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Making sure they’ll never feel truly alone.
Lone Soldiers & FIDF
Lone Soldier programs offer support to 7,000 young men and women actively serving in the Israel Defense Forces with no immediate family in Israel to rely upon. About half come from Israel, sometimes orphans or from broken homes, and the other half volunteer from abroad with distance between them and their families. FIDF provides these young soldiers with practical and emotional support throughout their service.
Social & Emotional Support
In partnership with Nefesh B’Nefesh, FIDF’s Lone Soldiers program includes a 24-hour call center, advocacy with government agencies, social gatherings such as holiday meals and Errands Day, and more. The program also provides valuable support and connections for the parents of Lone Soldiers.
Financial Assistance
Together with Nefesh B’Nefesh, FIDF provides Lone Soldiers with a small financial safety net for the beginning of their service to help them comfortably settle in their new roles. During their service FIDF sponsors holiday gift vouchers that enable Lone Soldiers to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and select other holidays observed by minorities, without financial concerns.
Flights Home
Through one of its most heartwarming programs, FIDF provides Lone Soldiers with flights home, reuniting them with cherished family and friends during their service.
Fun Day
Once a year, FIDF sponsors a Fun Day for Lone Soldiers at a waterpark to ease loneliness as Lone Soldiers connect with others who relate to their experiences.
Warm Homes
The Warm Home program provides Lone Soldiers with state-of-the-art housing throughout their service.
5,000 IDF Lone Soldiers enjoy ‘Fun Day’ at Israeli Water Park
Some 5,000 Lone Soldiers – Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers with no immediate family in Israel – gathered at Shefayim Water Park – Israel’s largest waterpark, just outside of Tel Aviv, for a day of rest and recuperation, earlier today. The “Fun Day” was hosted by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF ) in partnership with the IDF and Yachad Le’maan Ha’chayal (The Association for the Wellbeing of Israel’s Soldiers and The LIBI Fund). There are some 6,116 Lone Soldiers from 80 countries serving in the IDF today. About 810 came from the United States, 546 from Ukraine, 459
Lone Soldiers’ “Personal Errands Day” is a key step in caring for IDF
By land, sea, and air, the courageous men and women of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dedicate their every day to protecting the Jewish State. Within this group, the challenges of immigrant “Lone Soldiers,” who voluntarily enlist in the army, and have no family members living in Israel, are particularly notable. For instance, Lone Soldiers often find themselves without the time to complete their basic personal errands and to navigate the often-arduous process of Israeli bureaucracy. Given this reality, Nefesh B’Nefesh and the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), together with the IDF Human Resources Department, organize the annual
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Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
p: (212) 244-3118 f: (212) 244-3119 PO Box 4224 NY, NY 10163 USA
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization
