For the first time since the launch of the post-Oct. 7 Birthright Israel volunteer program, parents of lone soldiers have arrived as an organized group—77 of them, 27 from the United States, with the remainder from Russia and Argentina—to see their children and assist the Jewish state.
They had an emotional reunion with their sons and daughters on Aug. 7 at the Moshe Dayan Israel Defense Forces base in Glilot Junction.
“There are not enough words to describe the deep admiration we have for you, the lone soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. David (“Dado”) Bar Kalifa, head of the IDF Manpower Directorate. “Watching you hugging your parents after such a long time is a great joy and a deeply emotional moment.”
David Delman of New York City, whose son serves in the IDF Combat Engineering Corps, said: “Our son always tells us that the soldiers who serve with him make him feel like he’s part of a new family that was formed in Israel. Now, we can see exactly what he means, as we feel it ourselves. I’m sure all the other parents in our group feel the same way; we all share the same destiny.”
The delegation arrived on Aug. 5 and will remain for a 14-day volunteer mission. During their stay, they will work in agricultural fields near the Gaza Strip, package food to be distributed across Israel and contribute to other volunteer projects.
They will also tour the Gaza Envelope, including Sderot and Re’im—site of the Nova music festival that now serves as a memorial to the nearly 400 victims of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023—and meet with senior IDF officers and municipal leaders.
Five more groups from around the world are expected to arrive in Israel with Birthright this month, bringing the total to 160 parents.
