Hasidim Praying for IDF Soldiers After October 7 2023

This project tracks the prayer responses of Hasidic masters and their communities in Israel in the immediate aftermath of October 7 2023. The massacre perpetrated on that day resulted in widespread trauma and vulnerability in Israel, and it triggered a war in the Gaza Strip and battles on other fronts. Given the traditional Hasidic affinity for prayer, the Hasidic prayer response to the crisis is of interest. This is particularly so since contemporary Hasidim do not identify with the Zionist project or ideology, do not support the State of Israel, do not serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and do not publicly pray for the well-being of Israeli soldiers. The findings demonstrate that Hasidim responded to the crisis with prayer, but they did so without compromising their anti-Zionist ideology or non-Zionist stance. There were instances of prayers for soldiers, but these were creative, idiosyncratic expressions, general prayers, or personal supplications. The most common prayer for IDF soldiers was not said, nor were there public calls for specific prayers for those who were risking their lives to free the hostages, to protect the Jewish People, and to ensure the security of the State of Israel and its inhabitants. The Hasidic prayer response could be characterized as acknowledgement and appreciation without embrace. This analysis suggests that, when Israel emerges from the crisis, we should not expect a change in the attitude of Hasidic communities toward the State or the IDF, even if there were glimmers of such a change immediately following October 7.