Mandel IDF Educational Leadership Program
The program is designed for commanders seeking to become educational leaders within the IDF and broaden their insight into issues of leadership, education, society, and identity. It blends theoretical study with practical applications relevant to military life and includes with encounters with intellectuals, researchers, leaders, and prominent educators.
Program FormatOne day a week
DurationOne academic year
As the “people’s army,” the IDF plays an essential role not only in the defense of the State, but also in the education and development of young people from diverse sectors of Israeli society. IDF officers play a crucial role in this process, fostering values of commitment, service and social responsibility among recruits while helping to bridge cultural and social divides.
Moreover, many senior IDF officers move into important positions in education and other fields after retiring from the military in their mid-40's, where they continue to have a significant impact on the country for years to come.
The Mandel IDF Educational Leadership Program, founded in 2005 in partnership with the IDF Education and Youth Corps, was created to empower senior IDF officers to serve as educational leaders — not only as military commanders — within their units and throughout their professional career.
The program is designed for commanders in all IDF corps and units, usually at the rank of major, lieutenant colonel, or colonel.
Course of Studies
The program offers an intensive curriculum at both the group and individual levels, enabling fellows to define their educational identity, deepen their theoretical and applied knowledge and improve their understanding of the following core content areas:
1. Conceptual approaches in education and the history and philosophy that underpin the unique field of non-formal education
2. A group and individual exploration of the complexities and challenges of Israel’s diverse society
3. Preparing fellows to examine and strengthen their leadership roles within the complex realities in which they operate
These key content areas empower fellows to develop a clear educational and social vision and translate it into practice, guided by the values of justice, inclusion and equal opportunity.
Impact in the Field
Program graduates initiate, develop and lead educational processes in the IDF that have a considerable impact on their military units and beyond. Graduates serve in key positions in the IDF Education Corps and other senior IDF roles, where they spearhead a wide range of educational and social initiatives. Examples include:
Promoting social awareness in a high-tech intelligence unit: One graduate leads a program designed to increase social awareness and social entrepreneurism among soldiers in a technological unit within the Military Intelligence Directorate.
Supporting Ethiopian Israeli soldiers: Another graduate founded a program to recruit Ethiopian Israeli soldiers into the IDF’s Visual Intelligence Unit, providing them with essential support throughout their service.
About the Institute
The Mandel Leadership Institute believes that vision-driven leadership, grounded in a broad and deeply rooted worldview, has the potential to contribute greatly to the flourishing of Israeli society, inspired by the values of Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Our fellows are people with proven leadership experience from the fields of education, culture, and society, from the public sector and civil society, from the IDF and the Haredi community, and from all regions and communities in Israel. Graduates of the Institute hold key positions in Israeli society and work to advance a just, inclusive, compassionate and democratic Israel.