(Ha'aretz) Judy Maltz - Last week, Israeli officials held a hero's welcome for 350 Diaspora Jews who were under no obligation to serve in the army. Yet, they chose to leave behind family and friends - now of all times - to volunteer for military service in a faraway country at war. Mostly in their late teens and early twenties, these young men and women are participants in Garin Tzabar, a program that brings hundreds of volunteers to the Israel Defense Forces every year. At any given time, about 3,500 soldiers from overseas serve in the IDF, with more than a third coming through Garin Tzabar. Among the 900 soldiers killed in action since Oct. 7, six were Garin Tzabar participants (another two were counselors in the program). Since Oct. 7, participation in Garin Tzabar has increased markedly. In August 2023, 230 lone soldiers arrived. By August 2024, that number had risen to 320, and by August 2025, to 350. Saul Rurka, a British-Israeli who supports social welfare projects for lone soldiers, said, "In the past year, when I ask them...what made them come to Israel and join the IDF, the answer will be 'the 7th.' It jolted a lot of young people who were not really connected to Judaism and who now say they want to protect their people and their country." Not one of these soon-to-be-soldiers said they had second thoughts about their decision. Although Americans account for the largest group, this summer's cohort includes participants from Australia, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, France, Britain, Germany, Denmark and Holland. Children of Israelis account for about half the participants. Dr. Lior Yohanani, a political sociologist at the Israel Democracy Institute, said, "There's a lot of antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment out there these days, and without sounding cynical, it's being used to help recruit these kids. This is also really the first time in many years that there's a true sense of emergency in the country, so these kids really feel that there's a purpose to what they're doing."
2025-09-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive