Pre Army Programs | HeChalutz – Pre-Army Year of National Service

Drawing its name and inspiration from the pioneering work of modern Israel’s Zionist founders, HeChalutz offers high school graduates a year-long framework for work and study that is imbued with pluralistic Jewish values, and a commitment to building the weaker sectors of Israeli society. The program takes place in agricultural communities (kibbutzim and moshavim) at the nation’s southern border with the Gaza Strip which have experienced a massive loss of manpower as their populations have migrated away from this volatile area. The program participants take up residence in these communities and provide critical assistance with agricultural work and in the formal and informal education system. In the evenings, they engage in a study program that explores Judaism from a pluralistic, humanistic perspective, and enables the participants to discover ways Judaism can be a meaningful part of their lives as Jews and modern social leaders in Israel.