Hundreds of soldiers in the IDF's Charedi Netzach Yehudah battalion gathered at the Holon Theater yesterday (Tuesday) to hear speeches and congratulations celebrating 25 years of the unit's existence.
Over ten thousand soldiers have served in the battalion since its inception 25 years ago, and it has become a symbol for many of the possibilities of integrating at least Charedim into the IDF.
The ceremony included the singing of Hatikvah and a prayer for the soldiers of the IDF, as well as the wounded and captives. The President and Defense Minister both sent messages of congratulations.
Among the speakers was Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yehudah Duvdevani, one of the founders of the battalion. At the ceremony, he said: "We ask that those who learn Torah, let them continue to learn and strengthen us in the Torah of Israel, but those who do not learn should take an example from the Netzach Yehudah battalion, from the soldiers, from the commanders, during moments of unity within the People of Israel, you are the battalion that turns the integrating of secular and Charedi Jews into Jewish unity."