Uri Keidar, executive director of Israel Hofsheet, is no stranger to conflict — both military and political.

He has served for more than 300 days in reserve since Oct. 7, 2023, and leads Israel Hofsheet, an advocacy organization whose name translates to “Be Free Israel.” The groups focuses on issues of religion and state and promotes Jewish pluralism.

Uri Keidar Israel Hofsheet leader balances war and politics

ADVERTISEMENT

Recently, Keidar has spoken out in favor for ending the exemption from serving in the Israel Defense Forces for ultra-Orthodox men and ensuring that public transportation operates on Shabbat. On Friday, Sept. 12, he spoke at United Hebrew Congregation.

According to Keidar, about 70% of Israeli Jews identify as secular or traditional. He believes public policy around Shabbat should reflect that.

“Shabbat needs to be more representative of the public,” Keidar said. “We need to redraw the relationship between the broader public and the big and growing ultra-Orthodox community.”

A father of three young children, Keidar emphasized the need for practical, everyday freedoms over strict religious observance.

“I care more about my ability to buy diapers on Shabbat than how people experience specific religious aspects of the holiday,” he said.

Public still cares about pluralism after Oct. 7

Keidar said that after Oct. 7, Israel Hofsheet — which spent years working to make public transportation more accessible on Shabbat and providing alternatives to the Rabbinate for couples wanting to get married — conducted surveys to see whether its policy goals still mattered to the Israeli public.

“Even in the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, people, broadly speaking, did not want to live in Sparta,” Keidar said. “What we understood from that poll is that people still very much care about those issues.”

Keidar believes Israel is on the brink of political transformation due to growing dissatisfaction with the current government’s religious policies. One of the most contentious proposals is the effort to reinstate exemptions from military service for ultra-Orthodox men even as the country remains at war. 

“This is not a religious issue,” he said. “It’s a very simple equality and security issue at the heart of our ability to be a secure country.”

Israel Hofsheet has seen progress on some of its advocacy initiatives. Starting in 2018, public transportation in select cities began running on Shabbat, and more recently, the Israeli government has begun cracking down on ultra-Orthodox men who are avoiding military service or attempting to flee the country.

Even though he is hopeful, Keidar believes the current extreme religious government in Israel has caused enough harm that fundamental change is now inevitable.

“We will get to the point where we need to redraw the social contract of the country,” he said. “I think that may be the generational mission that we now encounter.”