Photo Credit: Jewish Press
Even before the establishment of the State of Israel, there were tensions in the Palmach and the Haganah between the needs of the military and the soldiersâ religious needs. These tensions had also manifested themselves in the British army within the Jewish Legion in WWI and the Jewish Brigade in WWII, in response to which the British created a military rabbinate to provide religious services for their Jewish soldiers and to otherwise support them.
Upon the birth of Israel and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) in 1948, the need for an independent religious institution within Israelâs military to reconcile the halachic needs of IDF soldiers, for whom military service was compulsory, and the needs of the military, including its ability to respond to exigencies as they arise, became apparent.