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Dozens of soldiers from the newly established Hashmonaim Brigade, the IDF’s first ultra-Orthodox combat unit, gathered Thursday afternoon at the Maccabees' Tombs in Modiin for the unit's inaugural swearing-in ceremony. The soldiers, who received their unit insignia earlier this week, participated in a ceremony known as a "declaration" rather than an "oath" to align with the religious principles of the soldiers, who avoid oaths for religious reasons.
The ceremony was tailored to the lifestyle of the recruits and reflected the atmosphere the brigade strives to maintain. In an unusual scene for a military event, the audience was separated by gender with a partition. Instead of the usual military band music, speakers played religious songs performed solely by male singers.
Rabbi Moshe Korkus, the brigade’s rabbi, offered his blessings to the soldiers. "Each one of you continues the way of the Maccabees, holding in one hand a sword and shield, and in the other hand declaring, 'Who is for God, come to me.'"
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The ceremony included elements that deviate from standard military protocol. One officer even led a "Siyum Masechet," a prayer and blessing traditionally recited after completing the study of a section of the Talmud. The soldiers studied the tractate "Megillah" during their scheduled study times and marked their completion of it during the event. Prior to singing "Hatikvah" (the national anthem), they also sang "Mimkomcha Malkeinu Tofiah," a prayer traditionally sung on Shabbat in synagogues.
'Unusual in the community, natural to the soul'
Some of the soldiers participated in the ceremony without their families, who oppose their enlistment, but others shared with excitement how meaningful the ceremony was, a moment they had never experienced before.
Gideon Shushan, whose son enlisted in the brigade, told Ynet: "We are very proud of him and of all of them. We are proud of our sons studying in yeshivas, and of our sons serving in the army."
Asked if the enlistment was unusual for their community, Shushan said: "It’s unusual in our community, but natural to our soul. Being part of the fight in a war — there is nothing more Jewish than that. We are very proud of him and of all those who support and serve."
When asked about the reactions they received to his son’s enlistment, he replied: "The reactions in our town of Beit Shemesh have been all positive. Our rabbi supports it, and the community supports it. We all support both our sons and daughters who study in yeshivas and seminaries, and we are also proud of those who serve in the army, with God's help."
Mike, a relative of another soldier in the brigade, expressed his pride. "Despite all the questions and criticism about the army, we are very proud of Moshe for enlisting, for completing the course, and for participating in defending the homeland," he said.
When asked if he ever thought something like this could happen two or three years ago, he responded: "Honestly, I didn’t think this was the path he would choose in life. But he’s doing it, and in the end I think it’s a good thing."