The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces will host a special Passover Seder for 420 lone soldiers from 35 different countries. One of them is 27-year-old Danny Brode, serving in the IDF's Civil Administration unit in Judea and Samaria. While Danny will be celebrating Passover here in Israel, his brother, Lt. Matthew Brode of the U.S. Army will having his Passover Seder with the Jewish soldiers in his base in Kabul, Afghanistan, where he has been for eight months. "I visited Israel six years ago and felt like I belonged to this country," Danny said. "I am not religious, but I thought that as a Jew, it is important for me to live here." Danny made aliyah to Israel more than three years ago wanting to study at Tel Aviv University. "I received my draft papers and enlisted to the IDF as a lone soldier. My parents were a bit shocked because they thought I was coming here to study, and suddenly I enlist in the army and tell them Israel is my home, but they have supported me all the way," he said. Before Danny joined the IDF, his brother Matthew had enlisted to the U.S. army and was sent to Afghanistan. "I have not seen Matthew for a year and a half, and it's hard, but I keep in touch with him through Facebook and with the family as well. I will celebrate the Passover Seder in Israel, my brother will in Afghanistan, and my parents and two little brothers will have it in Pittsburgh. I hope my brothers follow me and make aliyah." The lone soldiers will hold their Passover Seder at a resort village in Givat Olga, courtesy of the Canadian Zionist Cultural Association. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz is scheduled to come and visit the resort to meet the soldiers and wish them a happy holiday. "It is a great honor for us to host the lone soldiers for a Passover Seder," said Avigdor Kahalani, head of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers. "We embrace them and they deserve all the appreciation for their decision to leave their families abroad and enlist to Israel's security forces, with all the difficulties involved."
