IDF unit — Kfir Brigade (חטיבת כפיר, 900th Brigade): role in Judea & Samaria, profile needed, training, Netzah Yehuda haredi battalion, olim

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kfir_Brigade; https://draftidf.co.il/units/ (requirements) · 2026-09

What it is

Kfir (“lion cub”) is the 900th Brigade — the youngest (formed December 2005) and largest of the IDF’s regular infantry brigades. It was created by unifying the territorial “90s battalions” and is the brigade dedicated to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank): counter-terror raids, arrests, patrols, checkpoints and routine security in Central Command. Since 2023 it has also fought in Gaza and on the northern front.

• Beret: camouflage (“spotted”). Reddish-brown boots.
• Battalions: 90th “Nahshon”, 92nd “Shimshon”, 93rd “Haruv” (reconnaissance battalion), 94th “Duchifat”, 97th “Netzah Yehuda”. Nicknamed the “Young Lions”.
• Netzah Yehuda (97th) — a battalion built for haredi and religious soldiers: strictly kosher, no female staff on base, time for prayer and Torah study. Religious olim who want a halachic environment often ask for it.

Requirements

• Medical profile: minimum 82.
• Gibush: none — request via the manila. Kfir’s Gadsar (Haruv recon) is entered through Gibush Yachatiot.
• Hebrew: no formal score; olim with 6 or below do Michve Alon first. Kfir receives many graduates of Michve Alon.
• Gender: male-only combat battalions.

Path in and training

1. List Kfir on the manila (or Netzah Yehuda specifically, via the haredi recruitment track).
2. Training at Bach Kfir: about 8 months total (basic + advanced infantry), with a strong emphasis on urban warfare, arrests and crowd control, ending with a beret march and the camouflage beret.
3. Operational service is mostly in Judea & Samaria, which means shorter distances home for most soldiers and frequent operational activity.

Service length

• 32 months for male combat soldiers.
• Olim arriving at 22–27 who volunteer for combat: 24 months minimum.
• Reserve duty afterwards.

For olim

• Kfir is one of the most common placements for olim coming out of Michve Alon, because it is the largest brigade and continuously needs soldiers. If you did not request a specific brigade, Kfir is a likely default for a profile-82 infantry candidate.
• Netzah Yehuda is the standard answer for a religious oleh who wants full halachic accommodation in a combat unit.
• Same lone-soldier rights as any unit; bases in Judea & Samaria are relatively close to Jerusalem, where many lone soldiers live.

Kfir vs Golani / Givati

Same profile (82), same training length, no gibush in any of them. The difference is sector and culture: Kfir = Judea & Samaria, counter-terror policing, newest brigade; Golani = north, oldest and most storied; Givati = south/Gaza. Prestige rankings among 18-year-olds put Golani/Givati above Kfir, but Kfir battalions carry the same operational load.

Contacts

• Meitav: 1111 · Lone Soldier Hotline: *6563
• NBN Lone Soldiers Program: army@nbn.org.il