No one saw it coming, but the IDF’s Military Rabbinate TikTok account has become one of the best sources for escapism during the war in Gaza. The person behind it, recruited for reserve service, is Amir Moyal, known as a stand-up comedian, a social media personality, and a master of puns. Using humorous videos, he uplifts the soldiers’ morale and doesn't forget to add the Jewish perspective.
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In one of the videos, he humorously responds to questions in a Q&A segment. When asked why the Air Force is specifically sent to conduct airstrikes in Gaza, he answered, "Beyond the strategic role of the Air Force in creating a safe route for the ground forces to travel through, in my opinion, the Air Force’s main role is to instill a fear of the heavens in Hamas."
And if you were wondering where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were deployed in the IDF, the answer is, naturally, in the Armored Corps.
In another successful video, he performs popular Israeli war songs translated into Aramaic. The videos are mainly distributed via the Military Rabbinate’s TikTok account and YouTube channel.
Moyal shares the clips on his personal Facebook and Instagram accounts, enjoying considerable success. In total, the various videos in which he participates have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on various media platforms.
"I was recruited for reserve service four days after the outbreak of the war. Originally, I wasn't recruited for The Military Rabbinate’s digital division, but as a content writer," he explains. "My goal was to lift morale via the weekly Torah and Jewish content sections. To support the soldiers and lift their spirits. At the start of the war, there was still no place for humorous content.
"At a certain point, the Military Rabbinate’s digital division told me: ‘We’re trying to figure out what to do, and you know social media and have a presence there.' They suggested we make a video together,” he explained.
"In the first video, we asked soldiers at the base questions like 'What Goy (foreign) movie have you seen recently and really liked?' We documented their confused and surprised reactions, sending a message that just as foreign nations fought against Israel in the past and disappeared, so will Hamas, which fights against us today, will disappear, and we will remain here – as happened throughout Jewish history."
What’s the purpose of these videos?
"There are several. There are videos like 'Hanukkah Command Center,' which was filmed for the holiday to convey Jewish laws relating to the holiday to religious soldiers during wartime in a fun and interesting manner,” he said.
“If you ask me, sharing a small amount of humor during wartime is a Jewish value, even if it isn’t related to religion. Not everyone will agree with me, but that's my approach. The Military Rabbinate also wants to convey a strengthening spiritual message to the soldiers.
"Other than that, we also want to change the Military Rabbinate’s branding and image, from a unit dealing only with the practice of religion, to a corps that understands the reality on the field and provides a spiritual response alongside Jewish wisdom. We sometimes receive criticism, and a rabbi can come and ask why the Military Rabbinate is presenting something humorous,” he added.
“It’s true that our content is funny, but ultimately, when someone watches a video and enters our webpage, they can reach our other content, such as Torah discussions on the weekly parashah or Jewish law."
Moyal operates from the IDF’s Shura base near Ramla, where the Military Rabbinate is located – a base that made headlines when the many bodies of the victims of the October 7 massacre arrived there for identification.
One of the Military Rabbinate’s central roles is the evacuation and identification of casualties. That’s something you can’t be humorous about.
"Exactly. This is a sacred work with which the war began. Many soldiers were here at the casualty information center; there was significant activity happening here. Now it's less so, but every soldier who, unfortunately, falls passes through here."
Despite the difficult reality, the Military Rabbinate tries to give a humorous break for the soldiers, contribute to the fighting spirit, and help the many religious soldiers in the field. "There's a video on the Military Rabbinate's channel that has already surpassed a million views, and in total, we've reached millions of views in our videos," Moyal said.
"At the beginning of the war, we had about 4,000 subscribers on YouTube, and today we have more than 15,000. It's important to remember that the IDF is a conservative institution; the Military Rabbinate within the military is a conservative body, and we need to create content within these boundaries."