The IDF and Hebrew Skills

Free IDF Ulpan - IDF Hebrew test - IDF Procedures - Civilian pre-army programs

The IDF service language is Hebrew. Exams and enlistment interviews are conducted in Hebrew. The criteria for examining Hebrew skills are not published and the assessment is at the discretion of the IDF.

The IDF enlists eligible volunteers without reference to Hebrew skills. If the IDF Recruitment Bureau (Lishkat Giyus) finds you meet all criteria - except sufficient Hebrew skills - you will be enlisted into the IDF, but assigned to an ULPAN (an IDF Hebrew study program) which is free of charge.

The army ulpan is located near Carmiel, in the same IDF base where all Mahal volunteers do their pre-basic training. The IDF Hebrew studies program operates in combination with pre-basic training, which includes handling weapons, and both are part of your military service. Video - here.

From the date of your enlistment you are an Israeli soldier with all the privileges and obligations. Therefore, the IDF will pay you both a monthly salary and a generous grant upon completing service and other substantial benefits, including payment for the additional months spent in the IDF ulpan.

Because of constant exposure to a Hebrew speaking environment in the IDF, the Hebrew language skills of Mahal volunteers improve considerably during the first months of their service.

Please Note:
You should be able to complete and pass all IDF enlistment procedures within about 6-8 weeks after your arrival in Israel. But, if you think your Hebrew language skills are not up to par for IDF service, make sure to choose an enlistment date marked with Free IDF Ulpan - here.

If, at the outset, you select an

• enlistment date marked with Free IDF Ulpan but SUCCEED in the IDF Hebrew exam, the resulting NON-assignment to an army ulpan will: (1) delay your enlistment by about two months to the next available enlistment date WITHOUT ulpan; and (2) shorten your minimum service time from 18 to 14 months. Therefore, from the outset, if you choose an enlistment date marked with Free IDF Ulpan, FAIL the IDF Hebrew test. Thus, you avoid risking unnecessary expense, delays and hassle.
  
  
• enlistment date NOT marked with Free IDF Ulpan but FAIL in the IDF Hebrew exam, the resulting assignment to an army ulpan will: (1) delay your enlistment by about two months to the next available enlistment date with Free IDF Ulpan; and (2) prolong your total minimum service time from 14 to 18 months (including the army ulpan). Therefore, from the outset, choose an enlistment date marked with Free IDF Ulpan, if you believe you might fail in the IDF Hebrew test. Thus, you avoid risking unnecessary expense, delays and hassle.
  

IMPORTANT: If, nevertheless, you are considering enlisting in a civilian pre-army program (mechina), with or without an ulpan, before your IDF service, please read the following information.

For a few years, civilian organizers have been advertising an alleged "Mahal pre-military" program without it ever having taken place in reality at all. They are also using a website address similar to ours and are even asking for donations, while making the outrageous claim that "program participants will carry on the tradition of the 1948 volunteers, and walk in the footsteps of Mahal members from 1948 until these days". Please note that Mahal volunteers, called Mahalniks, have been coming to Israel since 1948 to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces, but not in tourist programs.

Frequently asked Questions and Answers

Q. What is the difference between the advertised alleged "Mahal pre-military" civilian program and the official IDF Mahal recruitment programs that Mahal-IDF-volunteers.org promotes?

A. The expensive 5-months-civilian-touristic-program advertised is not a bona fide IDF Mahal program. The organizers charge considerable sums of money for services automatically provided FREE OF CHARGE to IDF soldiers. All services stipulated on our Mahal-IDF-Volunteers.org website are provided free of charge: we NEVER ask for, nor accept, donations.

If you wish to volunteer for service in the IDF, don't waste your time and money on make-believe "Mahal pre-military" programs for civilians. Register online here now, get our pre-check of your eligibility and information, choose a suitable IDF enlistment date, come to Israel and enlist, a few weeks after your arrival, in the Israel Defense Forces. When accepted, you will be provided with an IDF uniform, service weapon, and with military training, enabling you to personally fight for our country. Needless to say, the IDF does not charge soldiers for this service. On the contrary, the IDF pays its soldiers a monthly salary and provides a generous grant upon completing service and other substantial benefits, including payment for the additional months spent in the IDF ulpan. Other free of charge benefits include: IDF Hebrew studies (ulpan), pre-basic and military training, accommodation, food, insurance, fitness training, bus and train tickets and much more.

Q. Why should I enlist in an IDF Hebrew studies program (ulpan) and not in any other Hebrew study program?

A. Studying Hebrew before enlistment is not a bad idea, but no civilian program can guarantee you that your newly acquired Hebrew skills will suffice for passing the IDF Hebrew test. This puts the participants of any civilian "pre-army" program at a distinct disadvantage. If you choose an enlistment date NOT marked with Free IDF Ulpan - here - and fail the IDF Hebrew test, which some participants of civilian programs do, you will have to wait an additional 2 months for the next enlistment date marked with Free IDF Ulpan. As a result, prior to your enlistment you will have spent at least 5 months in the civilian "pre-army" program + 2 months waiting for the next enlistment date = 7 months, as well as a considerable sum of money.

Financially, civilian programs have a double disadvantage: you pay a lot for participating but you also lose what the IDF would have paid you had you enlisted in the IDF in the first place – namely, a monthly salary and a generous grant upon completing service, both calculated on basis of the number of months you served (including the time in the free IDF ulpan).

If, despite these explanations, you chose to consider a civilian "pre-army" program, do not sign a contract with the organizer before checking the terms with a lawyer. Check with us if that organization has a proven track record for organizing "pre-army" programs. Do not agree to pay any sums before you have officially completed and passed the required IDF Hebrew test.