British-born IDF soldier to be one of Israel’s first ever female tank commanders
Charlotte Feld-Davidovici, 20, passes gruelling combat course to become one of only four to get the unique and highly-skilled opportunity
A young Jewish woman born and raised in Britain is to become one of the Israel’s first ever female tank commanders after passing a gruelling new combat course.
Charlotte Feld-Davidovici, 20, who lives in Tel Aviv, is one of only four women to pass the Israel Defence Force’s special pilot programme of the 460th Brigade and used the opportunity to urge the IDF to give more responsibility to women.
Feld-Davidovici, who attended JFS, saw five colleagues drop out of the course before it finished, is now lined up to take the senior frontline combat role within the Armored Corps of the Border Defense Array. It is the first time the role has been offered to women.
Get The Jewish News Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up
The programme comprised five weeks of assessment and selection followed by eight weeks of basic infantry training, six weeks of training in specific roles then a further 16 weeks of advanced training, ending with a ‘war week’ including fire, navigation, urban warfare training and tank commander exams.
The training was described by the IDF as “identical to that of male combat soldiers with only small changes to their routine activity” and “a success both from the instructional and the operational perspectives… The soldiers achieved all the goals set for them”.
Feld-Davidovici began her combat training in the Karakal Battalion, one of the Border Force units, after she moved to Israel from UK two years ago, but said she struggled with language due to the large amount of information that was taught in Hebrew.
“My motivation is high because I moved to Israel in order to serve in the IDF and I chose to be a combat soldier,” she said. “I believe that the IDF should give greater responsibility to women in all fields, even though they are physically different than men.”
Listen to this week’s episode of the Jewish Views Podcast:
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
-
By Brigit Grant
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)
-
By Laurent Vaughan - Senior Associate (Bishop & Sewell Solicitors)