Thirteen Haredi youth enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) last Wednesday and were assigned to one squad at the Netzah Yehuda Battalion training base. This program is a recent enterprise intended to enhance the quality of the recruits joining the battalion. These are students of the "Betzavta" Yeshiva, an initiative of the "Netzah Yehuda Organization” and the "Hedvata" Hesder Yeshiva network, a yeshiva established several years ago with the aim of expanding the number of Haredim who serve in combat tracks in the IDF, and harnessing Haredi youth for meaningful service.
"This is the first time that an entire squad of fighters is being recruited, most of whom will be guided to assume command positions," says Rabbi Shimon Hartman, head of the Yeshiva. "If you attain a cohesive class that has undergone significant preparation, it has the potential to raise the level of the entire battalion. To reach this goal, the army has begun to strategically invest in building quality groups of soldiers. It is interesting to note that to date 70 percent of the fighters who enlisted from the Yeshiva went on to assume command positions. I believe that the same will happen with the present group."
"We've been through a long process, since last August," says Benny Weiser, a yeshiva student who enlisted last week. “We were on different bases, and we went through robust training. We worked hard, and I believe that we come with an added value over other soldiers who enlist via the regular path to the battalion. We have been waiting a long time to enlist," he says, full of enthusiasm and purpose.
"In the past year, we have invested a lot in the remarkable students of “Betsavta" so that they can really come together to mobilize the Netzah Yehuda Battalion that is at the forefront of maintaining state security," says Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yossi Levy, CEO of the Netzah Yehuda Organization, who established the Mechina in corroboration with the “Hedvata” team.
He continued, "After a year of hard work that combines Torah study with significant preparation for service in the IDF, this amazing group of young men have now become an official part of the Netzah Yehuda battalion. The battalion continues to make achievements and we are extremely excited and proud to have such a quality group of soldiers come on board.
Rabbi Tzvi Klebanow, President of Netzah Yehuda Organization sees this initiative as a ‘game changer’ for the battalion. “We are looking to the future that will better prepare hundreds of young Haredi men for very meaningful military service”.