Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) has partnered with Aharai!, one of Israel’s leading youth leadership organizations, in a shared commitment to developing the next generation of Israeli leaders and soldiers. The partnership came to life last week at Aharai!’s national year-end event in Jerusalem, where 2,600 young participants marched through the night to Mount Herzl in a ceremony attended by the President of the State of Israel.
About Aharai!
Aharai! operates a wide range of programs designed to develop Israeli youth across every dimension of leadership, service, and civic life. At the core are its pre-military academies and year-of-service frameworks, which take young men and women through six-month to year-long journeys of identity exploration, social involvement, connection to the land, and preparation for meaningful military service. Alongside these, dedicated military preparation tracks provide intensive physical and mental training for those pursuing demanding combat roles. A technological education division equips participants for elite tech units and professional careers. The organization also runs targeted programs for underserved and underrepresented communities, including the Haredi community and Arab-Israeli youth — focused on belonging, responsibility, and civic integration.
A robust alumni network keeps graduates engaged as volunteer leaders and instructors long after they complete their programs. Taken together, Aharai!’s programs form a continuum of youth development that begins in the teenage years and extends through military service and beyond, reaching young people from every background and corner of Israeli society.
Each year, the organization supports thousands of young people through leadership tracks, preparation programs for meaningful military service, technology training, and pre-military programs — all with the goal of cultivating a leading, engaged and influential generation.
The FIDF–Aharai! Partnership
The partnership between FIDF and Aharai! spans multiple programs and is built on a mutual belief that strengthening Israel’s next generation of leadership is a national mission. FIDF invested $1M for 2026 to strengthen the organization’s ability to provide opportunities to thousands of youth.
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Liron Donel, Vice President of FIDF Israel Operations, described the significance of the relationship: “FIDF’s partnership with Aharai! connects our commitment to the soldiers serving today with training to become tomorrow’s commanders and leaders.”
A central pillar of the collaboration is with FIDF’s IMPACT! Scholarship Program, whereby the scholarship recipients volunteer as instructors within Aharai!. They have collectively contributed more than 900,000 volunteer hours to the organization.
The National Year-End Event
On June 4, approximately 2,600 Aharai! participants from across Israel set out on an overnight march from the Jerusalem Hills to Mount Herzl, culminating in the organization’s national year-end ceremony for the 2025–2026 activity year.
The event was held in partnership with FIDF and took place in the presence of the President of the State of Israel and his wife, bereaved families, Aharai! alumni, and a senior delegation from FIDF and Friends of Aharai! (FOA) in North America. During their visit, delegation members met with participants, instructors, alumni and bereaved families, gaining firsthand insight into the reach and impact of Aharai!’s programs.
The ceremony honored the memory of the 69 Aharai! alumni fallen since October 7, while celebrating the thousands of young men and women who chose to march forward — literally and figuratively — toward service and leadership.
Stav Gil, CEO of Aharai!, captured the spirit of the evening: “The national year-end event is a moment in which the true outcome of our educational work can be seen — thousands of teenage boys and girls choosing to take responsibility for their future and for Israeli society.”
For many of the 2,600 participants, the march to Mount Herzl marked an important milestone on a path that will lead them to military service, academies, national service, and continued social involvement in Israeli life.
Let Us Know What You Think