Joining the IDF After the Year: Mahal, Aliyah, Garin Tzabar and Lone Soldier Support

First, two questions

• Is a parent Israeli? Then different rules apply, including how long you'd serve. Read if a parent is Israeli before anything else.
• Do you plan to make aliyah? That decides between the two main routes below.

Checked in October 2026 against the pages in the sources. Army rules change often, and the army makes the final decision on each case. Use this page to know what to ask.

Mahal: serving without making aliyah

Mahal is the army's track for overseas volunteers who want to serve without making aliyah. From Mahal's own site:

• Ages: women 18 to 21, men 18 to 23.
• You must be Jewish and eligible for aliyah under the Law of Return (or be a child of Israelis, which is a separate category).
• The standard length is 32 months for men and 24 for women. Some volunteers qualify for a shorter, 18-month service, depending on legal status and time already spent in Israel.
• For the 18-month service, a tourist may have spent up to 12 months in Israel since age 16, or up to 18 months if that time was on a government-recognized program such as a yeshiva or Masa program. The count only resets after 61 days in a row outside Israel.
• Volunteers with less Hebrew do an intensive ulpan along with basic training.
• Flights and housing are the volunteer's own responsibility, and the army decides eligibility only after you arrive.

Mahal links to an unofficial length-of-stay calculator for a rough estimate. Count every entry and exit carefully: a gap year, a second year and summer visits all add up.

Mahal Hesder: yeshiva and service together

For students at hesder yeshivas, Mahal's site describes a 21-month track: 17 months of active service and 4 months of unpaid yeshiva study. Registration is only through the Hesder Yeshivas Association. Nefesh B'Nefesh adds that applicants must be 18 to 21 and can't have spent more than 18 months in Israel in total.

Making aliyah and being drafted

New immigrants are drafted like other Israelis, and how long they serve depends on their "age of arrival", which the army works out from their entries and exits, not just the aliyah date. The Nefesh B'Nefesh Lone Soldiers Program's chart (updated July 2026) gives, in short:

• Men: 32 months for an age of arrival of 18 to 19, and 24 months for 20 to 21. From 22 to 27 men are exempt but may volunteer.
• Single women 18 to 21: 24 months, or 32 in combat and some other jobs. Married women are exempt, and religious women can apply for an exemption.
• The army has said these rules may change; check the chart for your case.

For hesder as a new immigrant, Nefesh B'Nefesh gives 32 to 44 months overall.

Garin Tzabar: aliyah and service with a group

Garin Tzabar, run by Tzofim (the Israeli Scouts), is for young adults who make aliyah and serve in the army as part of a group, with a host community in Israel. Its site lists these requirements:

• Ages 18 to 24 (up to 25 for its academic groups), and a high school graduate.
• Eligible for aliyah, and not already obligated to serve under Israeli law.
• At least two months in Israel over the past decade.
• A certificate of good conduct, and taking part in the preparation seminars.

It runs two sessions a year, each starting with months of preparation seminars before the absorption period in Israel and the draft. Apply well ahead.

After a year of yeshiva: Lev L'Chayal

Nefesh B'Nefesh lists Lev L'Chayal, a six-month pre-army program for immigrants and Mahal candidates aged 19 to 25 who have finished at least one year of yeshiva. It starts in September for a March draft or in March for an August draft.

Lone soldiers: who helps

A lone soldier is a soldier serving in the army while their parents live abroad. The army gives lone soldiers extra support, such as a monthly stipend, help with rent and a flight home after a set time in service. The Nefesh B'Nefesh list of benefits says it was current as of February 2024, so check the amounts with the army's lone soldier department.

• Nefesh B'Nefesh Lone Soldiers Program, with Friends of the IDF: advice before the draft, a 24/7 hotline during service (*6563 from an Israeli phone), and support for parents, including a US number. It says it helps people who are drafting and doesn't recruit.
• The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin: community centers in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva, housing, help with enlistment, and support up to five years after discharge.

For parents

This is a big decision, and it often comes up in the spring of the gap year. A few things help:

1. 1Ask your child to walk you through the route they're considering, using the official pages, not just friends' stories.
2. 2Write down every entry to and exit from Israel; these decide both eligibility and length of service.
3. 3Talk to the support organizations yourselves. Nefesh B'Nefesh runs resources for parents of lone soldiers.
4. 4Agree on how you'll stay in touch during service, and save the hotline and parents' numbers.

Common questions

Can an American join the IDF without becoming an Israeli citizen?

Yes, through Mahal, if you're Jewish and eligible for aliyah under the Law of Return and within its age limits (women 18 to 21, men 18 to 23). Mahal says the army confirms eligibility only after you arrive.

Does my gap year count against the 18-month Mahal service?

It counts as time in Israel. Mahal's site allows a tourist up to 12 months in Israel since age 16, or up to 18 months if the time was on a recognized program such as a yeshiva or Masa program, for the 18-month service.

How long is IDF service for a new immigrant?

It depends on age of arrival. Nefesh B'Nefesh's chart gives men 32 months at 18 to 19 and 24 months at 20 to 21, and single women 24 months at 18 to 21 (32 in combat and some jobs).

What's the difference between Mahal and Garin Tzabar?

Mahal is for volunteers who don't make aliyah. Garin Tzabar is for young adults who make aliyah and serve as part of a group with a host community.

What is a lone soldier?

A soldier serving in the IDF while their parents live abroad. Lone soldiers get extra support from the army, and organizations such as Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Lone Soldier Center help them.