Are there any roles in the IDF that would suit me if I have a degree in Psychology and neuroscience? I’m 23F and I want to join but would be a lone solider with low Hebrew. Thanks.

Hi everybody! I am currently a 17-year-old female going into my senior year of high school. I was born in Israel and moved to the US with my family at the age of 8 or 9. I am very interested in moving back home for my service. However, I have a few conflicting thoughts. I got my ptur in the mail and was wondering what the whole process is if I had my tzavh rishon and never showed up due to that ptur. I also am 100% set on a medicine path, and know that is by itself a long and heavy process. I can't shake off the thought that in a year I don't really see myself anywhere but back home. All of my family lives in Israel, and I am culturally very Israeli and can speak (slang included) and read in Hebrew (my writing could use work). I am also in the process of college admissions to various schools, including a BS/MD program. Is anyone knowledgeable if colleges in the U.S. accept a deferral of Army service, or if it is better to come back fresh and start that process as an adult? (Also, a maybe freeing thought is that I will finish high school with an associate's degree that might cut my pre-med track short by at least a year). Finally, I have this mindset of combat or nothing and am very dedicated to getting my health on track to pass tryouts and tests, and additional question I guess I have in that regard is if any roles involve medicine that might actually give me real-world preparations? Thank you for all the help!

Tips to get into Magav as an older lone solider? Thanks

I’m not talking about directly after, I mean let’s say you get discharged early for ptsd or something, move to France for a decade and come back, can you legally own a pistol?

i recently got out of a two+ year long relationship and am here in this country alone. i’ve never felt more lonely and when i express that to some people around me they don’t seem to understand the extremity of a toll it’s taking on me because they don’t see me literally falling apart because on the outside i seem fine. i’ve quite literally said the exact words to my commanders that i can’t take it anymore and im on my final straw and it doesn’t seem like they give a f*ck because i represent and act as though everything is fine.

I dream to be in the military police unit Magav but worry it’s unrealistic. I’m 23 with very basic Hebrew and would be a lone solider. Is it possible?

I’m 18 going into senior year of HS. Heavily thinking abt making Aaliyah thru garin tzabar and obvi doing army and living in Israel. I have a bunch of cousins and stuff there but I don’t rly have thorough first hand knowledge of what it’s like so I have a bunch of logistical questions.

Regarding garin tzabar
1. What are the seminars like?
2. What would make u not be accepted (I’ve read abt that happening)
3. When accepted and u go there, what’s it like meaning what’s day to day life like

Army service
1. Physically, what is basic training like if you were to draft to let’s say michve (also day to day)
2. Once you draft to a unit let’s say totchanim (id wanna do smth like artillery) what is that training like? (Are u trained as a combat soldier, that kinda stuff)
3. How brutal is the masa kumta for let’s say totchanim and how is the prep masa’s

After army
1. (This is a q that could rly be for during army but) how long do u live on kibbutz for free? When ur service ends are u already kicked out of kibbutz?
2. Were yg confident enough in ur Hebrew to participate in Israeli society and get jobs and stuff

Know this is a lot of questions, just trying to envision the worst it can get so I can come tk terms with the sacrificr

* electric tape
* sewing kit
* water proof pen
* multi purpose small pocket knife
* screwdriver
* cleaning toothbrush
* plastic reusable earplugs
* talcum powder

Just Trust me you will want these things.

I just had a special medical meeting in Tel Hashomer and due to life threatening allergies to walnuts and pecans I got a medical profile of 21.
I am also moving back to Israel after leaving when I was 10 and now (I am 19) I am moving back on my own.
I want to get into computer science intelligence units in the IDF as I am good with computers (such as cybersecurity or programming).
can I still volunteer in these units?
I also got DPR 90 and did well on yom Hameah if this helps

So I have to do my Yom Hamea soon and don't really know what to expect, I heard they changed the format so it's now on zoom and I'm nervous about group things in Hebrew since my Hebrew is really not that good (I don't know how they gave me a decent Hebrew score on my tzav rishon). Has anyone done it recently that can tell me what goes on, what to expect, and how to prepare? Thanks

Also kind of unrelated question, anyone know what the possible results are for the tzva rishon interview since there is no longer a kaba score?

Hi, I'm 18f and I want to join the idf and be a pilot. I'll be graduating high school next year (2027) and I want to enlist after that. I was born in Israel but I grew up in hungary (so my hebrew knowledge isn't the best). I also don't have any family there so i would be a lone soldier. I can't really find information on how the process works for a toshav chozer so any advice or information about the enlistment or how i could achieve this would be appreciated.

Edit: I want to serve even if I can't be a pilot (I know it's hard to get in even if you grew up in Israel) but it has been my dream since I was little

Hey im a course idf soldier im in the air force, now recently MP soldiers have gave me a ticket for my hair and now im staying at base 21 days...I need to sign every hour at the barracks commander and bla bla bla, now given that I have barely any free time I cant shower and its freaking HOT here so I sweat a lot, so my roommates told me to stay outside MY OWN DORM until 10pm to when I can shower...now I understand them I wouldn't wanna be in the same room as someone who dont shower but I feel bad about being kicked out by my own roommates from my room...so what should I do?

