Pre-military preparatory school is much more than another step on the way to recruitment - it is a year that provides a unique opportunity to grow, develop and prepare not only for the army but also for life itself. In the preparatory school, participants go through a process of forming an identity, strengthening values and deepening knowledge in diverse fields. They face physical and mental challenges, develop leadership skills and learn to work in a team. All this in a supportive and oriented atmosphere, which allows each and every one to find their place and prepare in the best possible way for the military service and the period after it.
The purpose of the preparatory school is to develop the participants for military service and life after it. As part of the preparatory school, the participants undergo physical training, value studies such as Judaism, Zionism and leadership, and live in a cooperative community. The preparatory schools differ from each other in the nature of the activity (secular, religious, mixed) and are located throughout the country. The preparatory school is designed to strengthen the sense of responsibility and mission, and to prepare the participants for military service in a more mature and calculated way.
We chose to refer to three preparatory schools in the northern region - "Gal" preparatory school, "Kol Ami" preparatory school and "Rabin" preparatory school.
Making a wave
The Gal Pre-Military Preparatory School is an annual urban pre-military preparatory school that operates in partnership with two associations: the Masha' Center from the Rashi Foundation and the "Achari" association! It has branches in three centers in the north of the country - Acre, Haifa and Kiryat Bialik. Ethiopian, boarding school graduates, youth villages and more.
Ofek Tal, manager of Gal Preparatory School
In a conversation with Ofek Tal, director of the Gal Preparatory branch in Haifa, we asked about the primary goals of the Preparatory and what makes it special. Ofek emphasized that the preparatory school is primarily intended to educate for democracy, active citizenship and social involvement. "We place special emphasis on the importance of taking personal and social responsibility, and on the ability of each of the participants to influence and contribute to Israeli society," she explains.
In addition, Ofek noted the importance of empowering young social leadership in the Israeli periphery. "One of our main goals is to cultivate a new generation of leaders who will come from the periphery and lead Israeli society forward," she says proudly.
Another significant goal of the preparatory school is to deepen the Zionist Jewish identity and increase the willingness to serve meaningfully in the IDF. Ofek emphasizes that the participants learn not only about Jewish history and culture, but also develop a moral commitment to meaningful service and contribution to the IDF.
Finally, Ofek talks about the orientation towards higher education and advanced employment as an integral part of the plan. "We direct our graduates to think beyond military service - towards a future where they continue to contribute and develop, whether through higher education or meaningful employment,"
How does the preparatory school prepare the trainees for military service?
"The preparatory school provides the trainees with comprehensive preparation for military service, both physically and mentally," Ofek explains, "During the year, the trainees go through fitness training twice a week, alongside seminars on meaningful service, command and officership. We place great emphasis on physical and mental preparation In preparation for sorting and training days, including dealing with stressful conditions. In addition, the trainees meet with senior commanders and commanders from all of the army's troops, and go on navigation and survival series that strengthen their physical fitness and mental resilience."
Ofek Tal: "The preparatory school brings together teenagers from all over the country and it is challenging"
When I asked Ofek about the main challenges that Minach Gal is facing, she emphasized the importance of connecting and meeting the different groups in Israeli society. "The preparatory school brings together youths from all over the country - Jews, Druze, secular, religious and members of the Ethiopian community. The connection between these groups requires patience, inclusion and long-suffering, and poses a great challenge to the staff of the preparatory school, which needs to provide the appropriate envelope and initiation for each and every one," she explains.
Does the preparatory school follow up on its graduates after the end of military service?
"Both associations, Masha's Center and After, operate graduate organizations that provide assistance in education, employment, personal fulfillment and social impact. Graduates benefit from a wide support envelope," she explains.
During the military service, the preparatory school maintains a personal relationship with the graduates, with an emphasis on handling complex cases, and there is also an organizational response within 'Achrei'. Each level in the preparatory school has an escort who supports during the military service, and the escort continues even after the release. This is what Ofek says: "The accompaniment deals with professional training, academics, personal training and social entrepreneurship, and allows graduates to develop and realize the channels of their interest."
"Kol Ami" Preparatory School
"Kol Ami" Preparatory School is a pre-military preparatory school intended for young Jewish men and women from the Diaspora and Israelis, who come to a one-year or half-year program in Israel. The preparatory school focuses on strengthening the Jewish, Zionist and cultural identity of its participants, while cultivating leadership values, social involvement and a deep familiarity with Israeli society.
