What the Haredim Do for Israel

See the unseen. 

Most Israelis live in a world measured by deliverables, deadlines, salaries, and KPIs (key performance indicators). If you can’t graph it, invoice it, or post it on LinkedIn, it must not exist. And honestly? It’s not our fault. Life in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Kiryat Gat, and everywhere in between trains us to trust whatever can be held in the hand and paid for by the hour. 

But there’s another layer to this country — a quiet one — and you can’t scan it with an app or quantify it on Google Analytics. 

It’s the layer that runs the engine you don’t see. 

And the people tending this hidden engine are the Haredim. 

Now, before you roll your eyes, let’s deal with the hard stuff directly — bluntly. Let’s take a walk together, like two friends strolling through a field of sunflowers, talking honestly about what we see and what we don’t. 

Because when you learn how to see the unseen, a whole different picture appears. 

Outreach: The Haredi “Growth System” 

Haredim are the best at outreach. They’re the ones who spend thousands of hours each year  to help Jews reconnect to Torah, community, and identity. 

“Okay, but how does that help me, or the country?”  

Identity matters. People who learn Torah are statistically far more likely to marry Jewish, raise Jewish families, educate their kids Jewish, and — yes — move to Israel. The 2020 Pew Research Center study on American Jews found that Jews engaged in Torah learning have a 92% rate of raising Jewish children. 

That’s not only outreach. That’s long-term nation building. 

Iran: When Politics Becomes Responsibility 

Right before the 12 Day War (June 13-24, 2025) that stunted Iran’s nuclear and ballistic arsenal, the Haredi parties considered leaving the government. Had they done it, U.S. support might have shifted — and the Iranian nuclear program could look very different today. 

“Come on. Political decisions aren’t a spiritual contribution.” 

You don’t have to like Haredi politics to recognize that staying in the coalition at a crucial moment was an act of national loyalty, not sectoral self-interest. 

Sometimes guarding Israel looks like a soldier on a base. Sometimes it looks like a rabbi in a conference room saying, “Not now. The people come first.” 

Both are real contributions. 

Demographics: The Quiet Shield 

Here’s one of the least discussed truths in Israel: without the Haredi birthrate, Israel’s demographic stability would collapse. 

According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS, 2023): 

• The Haredi fertility rate is 6.5 children per woman 
• The general Jewish rate is 3.0 
• The Arab rate is 2.8 and declining 

This isn’t ideology — it’s math. 

Cities like Tiberias, Afula, and Arad have maintained a Jewish majority because of Haredi families. It is  literally fulfilling the mitzvah of “be fruitful and multiply” in real-time demographic impact. 

“Fine, but that doesn’t help the economy.” 

Population security is national security. Ask Lebanon. Ask Syria. Ask any country where demographics shifted faster than governments could adapt — the countries fell into chaos for decades. A strong Jewish majority keeps Israel stable, governable, and safe. 

Ethics: Protecting the Core of the State 

Haredim act as the national brake pedal on laws that might be popular but morally destructive. 

Laws that normalize theft of land and property, public disorder, or anything that undermines family values — these have long-term consequences. Europe is struggling today not because of one bad law but because of 15 years of accumulated cultural erosion. 

Haredim, by standing firm against certain policies, help preserve a moral baseline that benefits the whole nation. 

“But why should religion influence the state?” 

Because every state is guided by something — values, ethics, or ideology. The question isn’t “Should values influence policy?” It’s “Which values do you want shaping your future?” 

Keeping some moral boundaries intact is like planting sturdy olive trees around a vineyard — they block the harsh winds so the grapes survive. 

Torah Sages Demand More of Us — Not Less 

People think Haredi leaders only talk to their own communities. That’s not true. Their teachings and messages often push the entire Jewish people toward self-improvement — kindness, patience, generosity, charity, integrity. 

“Sounds nice, but how does that help the country?” 

A nation is only as strong as its character. If you don’t believe me, ask any CEO — culture eats strategy for breakfast. 

Prayers, Fasting, and Spiritual Labor 

Haredi leaders pray, learn, fast, and plead for the people of Israel.  

“Prayer doesn’t pay taxes.” 

Maybe not. But here’s what it does do: It petitions Hashem to bless us and protect us. The advantage that the nations of the world have over us in terms of military strength, economic resources, and manpower, not to mention diplomacy, media, and intelligence pale in comparison to the spiritual advantage we enjoy over them as Hashem’s chosen nation.

Our advantage—Hashem — is literally, infinitely greater than theirs. It is the Haredim that work the hardest to petition Hashem to bless us that we realize this advantage to its fullest.  

In a country where 80% of Jews say they believe in God (Israel Democracy Institute, 2022), dismissing prayer as irrelevant is intellectually dishonest. 

If prayer burned calories, half the yeshiva world would look like marathon runners. 

They Only Care About Jews 

That’s the point.  This sounds harsh until you think about it. Their entire mission — every hour of learning, every outreach program, every halachic detail — is about caring for the Jewish People. 

“That sounds insular.” 

Focus isn’t selfishness. It’s clarity. A doctor in an ICU focuses on his patient in the room. A gardener focuses on the plants in his care. A teacher focuses on the students he serves. 

The Haredim focus on the Jewish soul. 

Awareness of Mission — Every Moment 

Haredim live with purpose. Every day. Every hour. Always aware of their service to Torah and to God. That level of dedication — especially in a distracted world — is rare. 

“But Haredim drain resources.” 

The OECD and CBS both show that the Haredi sector’s economic participation is rising sharply. Between 2015–2023, Haredi men’s employment increased by 28%. Support for Torah institutions is a national choice — not a drain — reflecting values, not deficits. 

“But Haredim don’t serve in the army.” 

Most don’t serve in the IDF. But many serve in other ways: ZAKA volunteers, United Hatzalah responders, hospital volunteers, charity networks, and a massive infrastructure of kindness and support.  

And spiritually?  

They are serving on another front entirely — and they are doing it on the front lines. They don’t do it for three years. They never take a break. As they get older, they don’t retire. They step up their service to Hashem, to Torah, and to the Jewish People until the very end.  

The Full Picture 

When a rose blooms, you see the flower — not the roots in the soil. 

But without the roots, nothing grows. 

The Haredi world is the roots. 

Quiet. Hidden. Steady. 

Holding the ground so the nation can bloom. 

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time we finally said — “Thank you.” 

*** 

David Ben Horin lives in Afula with his family, 60,000 passionate Israelis, and Matilda, our local camel.