Shlav Bet started as an answer to a problem Israel didn't anticipate.
When waves of Ukrainians and Russians arrived in the 1990s after the Soviet Union collapsed, many came in their late twenties or early thirties. Past the age for mandatory service. Past the window when most Israelis are building the bonds that come from shared military experience. The army created Shlav Bet (Phase B) as an abbreviated service track that let them contribute without the full draft cycle.
Fast forward to today. The conversation around Shlav Bet has shifted to the Hareidi community. Men who chose not to serve when they were younger but now want to join. Whether from a sense of duty awakened by October 7th or personal conviction, they're asking how they can be part of the military without going through the standard draft process designed for 18-year-olds.
Here's what most people miss about the IDF: You don't need to draft to be part of it. You don't need basic training. You don't even need to be a citizen.
The military is a supply chain. One end is the combat soldier crouched at a position near Gaza. The other end is someone sitting in their living room in Los Angeles, clicking "donate" to send equipment or a grocery card to that soldier's family back home. Every point between these two ends matters. Every link in the chain keeps the whole thing running.
When reserves get called up for months at a time, families lose income. Bills pile up. Kids need shoes. A donated gift card becomes the difference between a soldier who can focus on his mission and one distracted by texts from his wife about how they'll make rent. That gift card is logistics. That donation is supply chain management. That support is military infrastructure.
Napoleon supposedly said, "An army marches on its stomach." In 2024, an army runs on a thousand invisible threads of support that extend far beyond any military base.
This year, Smiles for the Kids distributed over $300,000 in direct aid. Not through bureaucracy. Not after committees and approval chains. Directly to the families who needed it while their fathers, husbands, and sons were serving in the reserves. We operate with zero overhead specifically because every dollar should go to the mission, just like every soldier's effort should go to the fight without worrying about what's happening at home.
The military doesn't just need more soldiers. It needs more people willing to be part of the supply chain. To show up as a link in that long chain of support that keeps everything moving forward.
Shlav Bet might help Hareidi men who want to serve find their place in uniform. But there's already a Shlav Bet for everyone else. Your monthly donation. Your corporate matching program. Your commitment to support military families through another year of uncertainty.
You're already eligible. The question is whether you'll enlist.
Want to be part of the supply chain? Become a sponsor for 2026. Your annual commitment helps fund essential support for military families, soldiers, and communities. Visit Smilesforthekids.com or contact us directly to learn about our six sponsorship pillars.