A Message from the CEO of the Lone Soldier Center

Dear Friends,

This week I participated in the “Together on the Road” conference, focused on strengthening support for immigrant soldiers who make aliyah (Olim), volunteers from abroad who come to serve in the IDF (Mahal), and their families.

Around one table sat the Minister of Immigration and Absorption, the Minister of Diaspora, the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the IDF, and nonprofit organizations that support soldiers in the field, day in and day out.

But the morning began very differently than we had expected.

As we gathered, we received the heartbreaking news of the passing of William “Will” Shakin z”l, a former Lone Soldier. His loss stayed with us throughout the day, a painful reminder that these conversations about Lone Soldiers are never theoretical. Behind every statistic, policy, and program are young men and women, their families, their friends, and entire communities. May his memory be a blessing.

For me, as CEO of the Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin, it was an opportunity to pause amid the intensity of our work and look forward together.

From Roundtable Discussions to an Action Plan

Throughout the day, ten roundtable discussions took place, and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration asked me to facilitate one of them, bringing our experience from the field to the table.

We asked: What does a Lone Soldier need at every stage of the journey? What is already working? Where are the gaps? How do we build a continuum of support that begins before enlistment, continues throughout military service and times of crisis, includes the family overseas, and does not end on the day of discharge?

The insights and recommendations from all ten roundtables will help shape the Ministry’s future work and action plan.

For me, this is how meaningful change happens: government, professional organizations, and those working on the ground coming together, with the voices and experiences of Lone Soldiers themselves at the center.

Each represents a young person who left behind home, family, language, and everything familiar to immigrate to Israel and enlist in the IDF.

“We are doing a lot, but we can do more for them and for their families.” -Minister of Immigration and Absorption

The Voice From the Field

Research presented at the conference, conducted among Lone Soldiers, revealed an important gap:

71% said pre-enlistment information was clear

72% said they knew where to turn when they needed help

83% believed their parents did not have the information they needed

For me, the 83% deserves particular attention.

When a young person makes aliyah and enlists in the IDF, their family also embarks on a journey. They simply do it from afar.

Before enlistment, parents have questions about the process, their child’s rights, housing, Hebrew, and where to turn when something goes wrong. During training, the questions change. Later come concerns about leave, health, emotional challenges, rights, and coping during times of crisis.

At the Lone Soldier Center, we try to bridge that distance. We host Zoom calls for parents, share regular updates and resources, answer questions as they arise, and advocate for stronger government communication and support for families overseas.

The questions change throughout the journey. The need to support the family does not.

One parent’s words stayed with me:

“We don’t have another country... that’s why we send our children.”

For me, this sentence contains the whole story: Zionism, faith in the State of Israel, immense pride, and also the concern of a parent who is thousands of kilometers away from their child.

I left with a deep sense of responsibility, but also with hope.

The war created profound challenges and made even clearer the areas where we must improve. But it also created an opportunity to reexamine systems, bring organizations together, and ask not just, “What are we giving today?” but “What reality do we want to create tomorrow?”

And above all, we will continue to uphold the principle that has guided us throughout the years:

Liora Rubinstein

CEO

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