Israeli fair for olim explores enlistment options
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Israeli fair for olim explores enlistment options

May 30, 2024, 12:30 pm Edit
Young olim and IDF soldiers surround, back row center, from left, Yaron Shavit, deputy chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel and minister of aliyah and integration; MK Ofir Sofer; and Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder and executive director. Rabbi Fass used to live in Highland Park. (Yonit Schiller)
Young olim and IDF soldiers surround, back row center, from left, Yaron Shavit, deputy chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel and minister of aliyah and integration; MK Ofir Sofer; and Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder and executive director. Rabbi Fass used to live in Highland Park. (Yonit Schiller)

As Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza continues, hundreds of olim from various countries have been called up for army service. More are expected to enlist in the coming months as part of the country’s mandatory IDF service requirement. In an effort to make the enlistment process more accessible to these newcomers, Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with Wings, a joint program of the Jewish Agency, Merage Foundation Israel, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, and the IDF’s Meitav unit, recently hosted Olim Al Madim at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah Campus in Jerusalem. More than 500 participants, from 16 to 22, who have made aliyah either on their own or with their families, and now are required to enlist in the IDF, attended the fair.

Meitav, the IDF unit responsible for supervising new soldiers, established a mobile recruitment office with many stations.  Participants were able to submit relevant enrollment documents and receive information on recruitment and placement options, psychological evaluation exams, Hebrew proficiency tests, military service conditions, academic degree track options, and more. Representatives were onsite to engage with participants and answer their questions as they prepare for their military service. Representatives from more than 10 IDF units gave insights into the roles of the IDF units and enlistment criteria.

“It was a privilege for us to host on our campus these hundreds of young, inspiring olim as they embark on their journey to serve and protect our homeland,” Rabbi Fass said. “Our staff is dedicated to supporting these incredibly motivated and Zionistic young men and women before, during, and after their service in the IDF. We will continue to provide the resources, support, and guidance necessary to ensure their smooth acclimation to Israel, and support them throughout their mandatory army service.”

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