Atidim Lone Soldier Education Support | Takeoff

Israel’s Discharged Lone Immigrant Soldiers were there for us. Now, we need to be there for them.

Jewish young people from all over the world continue to make aliyah. Committed, connected and inspired, many join the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to help protect the Jewish homeland. These brave immigrant soldiers leave friends and family behind to build their future in Israel. Yet, unlike their Israeli peers, they do not have a warm place to call home. They lack the critical support network of family to help them with the day-to-day challenges of army service, the difficult readjustment to civilian life and the pursuit of higher education.

Together, We Can Ensure Their Future

Atidim’s innovative new TAKEOFF program provides highly motivated lone immigrant soldiers with wide-ranging support. TAKEOFF accompanies them from the end of their army service to college education to satisfying career paths and permanent job placement.

While in the last year of their three-year service, TAKEOFF offers these soldiers workshops and guidance for re-entering civilian life. As they stand on the threshold of making transformative life decisions, they are able to weigh different options and make informed choices. They are also matched with former lone immigrant soldiers who take them under their wings.

TAKEOFF ensures a soft-landing into civilian life and a direct path to higher education and a career in high tech or industry. Upon acceptance to college in the engineering or sciences, TAKEOFF provides these lone soldiers with a four-year tuition scholarship, a monthly living stipend and a laptop computer. This allows them to focus on their studies, rather than struggle for their day-to-day existence.

In their final year they get on track to a rewarding career path in their chosen field, interning at a leading high tech, industry or defence company where they get invaluable professional experience. The company embraces these young people and matches them with an employee whose family becomes their “adoptive” family. Upon graduation from college, they enter the professional arena as company employees with a bright future.

TAKEOFF is a program that wants lone immigrant soldiers to be able to build their futures in Israel. TAKEOFF is there to provide these brave young people with the support they need to become part of Israel’s vital nation building.