\nTreitel described his upbringing in a strictly Haredi environment that lacked connection to Israeli national symbols and military life. \u201cAs a teenager, I lived with a very specific mindset. I didn\u2019t feel I belonged in the story of the army,\u201d he explained, recalling childhood moments when he was moved by encounters with soldiers\u2014but still felt excluded.<\/p>\n
After his bar mitzvah, Treitel enrolled in a small yeshiva but found himself increasingly captivated by the outside world. He began secretly following the news using the public phone in the yeshiva, even smuggling in banned Haredi newspapers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI dreamed of action,\u201d he admitted. But after struggling through a fitness test just days into basic training, the glamour wore off. Still, he pushed forward with determination.<\/p>\n Injury and Recovery Didn\u2019t Diminish His Resolve<\/strong> \u201cI missed them so much,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI told myself\u2014I will do everything to return.\u201d After healing, Treitel rejoined his unit for operations in Gaza, filled with pride. \u201cEvery moment in the Strip had meaning. We were fighting to rescue hostages and make the world better.\u201d<\/p>\n Loss, Longing, and Hope<\/strong> \u201cEvery report of an incident\u2014my heart races. I pray it\u2019s not my battalion, my platoon, my friends.\u201d He closed his post with a heartfelt prayer: \u201cI long and pray that every living hostage is returned to their family, that the fallen receive proper burial, and that all soldiers return home safely.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chaim Treitel shares emotional journey from yeshiva student to IDF combat fighter in Gaza.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":26062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,129],"tags":[6528,1479,1477,1475,3600,6529],"class_list":["post-26061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-idf","category-judaism","tag-chaim-treitel","tag-gaza-war","tag-hamas","tag-idf","tag-netzah-yehuda","tag-ultra-orthodox-soldiers"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/haredi-2.webp\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\nOvercoming Barriers and Making the Choice<\/strong>
\nWhen it came time to decide between continuing in yeshiva or joining the military, Treitel faced opposition. \u201cI was considered too modern and wasn\u2019t accepted to a larger yeshiva,\u201d he said. But thanks to the intervention of a revered rabbi, he was eventually accepted. Still, his heart was set on something else. He finally enlisted in the IDF\u2014fueled by a deep desire to contribute\u2014but the reality was harder than expected.<\/p>\n
\nA leg injury eventually reassigned him to a rear support role, which he found devastating. \u201cI remember crying because it felt like I gave so much and now I had to step back,\u201d he recalled. When war broke out and Treitel remained at home in recovery, he was haunted by the thought of his unit continuing on without him.
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/haredi-3.webp\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/reganews.co.il\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/haredi-4.webp\")
\nTreitel\u2019s recovery journey was shadowed by loss. \u201cMy friend Shneor was killed in Gaza while I was being discharged from the hospital. I wasn\u2019t able to be there with them in the field.\u201d The emotional toll weighs heavily.<\/p>\n