For far too long, the political leadership that claims to represent Israel’s Charedi community has forgotten what representation means.

It was ostensibly elected to protect the world of Torah and serve the needs of Charedi families. Instead, it has become part of the problem. At a moment of profound national crisis, when our community desperately needs responsible and effective leadership, the established Charedi parties have offered little more than detachment, excuses and confrontation.

The war that began with the horrific massacre of October 7 reminded every Israeli of the meaning of responsibility. Thousands of Charedim volunteered, enlisted, delivered supplies and supported families and soldiers.

Yet the established Charedi political leadership appeared to learn nothing.

At the very moment that Israelis were mourning soldiers killed in battle, a party leader danced to a song declaring that “we do not believe in the government of heretics.” This was more than an embarrassing mistake. It reflected a deeper political culture of detachment from both the needs of the Charedi public and the pain of the wider Israeli people.

Every criticism is answered with an accusation, and every difficult question is dismissed or ignored. Extremism is presented as authenticity; failure is repackaged as victimhood and the public is expected to accept that nothing can ever change.

Hundreds of thousands of Charedim refuse to accept it.

Over the past two years, my colleagues and I have traveled across Israel and listened. We met yeshiva students and kollel scholars,........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)