Eighty-five percent of hesder students enlisting this week will join combat units throughout the IDF. These soldiers will join the Kfir and Golani Brigades; the IDF's armored divisions; the Netzah Yehuda battalion (better known as the Nachal Haredi); the paratroopers brigade; the Combat Engineering Corps; the Israeli navy; and other units. Those whose health profiles do not allow them to serve in combat will join intelligence, the IDF Rabbinate, manpower, and others. The enlisting hesder students attended the hesder yeshivas in Or Etzion, Akko (Acre), Itamar, Beit Orot, Dimona, Yafo (Jaffa), Yeruham, Jerusalem's Yeshivat Hakotel, Kerem B'yavneh, Ma'alot, Otniel, Karnei Shomron, Kiryat Shmona, Sderot's Afikei Daat, Shaalvim, Shadmot Mehola, and Raanana. Excited to enlist, the new soldiers began to sing and dance together with the dean of their hesder yeshivas. Hesder Yeshiva Union Head Shmuel Yaslazon said, "The Hesder Yeshiva Union is proud of March 2017's new soldiers. We are proud of our students who learn in yeshiva, but still do significant IDF service, and we wish them much success in the army. "The Union stays in contact with the unit commanders during the hesder students' IDF service, and works to provide the soldiers with everything they need to ensure they can do what is necessary in the army while retaining their religious lifestyle. We also help the soldiers continue learning Torah while they are in the army." Karnei Shomron Hesder Yeshiva dean Eli Cohen said, "Our rabbis educate our students to see investing in army service as a great thing and a commandment of the Torah. We believe serving in the Israeli army is a commandment from G-d, just like learning Torah in yeshiva is. It is a great privilege to learn Torah, and it is a great privilege to serve in the IDF."
