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Tehar-Lev: "Another door has been opened for the religious-Zionist, post-high school student." (Left to right: Ruti Zinger, Yael Statman, and Roni Kraus)

On July 21, ten women left the nurturing environment of the Midreshet Lindenbaum Beit Midrash, and entered a division of the Israeli army often considered unsuitable for religiously observant women: the Intelligence Corps. “Another vista has opened up for the religious-Zionist, post-high school student,” says Rabbi Ohad Tehar-Lev, director the OTS Hadas Program which, with the support of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago pioneered the synthesis of Torah study with army service for women in 1997. “At first, Hadas soldiers served in the Education Corps,” recounts Tehar-Lev. “But once their skills, dedication and motivation became apparent, the IDF asked us to start a program for Intelligence, as well.”

Over the years, the Hadas-Education soldiers garnered attention and praise; many advanced to officers training, and some are attaining even higher ranks within the IDF. Reut Fingher, from the third Hadas class, is currently serving as the commanding officer of an entire training course on the Machva Alon base, where her Hadas colleague Yasmin Magen is a deputy company commander. Both women will be appointed company commanders in the coming year, a prestigious and estimable rank formerly unheard of for an observant woman. And this year’s Hadas-Education inductees are already following in their footsteps, having collected every possible honor and award throughout their basic training and teacher-training courses.

Naama Yanai was awarded the “Outstanding Soldier” of her Basic Training course, but ironically, her adaptation to army life did not come without effort. “Until I entered the IDF, I’d had only limited exposure to a non-religious lifestyle. I was insecure when I first encountered the secular soldiers, and they were extremely guarded and wary of me, too,” she recalls. Fortunately, her Hadas counselors had prepared her for what to expect and served as a backbone during that period. “I really needed their advice on day-to-day things, like how to keep a Shabbat atmosphere with music blaring in the background and cell-phones ringing off the hook,” remembers Yanai. “And the secular soldiers had such preconceived notions about me! They were positive that I had left 17 siblings on an outpost settlement somewhere to come and force them to be religious,” she laughs. “But gradually, we grew into a cohesive unit, and today we are the best of friends.” Yanai reflects: “In the army, as in life, a group has to work together as a whole in order to succeed. We all learned to understand and appreciate each person’s individual role within that whole.”

Empowered to face anything:  "Outstanding Student" Roni Kraus  at her course graduation.

Yanai’s classmate, Roni Kraus, snagged the coveted “Outstanding Soldier” award at the culmination of her base’s Teacher-Training course in July. She credits the time she spent in the Beit Midrash for her success. “During the course of my learning, I discovered that Judaic studies are not only scholastic in nature. My Jewish identity, my faith, my understanding of ethics - all have been strengthened,” declares Kraus. “As a result of my Hadas studies, I feel empowered to face and overcome anything, in the army or in life.”

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