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Our students learn according to the study program about Jewish identity, Torah ,Am Israel and Zionism in our special attitude to open them and get in their heart. Once a week we invite a lecturer to talk with the students about different subjects. The lecture talks about the readiness to serve in significant roles in IDF, connection to the land of Israel, Politics and history. The variety of these subjects enriches the students’ world of knowledge. While their army service, the graduates visit the Mechina in every chance they have and that a big sign for us that we are on the right way.
The major achievement of the Mechina in the past years is the establishment of a special program that combines Torah study and Zionism together with agricultural work. The program arouses great interest among the youth and helps us in recruiting students to the Mechina. The students also volunteer at farms in the South Mount Hebron area and assist them in their ongoing work. Increasing student numbers contributes to financial preparation and this allows us to formulate more activities and events throughout the year.
There are many pre-military frameworks for high school graduates, and this requires us to be creative and think of more unique curricula and thus focus our efforts over the coming year. Creating more unique programs and searching for what the youth is looking for and should help us reaching more students and extending our project.
Rabbi Moshe Hager-Lau is recognized in Israeli society as an important bridge between the secular and non-secular world, particularly with regard to army service in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). He is co-director of The Joint Council of Zionist-Israeli Leadership Development Programs in Israel – which include (17) Religious Academies, (10) Secular, (8) Joint, (1) Ethiopian, (1) Druze, for a total of (37). Rabbi Hager-Lau is himself the Head of one of the outstanding Mechinot – Mechinate Beit Yatir. The mission of the Mechina, and particularly of Rabbi Hager-Lau is to instill in its students a deeper commitment to Jewish identity and tradition, especially within their army service, as well as readiness to serve in significant roles in IDF elite units. 20% of Rabbi Hager-Lau’s Mechina students have become officers in the IDF. Colonel Hager-Lau has a long and distinguished military record. He served in high level positions of command in several IDF operations, most recently in Operation Defensive Shield (2002 –intifada) where he and his men carried out the dangerous and vital task of discovering and destroying terrorist pockets. He holds the rank of Colonel (Reserve) in Judea and Samaria. Colonel Hager-Lau is much sought after for interviews on Israeli TV and radio due to his insights and analyses on local issues of defense, security and terrorism. He is a charismatic speaker who is often invited to lecture at policy forums such as the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and the Fifth Orthodox General Assembly. In addition, he is a member of Bar Ilan, University’s Board of Directors. Colonel Hager-Lau has been courted by several political parties over the years and would undoubtedly prove to be a valuable, level-headed leader and secular-religious bridge in contemporary Israeli politics and society. Rabbi Hager-Lau (born Tel Aviv, 1953) lives on Beit Yatir, with his wife and children. He is the nephew of the renowned Rabbi Israel Meir, former Chief Ashekenazi Rabbi of Israel (1993 – 2003) and former Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv (2005), and current Chairman of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
