The Israeli army will send enlistment notices to 15,000 ultra-Orthodox youths currently attending religious schools in the coming weeks, part of an effort inside Israel to fully integrate all citizens into the state’s civil and military institutions. Existing ultra-orthodox army battalions will be expanded to accommodate the new enlistees, though they will not be formally drafted until January after the Israeli election. Integration efforts have also expanded into Israel’s higher education system, where a new program aims to double the number of ultra-orthodox students by 2017.

[Photo: Matanya / Wikimedia Commons]