Hesder

The typical Yeshivat Hesder functions along the lines of a traditional Orthodox yeshiva, with an emphasis on in-depth study of the Talmud.

[1] 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.

The idea of hesder yeshivas is attributed to Yehuda Amital, a rabbi and Israeli politician who served in the Haganah, fought in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

The first yeshivat hesder, Kerem B'Yavneh, was established in 1953 modelled on Nahal, a unit combining time on a (frontier) agricultural settlement with army service.

[3] A new Knesset law on Haredi yeshiva student exemptions addresses the legal status of Hesder service and yeshivot.