged the terrorists. The deputy battalion commander and a company commander killed the terrorists. Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered entire Hebron area has been cordoned off and the IDF is conducting searches for additional terrorists. It is believed that the 2 terrorists were planning to continue deeper into Israel for a larger scale attack.

Resource:

israelAM

Israeli newspapers

Why Some Jews Turn to Trump Republicans

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                   

Jewish support for Donald Trump and the Republican Party is not uniform; roughly 66% to 70% of American Jewish voters lean toward the Democratic Party, while support for Trump is significantly higher—roughly 68% to 93%—among Orthodox (Haredi) Jews.  The global Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish population is estimated at 2.1 million people, with Israel and the United States accounting for about 92% of the total.  Orthodox Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews in the United States number roughly 700,000 people, making up a growing segment of the American Jewish population.   Population Size: This now representing a high natural growth rate driven by large families—averaging six or more children per household.  An overwhelming majority (about 89%) live in the Northeast region of the United States, primarily centered in the New York City metropolitan area (such as Brooklyn neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Boro Park), upstate New York (such as Kiryas Joel and Monsey), and New Jersey (such as Lakewood). 

Below is something from November 17, 2024

A new poll of Jewish voters has revealed that the Orthodox community voted overwhelmingly in favour of Trump, with 74 per cent casting their vote for the Republican president-elect.  The president-elect was also given the backing of Jews who identified most closely with Israel, who said that Trump’s stance was one of the main reasons for their voting choice. Forty-eight per cent of all respondents of the Jewish Electorate Institute’s survey saying they believed Trump would be a stronger supporter of Israel than Biden.

If you support Israel, you will be fully aware of what Trump has done for Israel that no other President ever thought of doing or being able to do. It seems to me, who is an Israeli and strong supporter at that, that it took a man, and man with many personality differences and problems from others, such as his ego, his appearance to be a practicing Emperor more than President, to have had the desire for his own personality to back Israel.  Some, Christians or Jews, say that he believes in G-d and that is why they vote for him.  I don't know about that, but he does have Ivana, his daughter married to a modern orthodox Jewish man and their children are Jewish, and that might help.  One thing, Trump is family oriented in his ways according to his son, Eric.          

                                         Here's Trump's 10 Israeli Accomplishments 

1. Jerusalem Embassy & Recognition: Recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017 and relocated the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 

2. Golan Heights Sovereignty: Signed a presidential proclamation in 2019 formally recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights

3. Abraham Accords: Brokered historic normalization agreements in 2020 between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

4. Iran Nuclear Deal & Pressure: Withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) in 2018, re-imposed strict sanctions, designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, and ordered the strike that killed Qasem Soleimani.

5.Defunding UN & Palestinian Agencies: Cut all U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), withdrew from UNESCO over anti-Israel bias, and closed the PLO/Palestinian Mission in Washington. 

6. Taylor Force Act: Signed the Taylor Force Act into law, halting U.S. economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA)  until it stops payments to individuals who commit acts of terrorism and their families.  

 7. Sanctions Against the ICC:  Issued Executive Orders and financial sanctions against International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and judges investigating alleged Israeli war crimes. 

8. Policy Reversals on Settlements & Status: Advanced the "Peace to Prosperity Plan" and shifted U.S. legal stance regarding West Bank (Judea/Samaria) settlements and the application of the Pompeo Doctrine. 

9. Anti-Semitism Executive Order: Signed an Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism to extend civil rights protections to Jewish students on U.S. campuses

10. Military and Security Support: Maintained multi-billion-dollar annual military aid commitments, surged specific arms sales, and aligned diplomatic strategies closely with Israeli leadership

Here's what Trump was told: of the USA and Israel's bombing of Iran's atomic warpile:   of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir: “I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can also say that we set it back by years, I repeat, years.”

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei: “Our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure.”

Vice President JD Vance: “I can say to the American people with great confidence that they are much further away from a nuclear program today than they were 24 hours ago. That was the objective of the mission, to destroy that Fordow nuclear site, and of course, do some damage to the other sites as well, but we feel very confident that the Fordow nuclear site was substantially set back, and that was our goal.”

The question I had was that being a mere man, Trump, with all his narcistic problematic  personality, would put his foot in it, and that, in my estimation he has done.  If he had just quit in time with some of the things he has done, like withdraw  promised assistance to Ukraine, cozying up to Russia and China, boss Israel into stopping something to do with Hamas terrorists, has changed the perception of the whole world towards Israel even more than they were. 

The two of them, the USA and Israel seem to be alone now at a time Netanyahu may also lose some of his power as well. What is to happen now after this traumatic election ?  

Resource:

https://www.jewishelectorateinstitute.org/p7830

Pew Research Center

Wikipedia

When The Democratic Party Was Jewish Friendly

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                 

Two girls wearing banners with the slogan "ABOLISH CHILD SLAVERY!!" in English and Yiddish. Likely taken during the May 1, 1909 labor parade in New York City.

