Hesder service usually lasts a total of five years, within which participants are officially soldiers in the
IDF. Through those five years, 16 months are dedicated to actual army service, comprising both training and active duty. In some Hesder Yeshivas, service lasts six years, of which 24 months are army service. Almost all Hesder Yeshiva students serve in the army as combat soldiers. The remainder of the time in Hesder is designated for full-time
Torah study. Some students study for several years after this mandatory term.
Yeshivot Hesder typically have 150–300 students; some of the larger yeshivot have up to 500 students, while some have fewer than 100 students. The largest is the
Hesder Yeshiva of Sderot. The Hesder program generally starts with a year of torah study as a civilian before joining the Army on paper, but immediately going on unpaid leave, and going back to the Yeshiva. After 6-12 months, (the following March or August) depending on the Yeshiva's program, Hesder students join the army proper for 16 months. after their active period in the army, Hesder students return to Yeshiva for a further mandatory 16 months (16+16 months = 32 months, the mandatory minimum period in the Israeli army for conscripts) where they are on unpaid leave. The typical
Yeshivat Hesder functions along the lines of a traditional
Orthodox yeshiva, with an emphasis on in-depth study of the
Talmud. However, the curriculum of a Hesder yeshiva often additionally includes an increased focus on
Tanakh and
Jewish philosophy. In addition, most
Yeshivot Hesder encourage their students to spend time helping the needy in surrounding communities. Many of the
Yeshivot Hesder also support a
Kollel, and offer a
Semicha ("
rabbinic ordination") program, usually in preparation for the
"Semicha of the Rabbanut"; many Hesder graduates would also obtain semicha from Rabbi
Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. Since 1990, various hesder yeshivot have established, or are associated with,
teachers' institutes. Graduates of these yeshivot are thus often active in the educational system of the
national-religious, both as
rabbis and as
teachers. A number have programs for students from the
Diaspora ("overseas programs") lasting one or two years; these vary in size from about ten people to over a hundred and fifty. The most prominent of these programs are those of
Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh,
Yeshivat Hakotel,
Yeshivat Sha'alvim, and
Yeshivat Har Etzion. As an alternative to Hesder, some male high school students opt to study at a one-year
mechina, and then proceed to a regular period of military service. Students at
Mercaz HaRav, and some
Hardal yeshivot, such as
Har Hamor, undertake their Service through a modified framework called
"Hesder Mercaz"; where students study Torah for around five years before serving actively for seven months, usually serving in
the artillery.
Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa through a framework called
shiluv, integrates two years of Torah study with the full three years military service. ==History==