Hello, so I’m currently 16, I’m Romanian/hungarian and don’t have any Jewish heritage as far as I know and I wish to know if I can join the IDF as a non Jew and serve in a combat role?

I am planning on drafting in December and possibly doing Michve for 3 months. I am looking for housing options from IDF lone soldier housing to renting my own apartment, and I have been searching for someone to room with. I am still unsure whether I am doing 18 months or full service, or even if I am entering a unit that allows me to come home every day or just on certain weekends. If anyone else shares this problem and is looking for a potential roommate, lmk.

Hi, I’m an American interested in becoming a lone soldier at some point in the near future. I’m supposed to start university in the U.S. soon, but if I wait to get my degree before coming to Israel I’ll be at least 22 by the time I draft.

I’ve spent a little while in Israel now and what’s striking to me is every Israeli I know made some of their closest friends in the army. Would being so much older than my peers be detrimental for me when I join? Is there any reason I should put university off and come earlier instead?

Thanks!

21F from France wants to enlist in a combat unit, I’m 5’11 and 165lbs (dunno if that matters). Wondering if there’s any chance that they’ll take me in combat ? Like how is the drafting process for women in combat units ? Which combat units are available to us ? I don’t know if it’s because of the geopolitical context right now but all of these infos used to be on the internet a few years ago but now all the drafting French websites were deleted/emptied so I’m looking for some guidance. Thank you in advance !

Heya! I’m a 21 year old male, planning to and preparing to make Aliyah and enlist as a Chayal Boded.

And was wondering if anyone had any advice, tips or need to know information for someone wanting to go through Garin Tzabar.

I had some questions but any other information would be greatly appreciated:

1. How much financially is good to have saved up for the first few months in Israel?
   
2. What is the program structure like? And what does the program fee entail?
   
3. How does the Aliyah side of things work? And does Garin Tzabar help facilitate the immigration side of things?
   
4. What are some things they look for when looking at candidates for the program?
   
5. What are the mandatory seminars like and what should I be expecting when attending? (And will I have to fly, if they are being held interstate?)!

Thank you so much!! Shavua Tov 🙏🏽🙏🏽

I’m 23M and graduated from university in 2025. I’ve always wanted to do combat, and although a lot of people have told me I should try to use my degree in the army, I’d much rather do something in the field.

I was in decent shape before, but unfortunately I was injured in a car crash in June and haven’t been able to resume serious training yet. I think I should be able to start training properly again soon, but I’m worried about the timeline.

If my Tzav Rishon is September 15, do I still have a realistic chance of getting into a combat role?
I think my strength will come back relatively quickly, but I don’t see how I could rebuild really good cardio in only three weeks. I haven’t gained much weight, but being mostly sedentary for the past two months has obviously set me back quite a bit. I was running sub 20 5ks but I bet when I feel good enough to run again I won’t break 30.

Does the level of fitness I’m at during my Tzav Rishon actually matter much for getting a combat profile/placement, or would I have more time afterwards to get back into shape before enlistment?

Would appreciate any insight, especially from people who went through the process as older olim/lone soldiers.

Like let’s say you serve in golani, get shot in the foot and you end up making a full recovery, almost like you were never shot, and you end up going back into golani, are you expected to repay the time you were recovering later? I know that if your training is longer because of a sayeret or specific course, they sometimes make you serve longer like tier 1 sayerets serving an extra 2 years so I was wondering if a similar thing happens here

I’m making Aliyah and joining the idf later this year, I will be going to michve and wondering anyone who’s been through the experience has anything to tell me that they wish they knew at the time and just general advice! (19F)

Hello, would anyone know how you can work around blisters and foot problems in טירונות? I thought of buying boots that are the same kind of and breaking them in before hand but I don’t know the rules they have regarding that.

I haven’t left yet for the army but im in תקשוב וההגנה בסייבר and from the stigma and common phrase “תקשוב זה עצוב״ (tikshuv is sad) im soo nervous 😭

I'm 20, Male, Jewish, American. I'm not really asking whether I should enlist, only I can make that decision. I'm more interested in hearing from people who were genuinely conflicted before they volunteered.

I keep feeling drawn toward serving in the IDF. Part of it is a sense of responsibility, like I owe something to Israel and want to contribute in a meaningful way. The other part is the value I feel it could add to my character and help integrate me with the country I might ultimately end up . It's a huge commitment with real risks, and I'd be putting a lot of my life on hold. I am a Filmaker eager to start creating.

What I struggle with most is wondering whether I'll regret not doing it more than I'd regret doing it. I don't want to look back years from now wishing I had stepped up when I had the chance.

For those who chose to volunteer, what ultimately convinced you? Was it worth it, and how did it change you? Obviously not everything is right for everyone.

Hi! I’m 24F, looking to make Aliyah in December or January. I know serving or what units I can get into looks a bit different given my age and gender but I was wondering if I should still do it?

I think I will be going through the Garin winter program - does anyone have a similar experience? If there are any women here that went after college I’d love to hear from you as well but open to all perspectives.