Some 3,000 lone soldiers serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Those young men and women left their homes, families, cultures and languages to lead a new life in Israel. Their decision to make aliyah can typically be traced to their participation in some form of Zionist education, including Taglit-Birthright Israel and Masa Israel trips. Some are idealists, others less so, but they all share a desire to live a better life in Israel. Upon making this decision, they soon realize that joining the IDF provides the fastest track for joining the fold of Israeli society. It is their entry pass. Although we are all delighted when we see such highly motivated individuals arrive, we must also own up to the fact that Israeli society has often ignored their plight and failed to properly address their travails: their separation from their families and friends, the language barriers they cope with, the new environment to which they have to adapt. The IDF, owing to its special role as a melting pot, expends a lot of resources to help this very delicate group gain its footing in Israel. Israel's civil society has also stepped up to the plate and helped fill the emotional and material adjustments olim have to grapple with. Yet, for all the hardships that come from serving in a military far away from their loved ones, olim face an even greater challenge upon their discharge. Most Israelis feel a sense of excitement when they re-enter civilian life and get to enjoy its freedoms. But for those lone soldiers, the anxiety is at its peak precisely at that moment, and this is when the support from the family and friends they left behind is most needed. This is also where Israeli society must step in. To borrow from military lingo, Israelis must offer to carry the stretcher with the lone soldier and continue supporting him into civilian life. This is why the Jewish Agency for Israel partnered with the David and Laura Merage Foundation to create Wings, a program that helps discharged soldiers transition into civilian life. The program will mark its 10th anniversary this week with much fanfare. Wings offers soldiers a preparatory course that commences 90 days ahead of their discharge. The program's mentors and volunteers help them navigate in Israeli society for two years after their discharge, provide them with guidance on employment and education, help them obtain legal counsel and financial advice, and more. I meet those lone soldiers every now then, and my sense of satisfaction grows each time. Their meaningful service and their decision to give it all they had encourages me to do more. They are the main protagonists in our collective beret march, the grueling physical challenge at the end of basic training. If we are successful, we will have become a more just, accommodating society that is more sensitive toward others. It is easy to forget that even though those highly motivated olim radiate resilience, this often hides their many bouts of loneliness. The responsibility for their proper integration extends beyond the absorption centers to our collective behavior; it depends on whether we muster the necessary wisdom to open our hearts and extend a helping hand as they figure out their daily lives. Yehuda Scharf is the director of the Aliya and Absorption Department at the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Lone soldiers, in civilian life
מערכת ישראל היום
מערכת "ישראל היום“ מפיקה ומעדכנת תכנים חדשותיים, מבזקים ופרשנויות לאורך כל שעות היממה. התוכן נערך בקפדנות, נבדק עובדתית ומוגש לציבור מתוך האמונה שהקוראים ראויים לעיתונות טובה יותר - אמינה, אובייקטיבית ועניינית.
