I Declare! I Declare! I Declare! Cohort 5 Joins the Chashmonaim Family
Sifra and Saifa at Maccabim:
Combat soldiers of the fifth cohort of the Chashmonaim Brigade have pledged allegiance. The largest cohort in the history of the IDF’s first Charedi brigade gathered for a moving ceremony on the parade ground. Among the high points: a shared siyum, spirited dancing and the distribution of the book “The Battle of Torah” (Milchamtah Shel Torah), written by the combat soldiers themselves.
The moving Declaration Ceremony of the Cohort 5 combat soldiers of the Chashmonaim Brigade was held last night in the presence of the Brigade Commander, Col. Shemer Raviv, the commander of the training base, Lt. Col. A., the Brigade Rabbi, Maj. Rabbi Betzalel Givoni, and the wider command staff. Excited family members streamed to the event to support, embrace and accompany the soldiers at the high point of their training.
The fifth cohort, made up of two companies, marks the tremendous growth of the first Charedi brigade. The soldiers’ impressive presence on the parade ground, alongside the command staff, reflected the young men’s deep commitment to a winning combination: careful preservation of the Charedi way of life alongside meaningful combat service at the front.
From the words of the Brigade Commander, Col. Shemer Raviv: “You are the proof that the People of Israel can be defended without giving up who you are.”
During the ceremony, the Brigade Commander, Col. Shemer Raviv, addressed the new soldiers with moving words:
“On the face of it, one might fear that the Chashmonaim Brigade is trying to invent a new kind of Charedi, one who cuts the Jew off from the spirit of our forefather Israel. The very opposite is true. From the spirit of our forefather Israel, from the inner calling of the divine soul, we go out to fight and to defend the People of Israel. We do not cut ourselves off from the path of our holy forefathers. We bind ourselves to the spirit of the Torah more strongly still.
You, dear Chashmonaim combat soldiers, have chosen to go out and defend the People of Israel against the enemies who seek to harm us.
On the internal front as well, the brigade is a blend that connects the parts of our people, and it is the proof that it can be done.
You, the combat soldiers, are the future of the People of Israel.”
Song and Spirited Dancing on the Parade Ground
All evening, the atmosphere on the parade ground moved between supreme holiness, deep Chassidic feeling and national pride. The audience and the soldiers joined their voices in powerful, unifying song, along with stirring Chassidic melodies.
The talented band of the Military Rabbinate provided the music for the ceremony. As the ceremony drew to a close, the soldiers in the making burst into song and spirited dancing, with devotion and joy, to the words that express their inmost aspiration: “And draw me close to You in truth.” At the end of the ceremony, the unit’s anthem, “I Am a Warrior and a Son of Torah…”, was played, and judging by the intensity of the dancing, it was clear that the soldiers in the making are ready for any march.
“The Battle of Torah” and a Moving Siyum
One of the most moving and meaningful moments of the ceremony, expressing more than anything the brigade’s unique character, was the distribution of the book “The Battle of Torah.” The book, printed in a handsome and distinguished edition, was written entirely by the brigade’s combat soldiers and the Rams (company rabbis) who accompany them along the way.
In addition, one of the brigade’s combat soldiers held a moving siyum, the completion of a Talmud tractate, on the parade ground, showing in practice the unique combination of Sifra and Saifa in the field. With the final lines of the Gemara and the recitation of Kaddish, the companies and the families burst into stirring Chassidic song that joined the world of Torah with the soldiers’ operational mission.
Marching Forward Toward the Next Challenges
With the Declaration Ceremony over and their Tanach and weapons received, the soldiers continue the grueling training program at the training base. They are expected later to join the brigade’s combat soldiers and commanders who are already operating and defending the country’s citizens in the various sectors, becoming the new spearhead of the Chashmonaim Brigade.
The website’s editorial staff wishes great success to the combat soldiers of the fifth cohort. Rise and succeed, go in peace and return in peace!