Lenor Makmel tells about the "Kol Ami" preparatory school
Linor Makmel, a former resident of Kiryat Haim who recently completed six months at the "Kol Ami" preparatory school, says that her choice of this particular preparatory school was due to the unique opportunity to make connections with Jewish youth from the Diaspora. "From the first moment I heard about 'Kol Ami,' I was enthusiastic about the idea of doing a mechina together with Jews from around the world," she says, adding, "The possibility of developing real connections and hearing first-hand about the lives of Jews in different countries was intriguing to me."
Linor states that "Kol Ami" was the first prep school she heard about, and she immediately connected with the people she met during the screenings. "The connection with the guys who were with me in the ER was immediate, and I knew this was where I wanted to be."
"If I don't show up for kitchen duty, there will be no one to prepare food"
"The preparatory school had a great impact on the way I see myself and Israeli society. I learned how to conduct myself within a large group and discover the impact of my decisions on others. I suddenly realized that there is no room for egoism, and that my every action can affect the entire group. For example, if I were not Coming to kitchen duty, there was no one to prepare the food for everyone, and if I gave up a lesson, it would hurt the person who invested and prepared it. It taught me a lot about consideration for others and myself within a group.
In addition, the preparatory school strengthened my motivation and self-responsibility. There are many projects and tasks in the prep school that need to be done by a certain time, and if you don't do them, it's on you. If I, for example, had not taken care of scheduling a training session with the coach, the whole team would have lost this experience. It made me realize that I am much more responsible than I thought and that I am able to meet challenges and lead projects successfully."
What makes "Machinat Kol Ami" special?
"I think that what makes 'Kol Ami' special is also the fact that it prepares semi-annually, unlike most prep schools that are annual," says Linor. "But more than that, the one we are preparing that incorporates young Jews from the Diaspora. For me, it was an amazing and special experience working and living alongside people from abroad. It opened up crazy connections for me and allowed me to meet people from all over the world - from the United States, England, Norway and more. It was just amazing, and I enjoyed every moment."
"Rabin" Preparatory School
The Rabin Training School in Haifa, named after the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, is a pre-military training school that focuses on training young men and women for their military service with an emphasis on education for democratic, Zionist and social values. The preparatory school currently operates in three different centers in the north of the country: Oranim College in Tivon, Hadar neighborhood in Haifa and Kibbutz Adamit in the Western Galilee.
Pelag Argaman: "The preparatory school deepened my beliefs"
Peleg Argaman, 19, from Mvoe Horon, decided to move to Haifa to join the Rabin Preparatory School. The stay at the Rabin Preparatory School opened up new worlds for me, especially in two main directions. The first is deepening in the political-social world. "The preparatory school taught me the basis of my political values and deepened my beliefs, far beyond what I grew up with at home," says Peleg, who comes from a Jewish and rightist family.
The preparatory school allowed him to refine and expand his views, and to re-examine them. The second direction in which he grew stronger is the criticism of the secular world. Peleg feels alienated between parts of society and fundamental questions, such as "Why do you live in Israel?", a question that preoccupies him a lot. "Many today are disconnected from such questions," he says, "and this is something that accompanies me all the time, and especially sharpened during the year in the preparatory school."
What makes Rabin Preparatory School special?
According to Peleg, one of the outstanding characteristics that distinguish Rabin High School is the significant emphasis on group life combined with volunteering and integration into the community of Haifa and the region. "The preparatory school educates not only for abstract values but also for actual action in the field," explains Peleg. He emphasizes that the combination of group life and community activities allows the members of the preparatory school to directly experience the meaning of the values they learn about, and make them an inseparable part of their personal identity.
"I unequivocally recommend that every teenager go to a pre-military preparatory school, and especially to the Rabin preparatory school. It's not just another year, it's a year that shapes you. You go from the process of a boy who maybe understands society a little more, maybe a little less, to a person who is more connected to Israel, with Zionist values Stronger and of a higher personal quality. It's an experience that shapes you in every way, makes you a better person, with a deeper understanding of society and the country. I even recruited a friend of mine, who is a year younger than me, to this preparatory school, and I'm sure he'll come out a different person."
