Understanding Haredim

A Communal Approach

“It’s very hard to be a true pluralist,” concedes Prof. Shai Stern, an expert on private property and state-community relations at Bar-Ilan’s Faculty of Law. “Pluralism means accepting others’ choice of beliefs and lifestyles that are different from one’s own. But when it comes to the Haredim, the liberal mind can’t wrap itself around that difference. It struggles to understand what motivates the Haredi community.” For Stern, who was appointed last year head of the Institute for Strategy and Haredi Policy—an independent think tank aimed at developing the Haredi sector’s capacity to contribute to Israel’s state and society—the word “understand” is key. If we want to break through the impasse that often defines state relations with Haredim, he says, we need to begin with in-depth research.

“After October 7th, for example, we at the institute set out to understand, why is it that so many Haredim don’t see themselves as part of what’s happening? When you start from a place that’s not judgmental but instead purely academic, you can then say, ‘Okay, if this is what they’re thinking and what matters to them, then this is what the government can do encourage cooperation,’” Stern explains, adding that the “this” is almost never individual sanctions. “Haredim already face the threat of sanctions in their own community on account of non-conformity,” he says. And in a society in which there’s no concept of ‘individuals,’ but only a collective, “the government can’t tell a Haredi youth to enlist if his community is telling him that it’s wrong or that he’ll be ostracized. The answer,” concludes Stern, “is to approach Haredim as a community. To understand their concerns and priorities, and despite deep disagreement, engage them with dignity.”

Pointing out that by 2065, Haredim will comprise a full fourth of the Israeli populace, Stern insists that developing more effective relations with the Haredi sector is a national priority. To that end, he is currently overseeing a multi-year strategic plan—with input from Israeli researchers and leading civilian and military figures—for enabling Haredim to become an integral part of Israel’s security and prosperity. “A growing portion of the Haredi community wants to increase its involvement in the state,” Stern says. “Our challenge lies in moving past the liberal idea of what’s ‘right’ or ‘fair’ and enabling them to make a contribution.”