The Association "One of Us" aims to lead the value of equality. They are all "One of Us"-They all deserve an equal opportunity for the process of empowerment, enrichment and preparation for the IDF.
The Association was established in 2011 and the first president was Meir Dagan.
The head of the Mechina, from the day of its establishment until today, is Shahar Ofaz, an officer from the Shaldag military unit. The work in the Mechina is based on the recognition that the military service is a crucial period and has a great impact on the success of the trainees' civilian life in the country.
The military service in Israel constitutes a social and cultural bridge that provides varied opportunities to empower the abilities and skills of young people joining it. It is time for education for all and not only the excellent ones.
The association's vision is to reduce the gaps in Israeli society by strengthening youth from the periphery and the weaker parts of the nation. It also claims to increase the sense of belonging of these youth to the State of Israel and Israeli society. The Mechina is intended for High School graduates from all circles in society. Anyone who wants to make a change in his life joins us. They can be boys and girls from youth villages, boarding schools, youth promotion centers, graduates of rehab centers and more. They all come with great motivation to serve the country and integrate into Israeli society. A certain percentage of all trainees come to the Mechina when they are not eligible for recruitment due to criminal record and the goal of this year is to complete the criminal proceedings with them and make them eligible for recruitment. The main message to the trainees: " We don't give in to you because we don't give up on you"!!!
Today there are quite a few boys who want to join the IDF and can't for some reasons. They knock the gates of the IDF, hope for the day when they receive the draft order, wear the military uniform and start a new path. But the task is not simple: on the way there, the boys encounter great obstacles as court hearings, lawyers and probation officers which cause that not everyone succeeds in fulfilling his ambition to enlist. This is where "One of Us" comes into the picture: the process that the young men and women go through in the preparatory school, the tools they acquire throughout the year and the close guidance they receive, allow the trainees to overcome obstacles and pave their way to success.
The goal of the Mechina is to provide the youth from the social periphery with tools for integration into society and civic life on equal terms for youth from a normative background.
Our educational program produces a platform for strengthening the Jewish and Zionist identity, improving their self-image and raising the trainees' motivation for meaningful military service which will strengthen the trainees' sense of responsibility as citizens of Israel, and increase their involvement and contribution to Israeli society.
The Mechina has 3 branches:
1. A branch for boys, located in the Hadassah Youth Village in Beit Yanai.
2. The Beit Assaf branch, named after Capt. Assaf Ramon located in Mitzpe Ilan.
3. A branch of "the Bricks", located in Aloni Yitzhak.
There are about 120 trainees every year.
90% of the graduates of all cycles were able to be accepted for significant positions in the IDF and complete military service with full dignity. Most of them joined the Palchchn, Nahal, Golani, the paratroopers and more. Among the girls, the recruitment percentage is very high (over 95%) and the girls are accepted to significant positions.
The Mechina takes care of the trainees from the moment they arrive there until after their release from the IDF and their integration into civic life. The Mechina has coordinators who take care of accompanying the trainees during and after military service.
We believe that the future of the State of Israel depends on strengthening the population from periphery, reducing gaps, connecting all strata and ethnicities in a real way so that all its citizens will feel a sense of belonging and succeed in integrating into society despite daily difficulties.