It took years for the Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin (LSC) to find the perfect facility and location. Requirements included a comfortable living space for 10 soldiers and a madrich, an adequate kitchen and laundry room, plus a welcoming synagogue community and rabbi near by.
A new home, in the Mekor Chaim neighborhood of Jerusalem, Israel, for lone soldiers, opened the beginning of March and has celebrated its first Shabbat. Joshua Brook, a former South African lone soldier, will serve as madrich. Among his responsibilities is to be there for guidance and support of the young men who are just starting their army service.
A lone soldier is an IDF soldier with no family in Israel to support him or her. They may be a new immigrant, a volunteer from abroad, an orphan or an individual from a broken home. Soldiers regularly spend weekends and holidays at home where their parents provide for their needs – food, laundry, and a hug. For more than 5,700 lone soldiers, there is no immediate family in Israel to support them. When on leave, many of them struggle to fulfill their most basic needs. The IDF stipend for housing does not cover the high cost of living in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.
This facility is to serve as a home away from home. Besides, sleeping and doing their laundry on weekend leave, Shabat and holiday meals can be prepared. One of the original LSC volunteers, Ari Kalker, a former lone soldier from the New York, met BJL at the home to show the new facility. Jared, a soon to be enlisted lone solder from Indianapolis, who has two brothers currently serving, is one of the ten lucky new residents showed his room. Eight of the young men were learning in Yeshiva HaKotel, came originally from Chicago, Seattle, and Johannesburg. Volunteers not only cleaned and painted the building, but also fixed up the outside area with artificial grass and planted flowers. Another group of volunteers donated a large BBQ grill. The home has a piano in the living room and bathrooms on each floor.
Michael Levin made Aliyah from Philadelphia in 2002, joining the Paratroopers. In the summer of 2006, Michael was given leave to visit his family in the US. Two weeks into his trip, war broke out on Israel’s northern border when Hizbollah ambushed an IDF patrol, killing five reservists and kidnapping Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. When Israel crossed the border in an attempt to rescue them, Hizbollah began its assault on Israel, launching thousands of rockets at the communities of northern Israel.
Michael immediately cut short his vacation and flew back to Israel to serve with his unit. He fought to receive permission to rejoin his friends. When Michael arrived, his unit was sent to the Hizbollah village of Aita al-Shaab. It was to this Hizbollah stronghold that Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev had been taken two weeks earlier. On Tuesday, August 1, Michael’s unit moved forward and began an intense fire-fight with Hizbollah forces inside the village of Aita al-Shaab. Michael Levin was 21 years old when he fell fighting for the country he loved.
Tziki Aud worked for 27 years at the Jewish Agency supporting new olim, in particular lone soldiers. Tziki and Michael became close over the course of Michael’s service. Michael related to Tziki his dream, that one day there would be a center for lone soldiers. A place where they could receive meals, support, and advice throughout their army service. In Michael's memory the LSC was established. His courage lives on in the thousands of lone soldiers who continue down the path Michael set – to make Aliyah, to serve in the IDF, and to build a life in the land of Israel.
The LSC has grown, now it has over 300 volunteers, mostly former lone soldiers. With the opening of a home for religious boys, the LSC is now looking for a proper location and facility for girls. The cost of housing in Jerusalem is high. Finding another facility as good as the Mekor Chaim home will not be easy.
After delivering Mishloah Manot, to army bases up and down the country, the Lone Soldier Center's next would like to give all lone soldiers vouchers to help cover the increased costs for Pesach.
https://lonesoldiercenter.com/
