IDF Expands Specialized Service Tracks for Haredi Recruits
As new enlistment cycles open for the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are highlighting a range of specialized service tracks designed to accommodate their religious lifestyle while offering meaningful military roles. These tracks, anchored in military orders, include combat positions in elite units like the Paratroopers and the Hasmonean Brigade, as well as intelligence, technology, and logistics roles.
One prominent unit is the "Hetz" company, a Haredi combat company within the 202nd Battalion of the Paratroopers Brigade. This company operated across four fronts during the recent conflict: Judea and Samaria, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria, marking the first time a Haredi company served in all these arenas. Its soldiers participated in offensive operations, arrests, border defense, and a mission to retrieve bodies of hostages from the Jabalia refugee camp.
The Hasmonean Brigade, the IDF's first Haredi infantry brigade, continues to expand. Its regular battalion, "Jonathan," has been active in southern Lebanon for over six months, targeting terror infrastructure, locating weapons, neutralizing launchers, and capturing Hezbollah operatives. A reserve battalion, "Shimon," has also been established, comprising Haredi men previously exempt from service who enlisted for reserve duty, alongside others from Haredi military frameworks. This reserve unit is slated for operational activity in the northern sector during the upcoming holidays.
Beyond combat roles, the IDF is also developing technological and logistical pathways. The "Ma'alot Tzur" program integrates Haredi individuals into technology and logistics positions within the Technology and Logistics Directorate, offering vocational training alongside service. The "Yoav" project provides similar professional opportunities in tech and logistics after a basic training course, with full accommodation for the Haredi lifestyle.
The IDF emphasizes that these diverse tracks enable Haredi men to contribute to national security as combat soldiers, commanders, intelligence investigators, and technical professionals, without compromising their religious observance and way of life.
