A Gur Hasid, Father of 10, Leading Israel's Energy Storage Revolution: The Story of Israel Zeidner

How do you combine daily Torah study, a family of 10 children (and 3 granddaughters), and living in the remote town of Arad, with leading a renewable energy revolution? We hosted Israel Zeidner in the community, a Gur Hasid and CEO of "Bereshit Solar."

Israel's story breaks every possible stereotype. He lives at the seam between the most deeply rooted tradition and the frontier of energy storage technology and complex infrastructure. Here are the key lessons we took from our conversation with him about entrepreneurship, shattering glass ceilings, and preserving identity in the business world.

From the Supermarket to the Sun: The Pivot at 40

Before founding "Bereshit Solar," Israel spent a decade at the "HaRivua HaKachol" supermarket chain. He started as a warehouse worker, worked his way up to branch management, and was regularly sent to "rescue" struggling branches facing tough competition. When he sensed the chain was running into trouble, he looked for his next challenge.

His entry into the energy world happened almost by chance, when his father-in-law took him to a small conference of solar companies 15 years ago. Israel spotted the potential, but also the market's biggest pain point: total dependence on shifting government regulation. Instead of giving up, he and his partner chose to develop a unique niche most of the market still didn't understand: energy storage.

The Competitive Edge: Solving Problems Others Are Afraid Of

Today, "Bereshit Solar" doesn't just put panels on roofs - it provides deep-tech solutions for industry.

Here are a few examples of their real-world impact:

  1. Saving factories through arbitrage: Companies that consume huge amounts of energy install storage systems that store electricity at the cheap night-time rate, and discharge it for free during peak hours. This move takes factories from zero profit to significant operating profit.

  2. Bypassing bureaucracy for large companies: A catering company that supplies 50,000 meals a day moved to a new building and discovered that expanding its electricity connection would take two years. Bereshit Solar installed a 2.1-megawatt storage system for them and solved the crisis.

  3. National energy resilience: At Moshav Tefarch, they built a solar field designed to operate as an energy "island" (off-grid), supplying electricity to the community in emergencies (like after October 7) and on the Sabbath.

What sets them apart comes down to getting into the details. Israel doesn't buy brands "blind" - he flies to China, visits the production floor, and runs tests on batteries to guarantee reliability for the banks' financial models.

Breaking Down the Stigma in the Boardroom

As a Haredi entrepreneur with a distinctly traditional appearance as a Gur Hasid, Israel has run into prejudice more than once. He shares an unforgettable story: when invited to a committee meeting at a secular moshav, he walked in and said hello. The committee members, seeing a Haredi man in front of them, waved him away, saying they "aren't taking donations right now." Israel smiled and explained that he was the CEO they had invited. In the end, they signed with him - not because he was cheaper, but because he demonstrated the highest level of professionalism for their needs.

"The way the Haredi sector is perceived doesn't get the right reflection," he explains. "The whole world is advancing, and the Haredi public is advancing too and adapting itself according to its values. Go into Bnei Brak and you'll find software companies, real estate, and technology."

The "Both/And" Model: Business Without Giving Up the Spirit

One of the impressive things about Israel is the way he sets clear boundaries. He starts every morning at 5:00am with an hour and a half of Talmud study. That's his anchor. Even though he runs a technology company, his (filtered) WhatsApp stays on his tablet and never enters the house. When he's home in Arad with his 10 children (he moved there during COVID in search of quality of life and space), he's available to his family, not to messages from work.

For him, being an entrepreneur means understanding what matters most: "Spiritual values come before everything. And anyone who cuts corners for every small challenge and difficulty will very quickly find themselves on a slippery slope."

Need energy-resilience solutions for a factory, kibbutz, or community? Looking for a technology partner who understands complex operations with no compromises? You're welcome to reach out to Israel and the Bereshit Solar team.

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