Fifteen cadets from the Hashmonaim Brigade have completed the first officers' course for the IDF's haredi brigade, following eight months of training that included command and combat studies alongside operational activity in Lebanon and Judea and Samaria.
The graduation ceremony was held Tuesday on the roof of the Western Wall Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where the new officers received their commissions. They are expected to assume key command positions in the brigade.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met with the graduates earlier in the day, congratulated them on their achievement and emphasized the importance of the initiative in integrating the haredi community into the IDF.
"This is a historic and moving event. You are making history and breaking new ground with the completion of the first officers' course of the Hashmonaim Brigade. You are leaders bringing to fruition a great vision shared by the entire Jewish people. I see the haredi community as an inseparable part of Israeli society," Zamir said.
Zamir also addressed the brigade's operational capabilities and its integration into IDF missions.
"You are already participating in operational activity, and you will be able to be deployed for any mission, in defense and offense, including maneuvering operations. You are partners in building the Hashmonaim Brigade into a strong infantry brigade capable of carrying out every mission assigned to it. Your success is important to the IDF and to the entire people of Israel," he added.
Among the graduates are combat soldiers who developed their careers within the Hashmonaim Brigade and advanced through its ranks, alongside soldiers who transferred from other units and had previously served as squad commanders in the brigade.
The training began with the field phase, during which the cadets acquired combat and command skills, including fire support operations and navigation. They subsequently moved on to the corps-specific training phase in the Gefen track, where they practiced combat in open and built-up terrain, commanding forces and participating in operational exercises.
During the course, the cadets also took part in the live-fire series and the "Northern Arrow" exercise, alongside cadets from the general Gefen track at the IDF Officers' School.
In addition to their professional training, the cadets participated in operational activities in Lebanon and Judea and Samaria, alongside other Hashmonaim Brigade forces.
The IDF emphasized that the course was conducted under the full professional supervision of the IDF Officers' School, Bahad 1, while adapting service conditions to the haredi way of life.
These accommodations included maintaining the highest standards of kosher food, designated times for prayer and Torah study, and an appropriately structured gender environment, in accordance with General Staff orders governing the integration of haredi soldiers into the IDF.
The newly commissioned officers are now expected to assume command positions in the brigade and lead operational activities in various sectors.
The IDF views the completion of the course as a significant step toward building a haredi command echelon that will enable the Hashmonaim Brigade to develop into a fully operational infantry brigade.
Meanwhile, screening and selection for the brigade's next officers' course have already begun. The course is expected to open this coming November.
