Several soldiers approached their commanders requesting the establishment of a kosher mikveh (ritual bath) on the base, allowing them to continue the Chabad custom of immersion before prayer. They were assured during recruitment that their Charedi way of life would be respected, with promises to “leave the army the same as they entered.” Despite persistent appeals, the soldiers were met with a firm rejection.
To their dismay, the brigade’s leadership took further action, summoning the soldiers to a disciplinary hearing for their insistence on maintaining the practice, potentially leading to their removal from the unit. The soldiers pleaded for at least temporary permission to leave the base and use a mikveh in a nearby settlement, but this request was also denied.
One soldier expressed his frustration:
“It’s unreasonable that the Air Force provides swimming pools for pilots on their bases, and other units allow soldiers to use mikvehs. Yet, in a brigade that champions Charedi identity, our basic religious needs are dismissed.”
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