DD +1.
The products of the Hesder programs are some of the finest bnei Torah and Talmidei Chachomim among the Jewish people. I’ve worked with them, been taught by them, watched them learn and teach both in Israel and abroad. Many of them work as Shlichim far from home and family, teaching in yeshivas and community schools, having a torah hashpo’oh on entire communities. Their lives are steeped in Torah values, they are not materialistic, and they are devoted to am Yisroel. The large majority of hesderniks serve in combat units. They are serious about their devotion to Torah and to am Yisroel and eretz Yisroel. Most of them that I know use every opportunity they have to learn Torah. These are also the backbone of the IDF combat officer corps. It is a good model, and I fail to understand how these responsibilities can not be combined as successfully for the chareidim as the Hesder yeshivos have done.