Thanking the ‘Lone Soldiers’

To help create an emergency home for pre and current “Lone Soldiers” across the globe, the Irving Place Minyan in Woodmere held a night of appreciation for Israel Defense Forces lone soldiers on Oct. 24.

Lone soldiers are personnel serving in the Israel Defense Forces who do not have immediate family in Israel. They are typically immigrants, orphans or Israeli-born and estranged from their families.

Josh Flaster, national director of the Lone Soldier Center, Ari Kalker, director of housing and special projects for the center and Elisha Levy, a former combat soldier and spokesman, and a speech assistant to the president of Israel spoke to the attendees.

Flaster graduated from Yale University and served in the IDF for three years as a lone soldier in a special forces infantry unit. After his IDF service, he helped create the Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin, along with Kalker, also a friend of Levin. Kalker served as a commander and combat lone soldier in the IDF for four years.