A million dollars and legal funding: Haredi millionaire fights against the conscription of yeshiva students

Entrepreneur and Haredi businessman, 45-year-old Yoely Landau, has personally committed to financing the struggle against the conscription of yeshiva students by establishing a dedicated fund. He and a group of investors have already contributed at least one million dollars in initial capital.

Landau presented these plans during a meeting on Wednesday with the Gerrer Rebbe. He outlined a program to create a fund that will finance the legal battle against the conscription of yeshiva students and mitigate the impact of sanctions and arrests for those who refuse to enlist. According to reports, the fund will provide legal aid to any student in need, including efforts to combat conscription using international legal tools.

The businessman hails from the Satmar Hasidic sect, though his activities are well-known across other Hasidic communities. Last May, it was reported that he offered a one-million-dollar prize to be raffled among synagogues that adhere to strict standards of silence during prayer. Recently, the "Yoel Landau Building" has been under construction in the Satmar community in New York State.

Landau built the bulk of his fortune, estimated at half a billion dollars according to Calcalist last year, through businesses related to nursing homes and healthcare in New York State via the Allure Group. He is primarily remembered for selling a property at a massive profit in what became known as the "Rivington Scandal."

In a well-known letter submitted to the Gerrer Rebbe last year, the businessman urged the sect to stop relying on support from the State of Israel, to act against the state similar to the Satmar sect, and to rely on private donors. He expressed sharp criticism toward the sector's representatives in the Knesset:

"They agree to trade those who study Torah and provide the army with names for conscription so that the Zionists will be kind enough to throw some pennies."

At the same meeting, the businessman announced his intention to strengthen the strict regulations of the Gerrer Hasidic sect regarding wedding events, pledging to donate two banquet halls in Jerusalem and Arad to those who conduct their events according to these strict standards.