Are Charedim Anti-Zionists?
This question is often asked with genuine confusion—and sometimes with suspicion: Are Charedim anti-Zionist? The answer is nuanced, but clear:
Yes, Charedim are opposed to the ideology of Zionism as a replacement for Torah—but no, Charedim are not anti-Jew, anti-Israel, or seeking harm to Zionists in any way.
This distinction is critical: we reject the ism, not the people.
Zionism vs. Jews Who Call Themselves Zionists
Zionism, as an ideology, sought to redefine Jewish identity. Instead of seeing a Jew as someone bound to Hashem, Torah, and mitzvos—Zionism defined Jews as a people connected by land, language, or nationalism. In many ways, Zionism was invented to replace Torah.
This was the objection of our Gedolim, from the very beginning.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt”l wrote:
“Zionism is not a stepping stone to Torah. It is a rebellion against it.”¹
But this opposition was always against the ideology, never against Jews themselves.
As Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l once said:
“A Jew who calls himself a Zionist is still a Jew. He has a neshama. He is our brother. We do not hate him—we weep for him.”²
Not Like the Secular Anti-Zionists
It is also crucial to clarify: Charedim do not align themselves with the secular or leftist anti-Zionists, who often deny the right of Jews to live in Eretz Yisrael at all.
We reject that entirely.
Eretz Yisrael is our holy land, a divine gift from Hashem to the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Our opposition to Zionism is based on the belief that the Jewish people must come back to the land through teshuvah and redemption—not through secular nationalism divorced from Torah.
We are not against Jewish return.
We are against the erasure of Torah from that return.
And Certainly Not Like the Meshugaim Who Embrace Our Enemies
We also must separate ourselves completely and publicly from extreme fringe groups like Neturei Karta, who appear at anti-Israel rallies wearing Palestinian scarves and standing with those who seek to destroy Jewish lives.
This is not daas Torah.
This is a chillul Hashem.
Gedolei Yisrael from every sector—Litvish, Chassidish, and Sefardi—have condemned such behavior.
The Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel Teitelbaum zt”l, who was strongly opposed to Zionism, nevertheless distanced himself completely from those who cause harm to Jews or align with anti-Semites.³
"There is no heter in the world to support resha'im and murderers. We argue with Zionists, but we never stand with our enemies."⁴
We mourn every Jewish soul lost to terrorism. We cry for every injured soldier. We care deeply for our brothers and sisters—whether they wear a black hat, a knitted kippah, or none at all.
What We Want: Not Destruction—But Illumination
The Charedi world does not want to defeat Zionists. We want to enlighten them.
We want them to see the beauty of Torah, the sweetness of mitzvos, the power of mesorah. We want every Jew—left-wing, right-wing, Zionist, secular, or confused—to remember where they come from: Har Sinai.
Our dream is not political.
It is spiritual.
“Let them taste Torah, and they will come back. Let them see a Shabbos table, and they will remember who they are.” —Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l⁵
We want a Jewish state—but one that reflects the ratzon Hashem, not just military might or secular pride.
We want peace—but not peace through surrender, nor peace by silencing Torah.
We want unity—but not uniformity.
We want redemption—but only one that comes from above.
Final Thought
So are Charedim anti-Zionist?
Yes—in the sense that we oppose replacing Torah with nationalism.
No—in every other way.
We love every Jew. We pray for the peace of Am Yisrael. We contribute to the nation with Torah, with chessed, with tefillah, and with care for every Jew's neshamah.
The real question isn’t who’s Zionist.
It’s who’s committed to bringing Hashem back to the center of the Jewish people.
And in that mission, we welcome every Jew with open arms.
From Kibbutz to Kollel: The Journey of Rav Uri Zohar zt”l
Perhaps no story captures the Charedi attitude toward secular Zionist Jews better than that of Rav Uri Zohar zt”l—a man who was once the very symbol of secular Israeli culture, and who became one of the greatest baalei teshuvah of our generation.
Born in 1935 to a traditional family in Tel Aviv, Uri Zohar grew up in the beating heart of the Zionist dream. He became an icon of Israeli cinema in the 1960s and 70s—an actor, director, and comedian whose face and voice were known to almost every home in Israel.
He was admired, beloved, and successful. But deep down, he began to feel an emptiness he couldn’t explain.
In the late 1970s, he struck up a friendship with Rav Yitzchak Shlomo Zilberman zt”l, a Charedi educator in Yerushalayim. What began as casual conversations soon became intense learning sessions. Rav Zilberman did not preach. He did not attack. He simply opened the Torah and let Uri taste its truth.
And that changed everything.
A Radical Teshuvah—And No Regrets
In 1979, Uri Zohar shocked the country: He gave it all up—his career, fame, fortune, and public platform—and joined a Charedi kollel in Yerushalayim. Reporters were stunned. His fans were speechless.
But Uri was free. He once said:
“They thought I gave up everything. They don’t know—I gained everything.”
He later became a rav, delivering shiurim, guiding countless baalei teshuvah, and helping build the organization Lev L’Achim, which brought tens of thousands back to Torah.
