--- title: "Haredi Service, Employment, and Civic Alternatives" description: "Military and civilian service can provide work experience and training, but civilian volunteering is not a general substitute for compulsory service. The Bank of Israel links greater Haredi enlistment to measurable economic gains." url: "https://hasbara.co.il/resources/ultra-orthodox-haredi-community-military-service-and-integration/conscription-reform-haredi-integration-and-israeli-economic-growth" type: "resource-page" locale: "en" categories: ["Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Community: Military Service and Integration"] --- # Haredi Service, Employment, and Civic Alternatives *Military and civilian service can provide work experience and training, but civilian volunteering is not a general substitute for compulsory service. The Bank of Israel links greater Haredi enlistment to measurable economic gains.* Military service, national-civic service and employment policies intersect because deferment rules can shape when eligible Haredi men enter the workforce. Civilian service offers a structured volunteer path to some men who meet its specific rules; it does not automatically replace military service for everyone subject to the draft. The Bank of Israel has also quantified the economic cost of low Haredi enlistment. ## What civilian service offers The National-Civic Service Authority describes a civilian-service program for Haredi yeshiva students and scholars in defined age and eligibility categories. Its placements include public bodies, security agencies, government ministries and welfare organizations. The Authority lists tracks with different weekly hours and duration, and vocationally oriented training through its Ma’alot program. The program is voluntary and governed by its own eligibility conditions; being Haredi alone does not make a person eligible or discharge a military obligation. Check the [Authority’s Haredi service page](https://www.ncs.gov.il/special-programs/%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%95%D7%97%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%96%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%94%D7%97%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%99%D7%AA/) for current entry rules; the government’s [registration page](https://www.gov.il/en/service/registration_for_national_service) says applicants must be eligible to volunteer. ## Employment and the cost of non-enlistment In a December 2025 analysis, the Bank of Israel estimated that the current draft legislation, as proposed, would increase the employment rate of Haredi men by 7.6 percentage points by 2060 relative to a scenario without an effective law. It estimates NIS 9 billion in cumulative additional tax revenue between 2026 and 2035 if that employment increase is achieved. Its calculation connects enlistment to later employment, income and tax revenue; it is a modeled estimate, not a guaranteed saving per recruit. The Bank modeled economic outcomes under alternative levels of enlistment and warned that draft rules that fail to increase service could leave those gains unrealized. [The Bank’s estimate and assumptions](https://www.boi.org.il/en/communication-and-publications/press-releases/10-12-25-en/) give the figures and scenario details. ## Service disputes and practical choices For Haredi families, service raises questions about Torah study, religious practice, community expectations and the effect of military routines on daily life. Dedicated IDF tracks set out accommodation rules, while the civilian-service route has separate eligibility criteria. These options address different situations and neither should be presented as an unrestricted alternative. [See the IDF track guide](https://hasbara.co.il/resources/ultra-orthodox-haredi-community-military-service-and-integration/idf-frameworks-for-ultra-orthodox-soldiers) for military accommodations and [the 2024 ruling guide](https://hasbara.co.il/resources/ultra-orthodox-haredi-community-military-service-and-integration/the-post-october-7-israeli-civil-campaign-for-equal-service) for the legal rules governing deferment and draft status. ## Pages - [How Israel’s Haredi Draft Exemption Evolved](/resources/ultra-orthodox-haredi-community-military-service-and-integration/the-torato-umanuto-compromise-and-modern-israeli-integration.md) - [What the 2024 Haredi Draft Ruling Means](/resources/ultra-orthodox-haredi-community-military-service-and-integration/the-post-october-7-israeli-civil-campaign-for-equal-service.md) - [Haredi IDF Service Tracks and Religious Accommodations](/resources/ultra-orthodox-haredi-community-military-service-and-integration/idf-frameworks-for-ultra-orthodox-soldiers.md) ## Sources - [ncs.gov.il](https://www.ncs.gov.il/special-programs/%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%95%D7%97%D7%93%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%96%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%99-%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%94%D7%97%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%99%D7%AA/) - [gov.il](https://www.gov.il/en/service/registration_for_national_service) - [boi.org.il](https://www.boi.org.il/en/communication-and-publications/press-releases/10-12-25-en/)