“If you will it, it is no dream.”

— Theodore Herzl, The Old New Land (1902)

This phrase has inspired Jews from around the world to help make the Zionist endeavor a reality for more than a century.

Today, that tradition continues.

Currently, approximately 6,000 volunteers from abroad are serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Their official status is that of “lone soldiers”, because they leave their families behind and come to Israel alone.

The Lone Soldier Center

The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin aims to build a community and serve as a family for these soldiers while they are in Israel.

In 2003, Michael Levin, Josh Flaster, and Ari Kalker sat around a table in Tel Aviv sharing memories of celebrating Shabbat at their Jewish summer camp in the United States.

They remembered:

• Festive Shabbat dinners
• Singing Shabbat songs together
• The warm communal atmosphere

They imagined their lives in Israel as IDF soldiers would feel similar.

Instead, as foreign volunteers, they found themselves isolated.

Israel is a deeply family-oriented society, and without relatives nearby, the three soldiers often spent Shabbat alone — eating cold pita and hummus in empty apartments.

Michael Levin’s Legacy

Michael Levin was killed in action in 2006.

The Lone Soldier Center was founded in 2009.

Through the Center’s work:

• Levin’s service and sacrifice are honored
• His dream that lone soldiers should “never be alone” continues

The Needs of Lone Soldiers

The Center identified several essential needs required for lone soldiers to thrive in Israel.

Former lone soldiers now help guide new volunteers through military and civilian life.

How the Center Helps Lone Soldiers

Community

The Center’s primary mission is to provide every lone soldier with a welcoming and supportive community.

The organization operates:

• Several offices
• A website
• A Facebook page

These resources help soldiers receive guidance, assistance, and emotional support.

Meals

Shabbat dinners and holiday meals become festive community events organized by the Center.

Meals are hosted in:

• Jerusalem
• Tel Aviv

The Center partners with:

• The Jerusalem Great Synagogue
• The Tel Aviv International Synagogue

Volunteers organize and prepare these gatherings to recreate the warm Shabbat atmosphere envisioned by Levin, Flaster, and Kalker.

Shelter

Most lone soldiers arrive in Israel with:

• Few clothes
• Very little money

If they are not assigned to closed military bases, they must find apartments and roommates.

The Center helps by:

• Matching soldiers with roommates
• Reviewing leases to ensure fairness

The article notes that Israeli landlords are only required to provide a working stove, not refrigerators or furniture.

To address this, the Center maintains a warehouse stocked with donated:

• Furniture
• Refrigerators
• Household supplies

Volunteers deliver and help move these items into soldiers’ apartments.

Basic Needs Packages

Every new lone soldier receives a donated starter package including:

• Clothing
• Food
• Essential equipment

These supplies help soldiers begin their new lives in Israel.

Advocacy

The Center advocates for soldiers to ensure the army respects and fulfills all lone soldier rights and regulations.

Examples include:

• Ethiopian-Israeli soldiers helping Amharic-speaking recruits navigate military life
• Volunteer attorneys assisting discharged soldiers in understanding immigrant rights and legal protections

Tutoring and Education

Not all lone soldiers come from abroad.

Young adults who leave Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) families to enlist in the IDF are also classified as lone soldiers.

Many grew up in insulated Yiddish-speaking environments with little preparation for secular Israeli society.

The Center helps by providing:

• Hebrew tutoring
• Preparation for high school equivalency exams

Ceremonies and Social Events

When soldiers are drafted or complete military courses, most Israelis celebrate with family members present.

Lone soldiers often have nobody there.

The Center sends representatives to attend important milestones and celebrate each soldier’s achievements.

The organization also arranges:

• Social gatherings
• Recreational activities
• Community events

These activities help lone soldiers:

• Make friends
• Build support networks
• Connect with volunteers from around the world

Friends Chapters in North America

The Center operates with:

• A small professional staff
• Approximately 300 volunteers

It also planned the launch of Chaverim (“Friends”) chapters in 13 locations across North America to expand support and awareness for lone soldiers.