As Operation Iron Swords continues into its eighth month, hundreds of Olim from all over the world have been called up for army service and more are expected to enlist in the coming months as part of the country’s mandatory IDF requirement.
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, hosted Olim Al Madim (Immigrants in Uniforms) at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah Campus in Jerusalem.
More than 500 participants, aged 16-22, who have made Aliyah either on their own or with their families and are now required to enlist in the IDF, attended the fair.
Meitav, the IDF unit responsible for supervising new soldiers, established a mobile recruitment office with multiple stations set up for attendees 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.
Additionally, representatives from the Nefesh B’Nefesh Lone Soldiers Program, “Wings,” the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and the IDF Human Resources Department were on-site to personally engage with participants, as well as answer any questions they might have in preparation for their army service.
More than ten IDF units, including the Paratroopers, Golani, Nahal, Maglan, Combat Engineering Corps, Border Guard, Artillery Corps, and the Home Front Command, presented valuable insights into their roles in the IDF, as well as their enlistment criteria, help the young people explore which units are most attractive and also available to them.
“I salute and thank the young Olim who will soon become soldiers and serve in the IDF,” said Minister of Aliyah and Integration, MK Ofir Sofer. “You left your homes and families in far-off countries and will now enlist and defend the State of Israel, out of firm belief in the fulfillment of the Zionist dream, while our country is at war in Gaza and up North. While Israel is expected to face many challenges, you have chosen to take an active part and play an important role here. Together with all of our partners and the various Aliyah organizations who have taken part in today’s event, I wish you all much luck in your service. We will continue working to provide you with all the support needed in your pre-enlistment stage, as well as during and following your service with rent subsidies, special grants, and guidance.”
“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,” said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Nefesh B’Nefesh. “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.”
“These young people making Aliyah are not alone. We all make an effort to embrace them,” said Yaron Shavit, Deputy Chair of The Jewish Agency for Israel. “For me, this exciting event with hundreds of Olim enlisting in the IDF is a double closing of the circle – as the deputy chair of the Jewish Agency that supports these Olim, and also as a host for two lone soldiers from abroad who have become members of our family. Like their brothers and sisters, they became members of our Israeli nuclear family.”
