Religious Zionism

Religious Zionism (Hebrew: צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית, romanized: Tziyonut Datit) is an ideology that views Zionism as a fundamental component of Orthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to as Dati Leumi (דָּתִי לְאֻמִּי, 'National Religious'), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the first part of that term: Datiim (דתיים, 'Religious'). The community is sometimes called 'Knitted kippah' (כִּפָּה סְרוּגָה, Kippah seruga), the typical head covering worn by male adherents to Religious Zionism.

Before the establishment of the

History

Ein HaNatziv

, 1946

In 1862, German Orthodox

.

Ideology

Religious Zionists believe that

was blasphemous. Hastening salvation and the coming of the Messiah was considered religiously forbidden, and Zionism was seen as a sign of disbelief in God's power, and therefore, a rebellion against God.

Rabbi Kook developed a

Israel is an obligation of the religious Jews, and helping Zionism is actually following God's will."^[5]

Israel is a religious Jewish spark ("Nitzotz") in their soul, planted by God. Without their knowledge, they are contributing to the divine scheme and actually committing a great Mitzvah

. The role of religious Zionists is to help them to establish a Jewish state and turn the religious spark in them into a great light. They should show them that the real source of Zionism and the longed-for Zion is

1

)

Ideological opposition to Zionism

Some Haredi Jews view establishing Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land before the coming of the Messiah as forbidden, as a violation of the Three Oaths. This would apply whether those who established this sovereignty were religious or secular.^[6]

Another reason Haredi Jews opposed Zionism that had nothing to do with the establishment of a state or immigration to Palestine was the ideology of secular Zionism itself. Zionism's goal was first and foremost a transformation of the Jewish People from a religious society – whose sole shared characteristic was the Torah – into a political nationality, with a common land, language, and culture.^[6][7]

Elchonon Wasserman said:

The nationalist concept of the Jewish people as an ethnic or nationalistic entity has no place among us, and it's nothing but a foreign implant into Judaism; it is nothing but idolatry. And its younger sister, "religious nationalism (l'umis datis)", is idol worship that combines Hashem's name and heresy together (avodah zarah b'shituf).^[8]

Chaim Brisker said, "The Zionists have already won because they got the Jews to look at themselves as a nation."^[9]

Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, also known as the Rebbe Rashab, was the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe. He opposed both secular and religious Zionism. In 1903, he published Kuntres Uma'ayan, which included a strong criticism against Zionism. He was concerned that nationalism would replace Judaism as the basis of Jewish identity.^[10]

Rav Elyashiv also denounced the actions of religious Jews joining Zionist organizations as separating from authentic Judaism. In 2010, Rav Elyashiv published a letter criticizing the Shas Party for joining the World Zionist Organization (WZO). He wrote that the Party "is turning its back on the basics of Charedi Jewry of the past hundred years. He compared this move to the decision of the Mizrachi movement to join the WZO [over one hundred years ago], which was the deciding factor in their separation from authentic Torah Judaism.^[11][12]

Organizations

The first rabbis to support Zionism were

.

The

, a sentiment expressed in the Mizrachi Zionist slogan Am Yisrael B'Eretz Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael ("The people of Israel in the land of Israel according to the Torah of Israel"). It also sees Jewish nationalism as a tool for achieving religious objectives. Mizrachi was the first official Religious Zionist party. It also built a network of religious schools that exist to this day.

In 1937–1948, the

Political parties

The

Educational institutions

Mercaz Harav

, Jerusalem

The flagship religious institution of the Religious Zionist movement is the

" (lit., the Rabbi's center). Other Religious Zionist yeshivot include . -focused.

There are approximately 90 Hesder yeshivot, allowing students to continue their Torah study during their National Service (see below). The first of these was Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, established in 1954; the largest is the Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot, with over 800 students. Others which are well known include

These institutions usually offer a

. Training as a ; the Chief Rabbinate also commonly. The Meretz Kollel has trained hundreds of community Rabbis.

Women study in institutions which are known as

. Various midrashot offer parallel degree coursework, and they may then be known as a machon. The Midrashot focus on ); some offer specialized training in Halakha: ; Lindenbaum, Matan, and Ein HaNetziv offer Talmud-intensive programs in rabbinic-level halakha. Community education programs are offered by Emunah, and Matan, across the country.

For degree studies, many attend

; Jerusalem College of Technology similarly (which also offers a Haredi track). There are also several colleges of education which are associated with the Hesder and the Midrashot, such as Herzog College, Talpiot, and the Lifshitz College of Education. These colleges often offer (master's level) specializations in Tanakh and Machshava.

High school students study at Mamlachti Dati (religious state) schools, ^[17] often associated with Bnei Akiva.^[18] These schools offer intensive Torah study alongside the

. The first of these schools was established at Kfar Haroeh by Moshe-Zvi Neria in 1939; "Yashlatz", associated with Mercaz HaRav, was founded in 1964, and predates several schools similarly linked to Hesder yeshivot, such as that at Sha'alvim; see also the school-networks AMIT and Tachkemoni. Today, there are 60 such institutions, with more than 20,000 students. A Dati Leumi girls' high school is referred to as an "Ulpana"; a boys’ high school is a "Yeshiva Tichonit".

Some institutions are aligned with the Hardal community, with an ideology that is somewhat more "statist". The leading Yeshiva here is Har Hamor; several high schools also operate.

