JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A message sent to Golani Brigade soldiers ahead of a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers on Wednesday evening has sparked controversy over the accommodation of religious soldiers and the IDF’s “Joint Service” regulations.

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The message, signed by Rabbi Uri Levy, a captain and rabbi at the brigade’s training base, informed soldiers that the ceremony was expected to include female singing. It also stated that, under IDF regulations governing mixed-gender military service, soldiers cannot be absent from a state ceremony because of female singing or their religious way of life.

“Dear soldiers, this evening we will hold the ceremony commemorating the fallen of the War of Revival,” Rabbi Levy wrote. “Female singing is also expected at the ceremony. However, according to the Joint Service regulations, it is not possible to be absent from state ceremonies because of female singing or one’s religious way of life.”

Levy called on all soldiers to attend and respect the ceremony, adding: “I ask everyone to respect the ceremony, and to remember that ‘Derech Eretz comes before Torah.’”

He offered a practical suggestion to religious soldiers who would find the singing difficult. “If this is difficult for someone, he can lower his head and avoid looking toward the stage during the singing,” Levy wrote.

The rabbi emphasized that the ceremony was intended to serve as a moment of collective remembrance and unity. “This is an important ceremony of remembrance, honor and unity,” he wrote. “Especially in these days, it is important that we stand together, one beside the other, with mutual respect.”

The message drew a strong response from Women of Warriors for the Sanctity of the Camp, a group advocating for the religious rights of observant soldiers. According to Channel 7, the group accused the military rabbinate of failing to adequately protect the religious lifestyle of observant troops.

“There are no limits to the shock,” the group said. “On the day commemorating the massacre on Shemini Atzeret, when Golani soldiers fought with extraordinary bravery and gave their lives, an official representing the military rabbinate, who was supposed to assist the soldiers and preserve the sanctity of the military camp, is participating in anti-religious coercion against them and seriously harming their way of life, and even lecturing them about ‘Derech Eretz’?”

The group questioned whether religious soldiers were being given sufficient consideration within the military. “Where is the basic respect for Jewish soldiers who observe the commandments? Where is the sanctity of the camp? Where is the Jewish character of the army?” the group said.

It further accused the military of eroding the Jewish identity of the IDF, describing what it called “the erasure of Jewish identity” as part of a broader set of values that, in its view, had contributed to the military’s failures.

The organization called on senior defense officials and the IDF rabbinate to intervene. It specifically urged Defense Minister Israel Katz to protect religious soldiers and called on the IDF’s Chief Rabbi, Brig. Gen. Rabbi Eyal Krim, to investigate the incident and take action against those responsible.

The controversy comes amid an ongoing debate within the IDF over the balance between the requirements of military service and the religious needs of observant soldiers. The military’s Joint Service regulations are intended to establish rules for serving men and women together while providing accommodations for religious personnel, particularly concerning matters of religious practice.

The dispute is especially sensitive within the Golani Brigade, which suffered significant casualties during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and subsequent fighting in the Gaza Strip.

The ceremony is scheduled to take place Wednesday evening, bringing together soldiers and commanders to commemorate those killed during the war.