IDF Completes First Basic Training Phase for Haredi Officer Course in Hashmonaim Brigade

The Israel Defense Forces recently concluded the foundational training phase of the first officer course for the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Hashmonaim Brigade. Eight cadets earned the deputy commander pin after completing a separate four-month course at the brigade base in Tel Faher, Golan Heights. To receive the pin and complete the basic phase, the cadets completed a 12-kilometer march.

Following this, the cadets will undergo further military training in the 'Gefen' track, partially alongside the general infantry course at Bahad 1, the IDF's main training base. Upon completion, they will assume various officer roles within the Haredi brigade. The IDF emphasized that the course met the army's professional standards and included all content taught at Bahad 1, while fully respecting the Haredi lifestyle.

This officer course marks a significant milestone in the IDF's efforts over the past three years to integrate Haredi soldiers into command roles by adapting service tracks to their needs and preserving their way of life. At the ceremony, Hashmonaim Brigade commander Colonel Sh stated, "You are at an important stage on your path to becoming officers. This is a difficult and challenging course, especially now amid the turmoil shaking the country. Like Noah's ark standing firm in the flood, you cadets are inside this ark, continuing your training with excellence. When this situation ends, and it will, you will be here to lead the brigade and the people of Israel forward."