Tuesday, January 06, 2026
Torah, work and the IDF: the Hasidic sect embracing modern Israeli life
One by one, striking booths were set up, each showcasing the work of business owners from the Karlin Hasidic community. A carpenter who builds ornate Torah arks, a printer who manufactures shtreimels and many others not necessarily tied to Jewish tradition, real estate developers, mortgage advisors, massage therapists, dessert table stylists and more.
This was the scene at the Karlin Hasidic sect's massive employment fair at Jerusalem's International Convention Center, intended to introduce community members to the range of services offered by fellow Hasidim and to encourage business connections within the sect. Attendees, all dressed in identical Hasidic garb, strolled between booths, mingling and engaging in conversation, almost all, notably, with smartphones in hand and no effort to hide them.
"The Rebbe told me to have one," said Yitzhak, a 22-year-old man operating one of the more impressive booths. "In a lot of Hasidic or Haredi communities, people carry a 'kosher' phone just to get their kids into school, but they also secretly have a smartphone for work. That's not how we do things. The Rebbe said, 'If you need it for work, have it, and don't put on a show.'"
He added that many community members use filtered smartphones without access to typical apps, reflecting a grounded, realistic approach. "He understood people already have them, so better to use them mindfully and with supervision, rather than hiding it while everyone knows anyway."
It's a refreshingly pragmatic, even innovative stance, especially coming from the leader of one of the most rooted and widely recognized Hasidic sects. Karlin's Shabbat melodies are the soundtrack of many religious homes, and the movement is considered a longstanding Hasidic brand. But under its current leader, Rabbi Baruch Meir Shochet, the sect is undergoing notable change.
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"You won't see politics here," Yitzhak added. "Our Rebbe isn't officially part of Agudat Yisrael anymore and doesn't attend the Council of Torah Sages. If anything, he's closely connected with Bezalel Smotrich, but also with Haredi Knesset members and politicians from non-religious parties. There's no directive on who to vote for, some vote Haredi, some vote religious Zionist."
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