Nativ: Jewish Identity Education for IDF Soldiers

Olim from the FSU have significantly contributed to the Israeli Defense Forces by serving in combat divisions and technological units.

Nativ is a comprehensive Jewish educational program that works to strengthen new immigrant soldiers' connections to the state of Israel and to their Jewish cultural heritage.

During the program soldiers who are not Jewish according to halacha are given the opportunity to go through conversion in a setting that is more pluralistic and comfortable in for the Russian-speaking Jews than its equivalents in other sectors of the Israeli society. To date, more than 3500 soldiers, have completed the conversion process.

Representing GPG's first major program in Israel, this grant allows Nativ to increase the number of Russian-speaking soldiers in the program and provides a steady flow of funding for Nativ to run this project effectively.