Lone soldier
Making it official: Inside the Nativ program training IDF soldiers to 'join the tribe'
Nativ began with a Trustee Committee in 1998 and was adopted as a military program in 2000. To date, over 58,000 soldiers have begun the program, and close to 20,000 have completed conversion.
Memorial ceremony for fallen IDF lone soldier held in US hometown, marking 30 days since passing
Memorial Day ceremony honors 47 fallen lone soldiers since October 7
A shattered covenant: Israel’s lone soldiers and the broken promise of care
L’chaim at a lone soldier's grave - opinion
That glass, raised at a grave, placed life exactly where death was standing.
Grapevine, March 27, 2026: A welcome break
Movers and shakers in Israeli society.
Housing for lone soldiers is essential to Israel’s wartime resilience - opinion
Housing for lone soldiers is more than shelter; it provides stability, community, and the support needed to endure wartime service.
IDF lone soldiers mark bar and bat mitzvah at Western Wall, including some family surprises
The event was organized by Ach Gadol (Big Brother for Lone Soldiers), a nonprofit that provides one-on-one mentorship and community support for soldiers serving in Israel without immediate family.
Grapevine: Ancient minority
Movers and shakers in Israeli society.
Levi Preger: From a Dutch town to the IDF
Preger, aged 27 is a lone soldier who made aliyah from the Netherlands. For the past four years, he has been active with the Growing Wings Foundation, a nonprofit that supports lone soldiers.
Herzog meets lone soldiers and families in closed-door Melbourne gathering
The meeting, held on the sidelines of the last day of Herzog’s visit to Australia, underscored both the pride and the unease felt by Diaspora families whose children chose to join the IDF.
KeepOlim: supporting olim where the system falls short
What began as an online community soon evolved into KeepOlim, a registered nonprofit now serving nearly 48,000 members across Israel.
'Pillar of the community': Mourning loss of lone soldier Joshua Boone, family pushes for IDF burial
Since Boone’s death was just over two weeks after his reserve service officially ended, the Defense Ministry does not recognize him as a fallen soldier under existing criteria.
Over 150 young immigrants to make aliyah, join IDF, through Garin Tzabar this winter
The announcement follows about 350 arrivals in summer 2025, bringing the program’s total for the year to roughly 500 and marking a record since its founding in 1991.
