The Defense Ministry is launching a new program to prepare and encourage the recruitment of diaspora Jewish youth to the IDF, according to a joint open call for operation tenders by Defense and Diaspora Ministries.
The ministries are hoping to increase the number of recruits for combat and important roles in the military.
The 12-week program for youth aged 18-21 would prepare and strengthen their connection to Israel by familiarizing them with the country and heritage sites, introducing them to Israeli society, deepening Jewish Zionist identity, Hebrew language lessons, and physical and mental preparation for military service.
Multilingual tracks for IDF preparation
The program would have four tracks: two English-speaking, one French, and one Spanish. Each language track would have around 40 participants, hosted with full room and board. This would mean that the initial program would welcome 160 Diaspora Jews.
The Diaspora and Defense Ministry said in their tender call that they were looking for vendors with “at least 3 years of experience in running long-term educational programs for youth from the Diaspora with an emphasis on encouragement and preparation for recruitment into the IDF.”