Politics

This article is part of a series on
Conservatism in Israel
Ideologies Conservative Judaism Jewish conservatism Jewish fundamentalism Kahanism Religious conservatism Zionism Neo Religious Revisionist
Principles Agrarianism Ancestral worship Anti-Arabism Anti-Palestinianism Anti-Iranian sentiment Anti-Islamism Authority Clericalism Familialism  Imperialism Greater Israel Jewish state Halachic state Jewish supremacism Chosen people Jewish values Militarism Begin Doctrine Gadna Nationalism Ethnic Ultra Orthodoxy Patriotism Property rights Sovereignty Theocracy Tradition
Scholars Ginsburgh Hazony Jabotinsky Kahane Klein Kook Lieberman Samson Yosef
Politicians Begin Bennett Eitam Kahane Netanyahu Peretz Shaked Shamir Smotrich Yosef
Parties Active Agudat Yisrael Degel HaTorah Likud New Hope New Right Otzma Yehudit Shas Yisrael Beiteinu Defunct Herut The Jewish Home Kach National Religious Party Religious Zionist Party
Alliances National Union National Unity Union of Right-Wing Parties United Torah Judaism Yamina
Organisations Gush Emunim Im Tirtzu Jewish Internet Defense Force Machon Meir Manhigut Yehudit Mercaz Olami My Israel
Media Arutz Sheva B'Sheva Channel 14 HaTzofe i24NEWS Israel Hayom Makor Rishon Mida The Jerusalem Post
Related topics Haredi Judaism Israeli–Palestinian conflict Jewish culture Jewish political movements National camp One-state solution Politics of Israel Liberalism in Israel Torat Eretz Yisrael
Conservatism portal  Israel portal
v t e

Most Religious Zionists embrace

in August and September 2005.

Military service

tefilin

.

Generally, all adult Jewish males and females in Israel are obligated to serve in the IDF. Certain segments of Orthodoxy defer their service, in order to engage in full-time Torah study for purpose of spiritual development in unison with warfare. Religious Zionist belief advocates that both are critical to Jewish survival and prosperity.

For this reason, many Religious Zionist men take part in the Hesder program, a concept conceived by Rabbi Yehuda Amital which allows military service to be combined with yeshiva studies.^[19] Some others attend a pre-army Mechina educational program, delaying their service by one year. 88% of Hesder students belong to combat units, compared to a national average of below 30%. Students at Mercaz HaRav, and some Hardal yeshivot, undertake their service through a modified form of Hesder.

While some Religious Zionist women serve in the army, most choose national service, known as Sherut Leumi, instead (working at hospitals, schools, and day-care centers).^[20] In November 2010, the IDF held a special conference which was attended by the heads of Religious Zionism, in order to encourage female Religious Zionists to join the IDF. The IDF undertook that all modesty and kosher issues will be handled, in order to make female Religious Zionists comfortable.

Dress

Kippot

seen here, are more common amongst Yeshiva students, and Hardal.

MK Orit Strook

; the head covering and the sleeves are typical for the very religious; see also the above picture of ulpana students, and the picture at top for the longer, looser skirts described.

Rosh Yeshiva

or other (senior) Rabbi, and for other Rabbis on Shabbat.

Religious Zionists are often called Kippot sruggot, or "sruggim", in reference to the knitted or crocheted

sheitel

(wig) in the Haredi style.

In the Hardal community, the dress is generally more formal, with an emphasis on appearing neat. The kippot, which are also knitted, are significantly larger, and it is common for tzitzit to be visibly worn, in keeping with the Haredi practice; payot (sidelocks) are similarly common, as is an (untrimmed) beard. Women invariably cover their hair – usually with a snood, or a mitpachat (Hebrew for "kerchief") – and often wear sandals; their skirts are longer and looser fitting. On Shabbat, men often wear a (blue) suit – atypical in Israel outside the Haredi world – and a large white crocheted kippah.

At prayer, the members of the community typically use the

.

Notable figures

Rabbis

• Yehuda Amital
• Yaakov Ariel
• Yisrael Ariel
• Shlomo Aviner
• Meir Bar-Ilan
• Yoel Bin-Nun
• Oury Amos Cherki
• She'ar Yashuv Cohen
• Zephaniah Drori
• Mordechai Eliyahu
• Baruch Gigi
• Shlomo Goren
• Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog
• Zvi Hirsch Kalischer
• Avraham Yitzchak Kook
• Zvi Yehuda Kook
• Aharon Lichtenstein
• Mosheh Lichtenstein
• Dov Lior
• Yaaqov Medan
• Zalman Baruch Melamd
• Eliezer Melamed
• Moshe-Zvi Neria
• Nahum Rabinovitch
• Shlomo Riskin
• Haim Sabato
• Eli Sadan
• David Samson
• Avraham Shapira
• Joseph B. Soloveitchik
• Zvi Thau
• Shaul Yisraeli

Politicians

• Michael Ben-Ari
• Naftali Bennett
• Yosef Burg
• Haim Drukman
• Yuli Edelstein
• Effi Eitam
• Moshe Feiglin
• Yehuda Glick
• Menachem Hacohen
• Meir Kahane
• Avi Maoz
• Baruch Marzel
• Uri Orbach
• Zevulun Orlev
• Rafi Peretz
• Hanan Porat
• Bezalel Smotrich
• Elazar Stern

See also