Lone soldiers are a phenomenon unique to the IDF. In addition to young Israeli men and women who are required to serve, another 5,000 young men and women come from overseas to serve in the Israeli army.

They are highly motivated and idealistic with about 40% of them serving in combat units and almost one-quarter of these lone soldiers come from the US. 

During the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, three lone soldiers were killed, two from the US.

Serving in the military is difficult for any young person but being a lone soldier bears additional challenges. The IDF recognizes this and lone soldiers receive a higher basic salary from the IDF, as well as financial assistance from the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption and the Ministry of Housing and Construction. They are also given help with housing, and the right to extra time off, including 30 days per year to visit family overseas and to perform errands normally handled by parents. 

For most young Israelis, their army service is their first time away from home. But since Israel is such a small country, it is possible for a soldier to leave his base, even the front line or border, and be home for Shabbat or holiday. For most IDF soldiers, a home-cooked meal and a clean uniform are just a bus ride away. 

Army service is challenging in so many ways and many young men, unfortunately, find it difficult to maintain their religious observance. For this reason, Yeshivat Lev Hatorah, a Torah institution established in 2002 in Bet Shemesh, recognized this and went to enormous effort and expense to help these amazing young men. The yeshiva established Lev LaChayal (heart to a soldier) eight years ago as the only yeshiva-based lone soldier center in Israel.

The yeshiva purchased four homes to house the students but, as Rabbi Dudi Winkler who runs the program, explained, the need for a lone soldier center became urgent due to the pandemic.

“The program was up and running but when the pandemic hit, we had a problem,” Rabbi Winkler told Israel365 News. “The soldiers came home for Shabbat but we couldn’t send them out to families in the community for meals. The soldiers couldn’t even join the yeshiva or the community for prayer. So the center gave them a place to pray, to join together for meals, and even a place to just be.”

Israel365 helped create the 100 square meter building, outfitted with a kitchen and lounge. It also contains an ark and Torah scroll and everything necessary to hold prayer services.

There is clearly a growing need as their website records that there are currently 30 young men preparing for their imminent draft, 47 Lev Hatorah students serving in active duty, and 158 alumni who completed their IDF service.

The program helps prepare the new olim (immigrants to Israel, literally ‘ascenders’) for their IDF service. They offer ulpan (Hebrew language classes), intense physical training in their on-campus gym, and assistance in navigating the bureaucratic procedures which are especially challenging in a new language.

The yeshiva is far more than a learning institution. Many of the rabbis at the yeshiva live within walking distance, creating a family atmosphere and a close-knit community. The young men, all English speakers, have the opportunity to interact with the rabbis at their own homes and with their families. This is further attested to by the numerous photo on the organization’s Facebook page featuring young people getting married. 

When a lone soldier comes home a few short hours before Shabbat, Lev LaChayal arranges a meal for them with a family, usually one of the rabbis. Each group of 15 soldiers is assigned an Av (father) and Em Bayit (house) to help them in any way they can.

Lev LaChayal also fills in for the parents in other ways that only a lone soldier could appreciate. Army service features ceremonies to mark milestones such as completion of basic training or courses. These are usually accompanied by challenging hikes with parents cheering encouragement along the way and bearing tasty treats for their weary sons and daughters at the end. Lev LaChayal makes sure that their lone soldiers are not left out, that they too have someone cheering them on. 

The parent of every young Israeli soldier knows the crazy rush on Sunday morning to return to base. Lev LaChayal makes sure that their boys have a ride to the train the same way that a regular soldier would have their parents send them off or pick them up from the train.

The yeshiva frequently sends staff to visit our soldiers on base and bring snacks, gear, motivation, and “the powerful message that the Jewish people stand behind them”.

Mordechai Levi, originally from upstate New York, came to Israel during his gap year  seven years ago and, in his words, “fell in love with Israel.” He made aliyah, leaving his family behind. While learning in yeshiva, he signed up for army service as part of the Hesder program which combines advanced Torah studies with military service. Levi served as a heavy machine gunner in the Kfir Brigade, serving in Judea and Samaria. As a student in Lev Hatorah for a total of five years, Levi became part of the fourth year of the Lev Lachayal program. 

“It is really incredible how they took care of us,” Levi said. “I was brand new to the country, and barely knew and would come home totally exhausted just a couple of hours before Shabbat. The only food in the refrigerator was at least a week old. We were in the field where we weren’t allowed to have our phones so I couldn’t make any arrangements.”

“And then at five AM Sunday morning, we were heading back for the base.”

“I missed my family a lot but I didn’t feel alone. I felt like I had a family. Lev LaChayal took care of everything. Just like Abba (father) and Eema (mother),” Levi said. “A lot of lone soldiers talk about how hard their army experience was. I loved it.”

Levi left the army in 2019 and then left the yeshiva in 2020 to get married. He is expecting a child very soon. 

The rabbis running the program understand the challenges facing new young immigrants serving in the army. In addition to providing meals and apartments, Lev LaChayal has psychologists and counselors on staff. 

Lev Lachayal partnered with Israel365 to help provide the lone soldiers with additional programs and benefits. One example of this was during the holiday of Tu Beshvat. In Israel and around the world, the tradition of eating from the fruits of Israel has become a part of every Jewish childhood. This year, the Israel365 lone soldier center delivered individual baskets of fruit to each Lev Lachayal soldier.

No less important than the food were the ‘thank you’ notes included in the baskets, letting the soldiers know that their service was appreciated. And the warm winter hats were certainly appreciated as Israel is experiencing an especially cold winter. 

These may seem like small gifts for civilians but for these young soldiers, so far away from home, it is a sign of caring they will remember forever as part of their IDF service.

As stated above, the need is growing and every year, the group of soldiers grows larger. Lev LaChayal is already planning on building a larger five-story facility with a new center included offering all of the same amenities plus more.

Help support the Israel365 Lone Soldier Center at our website or read more about Lev LaChayal at their website.