Sar-El (Hebrew: שר-אל) is a volunteer program of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Each year about 5,000 overseas volunteers serve for two or three weeks with the IDF. His work is not remunerated or armed, and is mainly in the logistics, maintenance, catering, procurement or medical services. Having volunteers to do these jobs saves the army money and prevents reserve soldiers from being summoned. Volunteers must be at least 17 years of age (14 years old if accompanied by parents) and in good health. Sar-El is subordinate to the Logistics Corps.
HistoryThe program began in the summer of 1984 by Aharon Davidi (former commander of the Parachute and Infantry Corps of the IDF), when due to the general mobilization during the 1982 Lebanon War, in some kibbutz in the Golan Mature crops ready to be harvested were in danger because all farmers able to work were in reserve service in the IDF. In a few weeks, Davidi recruited about 650 people to support Israel through volunteer work at IDF bases, so the inhabitants of the kibbutzim could return to work in their fields. These first vounteers expressed their wish that this project should be perpetuated, and in the spring of 1983 "Sar-El - The National Project of Volunteers for Israel" was founded as an apolitical non-profit organization. Volunteers from all over the world come to participate in the project, and to this day, Sar-El is represented in more than 30 countries. Most volunteers from Sar-El arrive from Volunteers for Israel "- (VFI) [1] in the United States, Sar-El Canada (Canadian Volunteers for Israel) [2] in Canada, and" Volontariat Civil "(UPI) ) in France. Legal status
Volunteers wear IDF work uniforms with blue shoulder pads, but they are not soldiers. For this reason their service does not conflict with the military laws of the countries of origin of the volunteers, allowing them to do Sar-El and then serve in their country's army, or vice versa. Meaning
Sar-El is the acronym in Hebrew for She'rut Le'Yisrael, which means "Service to Israel."
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