No Hatred—Only Ahavas Yisrael
What made Rav Uri Zohar such a powerful voice was not just his charisma or life story. It was his deep, unshakable love for every Jew—especially those still on the path he once walked.
He never spoke with hatred about his former colleagues in the secular world. He begged Charedim to open their hearts to secular Jews, saying:
“They’re not our enemies. They’re our brothers. I was one of them. They’re just waiting for someone to show them the way home.”
He also once remarked:
“If someone had screamed at me or condemned me, I never would have listened. It was only the sweetness of Torah and the respect I was shown that opened my heart.”
A Life That Proves the Point
Uri Zohar’s life was proof that Zionism cannot replace Torah—but that even a Zionist can become a Talmid Chacham, a leader, a true servant of Hashem, when given love, patience, and Torah.
His funeral in 2022 was attended by tens of thousands—from Charedim to secular Israelis. It was a quiet testimony to the bridge he built.
Final Reflection
Rav Uri Zohar didn’t become Charedi because he was pressured or condemned. He became Charedi because someone saw the neshamah inside him and loved him enough to share the truth.
And that is what the Charedi world wants for every Jew—not to destroy their identity, but to uncover their soul.
That is not hatred.
That is ahavas Yisrael at its deepest level.
The Tape That Wouldn’t Burn
In the early 1990s, Rav Amnon Yitzchak began speaking across Israel—filling halls and stadiums with thousands of secular Jews eager to hear his piercing yet loving words of truth. His lectures were known to shake people to their core—but they always ended with hope, humor, and heartfelt pleas to reconnect with Hashem.
But not everyone was happy with his success.
One day, a group of anti-religious activists who despised his outreach work got hold of one of his famous cassette tapes. They organized a small demonstration outside a yeshiva, mocking Rav Amnon and his message, and—so the story goes—they placed the tape in a pile of other religious material and set it on fire in protest.
The fire burned hot, and almost everything turned to ash… except the tape.
Despite sitting in the flames, it remained fully intact. Blackened on the outside, perhaps, but the recording still played clearly. Those who witnessed it were shaken. Even some who had come to mock were silenced.
One of them later became a baal teshuvah himself.
When Rav Amnon heard what had happened, he didn't gloat. He didn’t issue any triumphant press statement. He simply said:
"When the words are Torah, and the mission is pure, Hashem protects His messengers—even if it's just a cassette tape."
Why This Story Matters
This isn’t just a tale about a miracle. It’s a story about what happens when you stand for Torah with humility and courage. Rav Amnon never sought fame or controversy. He sought souls. And even those who came to fight against him could not extinguish the light of Torah he carried.
The Kibbutznik Who Came to Hear Rav Miller
In the early 1980s, a man who had grown up on a secular kibbutz in Eretz Yisrael was visiting relatives in Brooklyn. He had been raised with the typical secular Zionist ideals: strong pride in the State, a rejection of religious life, and a deep skepticism toward Torah Judaism. His relatives were newly religious and urged him to come hear “an American rabbi who speaks like fire.”
Reluctantly, he agreed to attend Rav Avigdor Miller’s Thursday night shiur in Boro Park.
He sat in the back row, arms folded, a bit of a smirk on his face. But as Rav Miller spoke that night—passionately, boldly, clearly—about the greatness of Torah, the emptiness of secular nationalism without Hashem, and the true purpose of Am Yisrael, something shifted.
Rav Miller thundered:
“A Jew is not great because of a flag or an anthem. A Jew is great because he carries the Torah of Hashem in his blood. Eretz Yisrael without Torah is not a success—it is a tragedy!”
The words hit the kibbutznik like a thunderclap.
After the shiur, he approached Rav Miller hesitantly and said in Hebrew, “But what about the army? The kibbutz? The land?”
Rav Miller looked him in the eye and said gently but firmly:
“My dear Jew—if it doesn’t bring you closer to Hashem, then it’s not the land Avraham walked on. Come back to the Torah, and you’ll find Eretz Yisrael waiting for you—this time, with Hashem in it.”
The man stayed after for nearly an hour speaking with Rav Miller. They switched to Yiddish. He cried. He asked questions. Rav Miller answered each one with patience, clarity, and sources.
Within the year, this man had begun learning seriously. He moved to Yerushalayim, started keeping Shabbos, and eventually joined a kollel for baalei teshuvah. He later shared that it was that night in Brooklyn that cracked open the wall.
Why This Story Matters
Rav Miller didn’t seek to embarrass, argue, or provoke. He spoke the Torah’s truth with courage and deep love for every Jew. And that truth had the power to melt even the hardest hearts—even those shaped by decades of secular Zionist ideology.
As Rav Miller once said:
“The Zionist dream will fade. The Torah dream is eternal.”
Sources & Footnotes
- Rav Elchonon Wasserman, Ikvesa D'Meshicha, Maamar 2
- Rav Aharon Kotler, quoted in Mishnas R’ Aharon, Vol. 3
- Satmar Rebbe, VaYoel Moshe, end of Maamar Shalosh Shevuos
- Satmar community statement, 2006, following Neturei Karta appearance in Iran
- Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, Chochmas HaTorah, Vol. 2, p. 174