Yemin Orde Academy Wins 2026 Yossi Harel Prize for Social Leadership
The Yemin Orde pre-military academy has won the 2026 Yossi Harel Prize for its pioneering work bridging social gaps and fostering leadership among periphery youth.
The Yemin Orde pre-military preparatory academy has been announced as a co-recipient of the prestigious 2026 Yossi Harel Prize for Social Exemplary Deed, alongside the 710 Testimony Association. The official award ceremony is scheduled for November 29 at the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv.
Named after Lt. Col. Yossi Harel, the legendary commander of the clandestine immigrant ship Exodus and a prominent figure in Israel's intelligence community, the annual prize honors organizations that make extraordinary contributions to social and national development. Brig. Gen. (Res.) Eival Giladi, chairman of the prize committee, commended Yemin Orde as a lighthouse for closing social gaps and youth leadership, symbolizing hope and life-saving action.
A Pioneering Model for Periphery Youth
Founded in 2000 in Hatzor Haglilit by Eyal Eldar and Dr. Haim Peri, Yemin Orde was established at the request of then-Chief Education Officer Elazar Stern to serve immigrant youth and adolescents from Israel's geographic and social periphery. Recognized as the pioneering mother of periphery preparatory programs, the academy offers an intensive ten-month curriculum designed to prepare participants physically, mentally, and socially for both military service and civilian life.
The program accommodates approximately 65 male participants annually, complemented by a dedicated women's branch in Kiryat Anavim. Over nearly a quarter-century of operation, the academy has built an impressive record of accomplishment. Out of roughly 1,200 alumni, approximately 80 percent have served in combat roles—many within elite reconnaissance units—while around 30 percent have advanced to command positions, including commissioned officers.
Eyal Eldar, the 64-year-old head of the academy and a reserve major, reflected on the recognition:
"Receiving this award is deeply moving. It demonstrates that our efforts create ripples and circles of influence. This is precisely why we founded the academy: to prove that youth from challenging backgrounds can achieve extraordinary success."
Overcoming Challenges and Shifting Military Paradigms
Operating an intensive program requires extensive resources and personalized mentorship. Eldar notes that securing adequate funding remains a constant hurdle, as the academy's methodology relies on intensive, individualized attention for every participant. Beyond financial constraints, the institution historically had to challenge rigid military evaluation metrics, advocating for young adults who entered the program with low psychological aptitude scores or difficult personal backgrounds.
Through targeted mentorship, psychological guidance, community responsibility, and rigorous physical training, the academy helps students break through perceived glass ceilings. Following the outbreak of the war on October 7, 2023, academy participants actively contributed to national resilience by volunteering in security and welfare efforts in Hatzor Haglilit and repairing defensive infrastructure in the Golan Heights.
