MEA Mechina A Pre-Military Academy in Kfar Aza

Meaning Endeavor Ascent

Where life came to a halt on October 7, we choose to grow a new generation of leaders.

The mechina is the beating heart of our educational work.

It is a pre-military academy for young people who have yet to enlist and who aspire to meaningful service and leadership in the IDF and in Israeli society. Our trainees are educated in the values of the Duvdevan Unit: dedication to the mission, excellence and humility. At the same time, they are an integral part of the fabric of life on Kibbutz Kfar Aza as it recovers. Through community work, physical and mental preparation, and meetings with fighters and mechina alumni, we are shaping Israel's next generation of commanders.

Preparing for meaningful service

An educational program for high school graduates before their army service. The trainees will maintain the heritage and memorial sites in our care, and at the end of the mechina year they will enlist in the IDF and the other security forces.

Values and excellence

The trainees will be educated in the Duvdevan Unit's values: dedication to the mission, creativity, striving for excellence, and humility. The program includes meetings with fighters and commanders, and in-depth study of the unit's combat heritage and of the values that guided it through its most trying moments.

Partnership with Kfar Aza

The mechina was founded in close cooperation with the leadership of Kfar Aza, out of a commitment to its members' safe return to their homes. The trainees will live and study on the kibbutz, be paired with host families and become part of a community that is coming back to life. Kibbutz residents will enrich them with their own knowledge and life experience.

Alumni program

Mechina alumni will come back during and after their military service to meet the trainees, share their experience and widen the circle of Israel's future leaders. The mechina staff will stand by them throughout their service. The alumni will keep visiting the kibbutz, stay in touch with their host families and mentor the younger trainees.

Join an Elite Team!

If you are looking for a year that will change your life, a year in which you will be at the forefront of action and prepare for true leadership, you belong with us. At Tzav HaLev's mechina you are not just trainees: you are partners in building a new future in the western Negev, a future that will make its mark on the whole country.

What does the year hold for you?

Living at the heart of the community: the mechina is based in Kfar Aza. You will be an integral part of the kibbutz's growth, work with its residents and launch joint social projects that will leave a tangible mark for years to come.
Shaping identity and leadership: in-depth study of leadership, Zionism and heritage, along with a wide range of tools for personal growth, taught by current and former senior commanders, leading figures in Israeli society and key players in the Israeli economy.
Action, heritage, a way forward: we see our trainees as the leaders of the future. Beyond study and enrichment, they are entrusted with maintaining and running our memorial and heritage sites, from the Fighters' Lookout to the Bike Trail, sites visited by thousands of people every year.
Preparing for the IDF to the standards of an elite unit: combat fitness training, land navigation, and personal meetings with commanders and fighters of the Duvdevan Unit, giving you the mental and physical tools to excel in your military service and in life itself.