Our story
Why we exist
The Opportunity
An integration already underway
Israel’s public debate over ultra-Orthodox enlistment tends to focus on quotas, exemptions, and political negotiation. It overlooks a real opportunity already taking shape: graduates of ultra-Orthodox education who serve in general IDF units integrate far more successfully into Israeli society and the workforce. This isn’t theoretical. It’s already happening. While policymakers negotiate frameworks, this population has quietly built its own path toward integration, a trend worth investing in.
These enlistees act alone and at real personal cost. Most ultra-Orthodox communities neither encourage nor support military or national service, so choosing to enlist often means straining or severing ties with family, friends, and community. Even supportive families often don’t know how to help and can feel unsure, fearful and confused. In addition to the direct guidance Mityatzvim El HaDegel provides to the enlistee, it is now extending support to parents navigating this unfamiliar territory.
Why We Exist
A commitment that deserves support to match it
Since the onset of the war, ultra-Orthodox graduates continue to serve in general IDF units, many without the support they need, making an already difficult service even harder. Some of these graduates have paid the ultimate price: tens from this population have fallen in battle. This is a population showing extraordinary commitment to the country, and it deserves support that matches it.
Since the onset of the war
How We're Different
The only organization focused on the full arc
Top-down agreements between institutions have repeatedly failed to move the needle on ultra-Orthodox integration into the IDF. We take a different approach: we are the only organization focused solely on supporting these graduates through the full arc, from pre-enlistment through service and into civilian integration. We engage directly with each individual, not through policy papers or intermediaries, offering guidance, mentorship, career development, and advocacy that turns service into a springboard for leadership, education, and long-term integration.
Pre-enlistment
In-service
Civilian integration
Our Name
Mityatzvim El HaDegel
It’s Hebrew for stepping forward to serve, a nod to the courage of those who contribute through the IDF or National Service, even as many in their own circles keep that responsibility at arm’s length. We provide critical accompaniment throughout that brave journey.