Young Adults

HaMidrasha and HeChalutz

Promoting the Pioneering, Nation-building Spirit of Young Israelis

Israel’s compulsory military service requires young Israeli women and men to dedicate two or three of their post-high school years, respectively, to serving their nation. Remarkably, a significant number of Israeli high school graduates choose to spend yet another year in a community service and study program, even before they enlist in the IDF. HaMidrasha cultivates and honors this distinctly Israeli culture of youthful altruism, through a variety of pre- and post-army educational programs that build the participants’ Jewish identity, promote their commitment to social activism, and fortify the nation through their efforts.

About HeChalutz

HeChalutz was established to meet the demands of highly motivated post high school teens who choose to participate in significant yearlong volunteering and study in pre army and national service year programs. It also guides and mentors soldiers on active duty and pre-army leadership program graduates and other civic-minded young adults who are ready to commit their lives to building a stronger and more integrated Israeli society that is connected to its Jewish, Zionistic and pioneering roots. To that end, HeChalutz’s mission is to educate and support them as they establish dynamic communities in the peripheries of Israeli society.