The Democratic Party has maintained a strong, historic alliance with the American Jewish community beginning in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, solidifying under Governor Al Smith's 1928 presidential run, and becoming a core pillar of the party during Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal coalition in the 1930s.  

Historical Timeline of the Alliance

Late 19th to Early 20th Centuries: Jewish immigrants arriving in U.S. urban centers (like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia) found local Democratic political machines welcoming and responsive to working-class and immigrant needs.
Polling Trends: While a majority of U.S. Jews still lean Democratic, recent polling and data show a decline in party identification—dropping from roughly 68% in 2019 to around 55%–70% depending on the specific demographic or religious subgroup (with Orthodox Jews leaning heavily Republican). 
Internal Debate: Jewish Democratic clubs and community leaders emphasize that the party remains a primary political home, even as debates continue over Zionism, inclusion, and safety within progressive circles.  The contemporary internal debate surrounding Jewish Americans and the Democratic Party centers on a growing tension between deeply rooted domestic alignment and rising anxiety over foreign policy and campus/political antisemitism.   


1928–1936 (The New Deal): The alliance solidified under New York Governor Al Smith in 1928 and became deeply entrenched during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in the 1930s, driven by economic relief and shared liberal values. 
For most of the time since 1936, roughly 70% to 75% of American Jews have consistently voted for Democratic presidential candidates according to:    the  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jews_in_politics
"In United States politics, the trends of Jews have changed political positions multiple times. Many early American German-Jewish immigrants to the United States tended to be politically conservative, but the wave of Eastern European Jews, starting in the early 1880s, were generally more liberal or left-wing, and eventually became the political majority. Many of the latter moved to America having had experience in the socialist, anarchist, and communist movements as well as the Labor Bund emanating from Eastern Europe."
Mid-to-Late 20th Century: The party maintained strong ties through milestones like President Harry Truman's 1948 recognition of Israel, Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement alongside Democrats in the 1960s, and Bill Clinton hosting the Oslo Accords in 1993.
Approximately 70% of American Jews have historically voted for and identified with the Democratic Party, grounded in values like civil rights, reproductive freedom, economic fairness, and the separation of church and state. However, this relationship faces a growing political reckoning and shifting trends.
1960s: Jewish activists and leaders played prominent roles alongside Democrats in the Civil Rights Movement.
For decades, roughly 70% to 75% of American Jewish voters have consistently supported Democratic candidates.
In recent years—particularly following political shifts, debates over Israel policy, and rising concerns regarding antisemitism—some Jewish voters and organizations have expressed growing strain or division in their relationship with the party, while a majority still continue to lean or vote Democratic. 
The Squad: is an informal group of progressive and left-wing Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives made up of : Founding Members:  lhan Omar (MN-05);  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14);  Ayanna Pressley (MA-07);  Rashida Tlaib (MI-13 / MI-12);  women of Muslim religion who had done everything they can to be against Israel.  Origins: The group first formed after the 2018 midterm elections, initially consisting of four freshman progressive women of color. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez coined the name "The Squad" in an Instagram post shortly after the election, Platform: They advocate for progressive policies such as Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, affordable housing, and criminal justice reform, and often operate independently or in tension with mainstream Democratic party leadership, and have influenced 3 others to join; Greg Casar (TX-35);  Summer Lee (PA-12);  Delia Ramirez (IL-03) 


Core Values: Many Jewish Democrats view progressive principles—such as social justice (Tikkun Olam), civil rights, and helping the vulnerable—as a direct extension of their religious and cultural traditions. 
Secular Constitution: Most Jewish voters strongly favor a secular state and oppose the blending of religion and government often associated with the American political right. 

Joseph Isadore Lieberman (Feb.24, 1942-March 27, 2024 ) died at 82, was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1989 to 2013. Originally a member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's vice presidential nominee in the 2000 presidential election.  During his final term in office, he was officially listed as an Independent Democrat and caucused with and chaired committees for the Democratic Party.
Notable Milestones: In 2000, Senator Joe Lieberman became the first Jewish candidate on a major U.S. presidential ticket as the Democratic nominee for vice president.


Current Tensions: In recent years—particularly following political polarization, shifting debates over U.S. policy toward Israel, and concerns among some voters regarding antisemitism within progressive or left-leaning circles—a portion of Jewish Americans (including some Orthodox Jews and voters in regions like New York) have expressed growing alienation or increased support for the Republican Party.
Israel and Antisemitism Concerns: Some Jewish voters and leaders express deep concern over rising antisemitism, rhetoric concerning Israel, and the influence of progressive or socialist factions within or adjacent to the party.  

It must be remembered that Israel is basically made up of Orthodox Jews while the USA is made up of Reform Jews.  There is this difference in how they see some matters.

Polling Trends: While a majority of U.S. Jews still lean Democratic, recent polling and data show a decline in party identification—dropping from roughly 68% in 2019 to around 55%–70% depending on the specific demographic or religious subgroup (with Orthodox Jews leaning heavily Republican).  

 remains a primary political home, even as debates continue over Zionism, inclusion, and safety within progressive circles,  I notice that the program,