An effective soldier is one who identifies deeply with the cause he is fighting for. Unfortunately, in its young history, Israel’s sons and daughters have been called upon to defend their country all too often. High morale is directly related to a deep sense of Jewish identity and as that identity weakens, so does the will of Israel’s soldiers. Furthermore, officers and those under their command are faced with difficult challenges which often put their Jewish values and ethics to the test. And civilian casualties, intense international scrutiny and media misrepresentation have eroded even the most dedicated soldier's determination.

For the past decade we have operated the IDF Officer Cadets Jewish Identity Training program which seeks to strengthen Jewish and Zionist identity of Israeli soldiers, clarify questions of values and heighten motivation for meaningful military service. The sessions are filled with intense workshops, seminars, presentations, role-playing activities, and tours of Jewish and Zionist sites.

These young men and women comprise a diverse spectrum of Israeli society - religious and secular, immigrants and native-born Israelis. The participants have been selected and are being groomed for leadership positions in the IDF. Many go on to become influential in Israeli society. As military officers, they will serve as role models and guides for their troops; as future civilian leaders, they will shape Israeli society for a generation to come. This unique relationship between Gesher and the IDF continues to grow in strength.

In order to become a commissioned officer, every one of the thousands of cadets that the IDF trains annually must participate in this five-day program. Over 46,000 young officers have participated in the Gesher-IDF Officers' Jewish Identity Training program since its inception eight years ago. In 2010 Gesher trained 8,625 officers.

For the first time since the inception of the program in 2001, Gesher was asked to provide programming for 1,400 officers in a new weekend session that explores the Israeli Shabbat (Sabbath) experience. The program uses Shabbat as a trigger for intimate conversation - a time for introspection and revitalization.