Elazar Stern

Infobox Military Person
name=Elazar Stern


caption=
born=1956
died=
placeofbirth=Tel Aviv, Israel
placeofdeath=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Israel Israel
branch=Human Resources Directorate
serviceyears=1974–2008
rank=Aluf
unit=
commands=226th Brigade, Bahad 1, Education and Youth Corps
battles=First Lebanon War, Second Lebanon War
awards=
relations=
laterwork=

Elazar Stern (born 1956) is a former general in the Israel Defense Forces and former head of the Israeli Human Resources Directorate. Born in Tel Aviv, Stern attended Bar Ilan University, where he received a B.A. in Economics and Land of Israel Studies. He also received a Master's degree in Business Administration from Tel Aviv University and Northwestern University. Stern enlisted the IDF in 1974 as a paratrooper, eventually becoming the reserve commander of the Paratroopers Brigade in 1991. In the 1990s Stern became involved in officer training, and succeeded Gil Regev as head of the Manpower Directorate (a name he changed to Human Resources) in July 2004.

As head of Human Resources Stern has overseen a program to convert non-Jewish IDF troops to Judaism. He has also led the integration of "hesder" units, homogeneous units of Orthodox male soldiers combining yeshiva studies with military service, into mainstream units. While criticised by some religious Israelis that the action was meant only to prevent insubordination of religious troops during the Gaza pullout, Stern maintains that it is better for the troops. [ [http://www.jafi.org.il/papers/2005/feb/feb11jw.htm "General Defends "Hesder" Disbanding", "The Jewish Week"] ]

On October 14, 2005, Stern and his family were assaulted in Jerusalem while praying at the Western Wall in protest of his leading role in expelling Jews from the Gaza strip. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/17/israel "Wailing Wall mob stones general who oversaw expulsions", "The Guardian"] ] In 2008 he is said to have "stormed the stage" [ [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/967052.html "Saved from certain disaster", "Haaretz"] ] to prevent teenage rock star Shira Gavrielov [ [http://headlinemanagement.blogspot.com/2008/01/pops-shira-gavrielov-doesnt-need-her.html "Pop's Shira Gavrielov doesn't need her father's name to make it!"] ] from performing at a military farewell party on the grounds that she had not served in the military.

Elazar Stern completed his tenure as the head of the Human Resources Directorate in July 2008 and retired from the IDF. He was replaced by Avi Zamir, who received the Aluf rank. [Cite news|url=http://dover.idf.il/IDF/News_Channels/art_minuim/08/03/0701.htm|publisher=Israel Defense Forces|title=Brigadier General Avi Zamir Will Replace Aluf Stern as Head of the Human Resources Directorate|date=2008-03-07|accessdate=2008-03-07]

References

External links

* [http://www1.idf.il/dover/site/mainpage.asp?sl=EN&id=22&docid=32290&clr=1&subject=14930&Pos=3&bScope=False Bio from IDF]