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Do Charedim Contribute to Israeli Society in Other Ways Besides Paying Taxes?

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Yes—deeply and consistently.

The Charedi community is one of the most giving, active, and self-sustaining populations in Israel. While public conversation often reduces “contribution” to army service or income tax, the reality is far richer. Charedim strengthen the State in ways both visible and invisible, and many of those contributions benefit all citizens of Israel, religious or not.

Let’s explore the full picture.

1. Torah Learning: The Spiritual Foundation

Though this is discussed more fully elsewhere in this book, it must be briefly stated: Charedim uphold the foundation of Jewish continuity through the spiritual power of Torah.

As the pasuk says, "אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה, חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי"

“If not for My covenant [of Torah] day and night, I would not have established the laws of heaven and earth” (Yirmiyahu 33:25).

Torah learning is not just a personal or religious pursuit. It is a national service of the highest order—one that sustains Klal Yisrael in both a spiritual and historical sense.

But even setting Torah study aside, the Charedi contribution to Israeli society is vast and practical.

2. Local Rabbanim and Community Leadership

Every city, town, and neighborhood in Israel with a Charedi presence has local Rabbanim, Dayanim, and poskim—leaders who take full responsibility for:

  • Kashrus supervision
  • Eruvin maintenance
  • Mikvaos
  • Marriage and divorce halacha
  • Burial and chevra kadisha
  • Shabbos observance
  • Beis Din services for monetary disputes
  • Guidance for youth and family life

These Rabbanim work around the clock, often without compensation, to ensure halachic infrastructure and spiritual integrity. They handle complex personal issues, prevent family breakdowns, and carry the emotional burden of their kehillos.

In cities with large Charedi populations—like Bnei Brak, Jerusalem, and Beit Shemesh—the scale of this work is immense, and thousands of secular Jews benefit from these services as well.

3. Gemachim: A Society of Chesed

One of the most unique and beautiful contributions of the Charedi world is the gemach system—an entire underground economy of kindness and communal support.

There are over 25,000 active gemachim in Israel, including those for:

  • Interest-free loans (money gemachs)
  • Wedding gowns
  • Medical equipment
  • Baby formula and diapers
  • Furniture, strollers, and cribs
  • Books and sefarim
  • Yom Tov food
  • Clothing for children
  • Transportation and car use

These gemachim serve anyone in need, often without asking a single question. They are staffed and funded by Charedi families, sometimes with only word-of-mouth awareness—and they save the Israeli government millions of shekels annually by filling gaps in social services.

As Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l once said:

“If you want to see the heart of Am Yisrael, look at a gemach. That is where you see real Ahavas Yisrael.”

4. Volunteerism and Emergency Services

Charedim lead many of Israel’s most effective chesed and emergency response organizations:

  • United Hatzalah – Many Charedi volunteers respond to emergencies 24/7.
  • ZAKA – Charedim perform kavod haMeis under horrific conditions.
  • Yad Eliezer, Ezer Mizion, Yad Sarah – All founded or led by Charedi activists.
  • Lev L’Achim, Or Yehudit, Shuvu – Outreach, education, and youth rehabilitation, often focused on secular Jews.

5. Family and Social Stability

Charedim also contribute by building strong, stable families, raising the next generation of Am Yisrael with deep values, resilience, and mutual responsibility. This creates low crime rates, high internal support, and a culture of self-sufficiency that benefits the broader society by reducing reliance on state programs.

Final Thought

Contribution is not limited to what makes headlines. It happens in the quiet acts of chesed, the whispered halachic guidance of a Rav, the delivery of a wheelchair at 2 AM, the counseling of a broken family, the baking of challahs for a neighbor, the learning of Torah b’hasmada.

The Charedi community gives to Israel with heart, soul, and action. And even if those contributions aren’t always broadcast, they are felt deeply by those who truly know the people behind the numbers.

Sources & Footnotes

  1. Yirmiyahu 33:25; Nefesh HaChaim Shaar 4
  2. Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, Aleinu Leshabe’ach, Vol. 3
  3. Central Bureau of Statistics, Gemachim in Israel, 2022
  4. Interviews with Rabbanim of Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh, and Rechovot, Mishpacha Magazine, 2020–2023
  5. United Hatzalah, ZAKA, and Ezer Mizion Annual Reports, 2023
  6. Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz, quoted in Toraso Emes, 2005