At an event held at Congregation Beth Aaron on Thursday evening, March 28, lone soldier “H” shared his experiences since the outbreak of the October 7 war. After 100 death-defying days serving in a counterterrorism unit in Gaza, rescuing over 100 wounded soldiers, H headed directly to the Michael Levin Base in Jerusalem for “rest and recharging.” Shortly after his return, he resumed his service at the base as a counselor for lone soldiers wishing to serve in special forces.

H is one of 7,000 lone soldiers and b’not sherut currently serving in the IDF. Of these, approximately 3,500 are Israelis who, for a variety of personal situations, rely on lone soldier organizations for their food and lodging. The other 3,500 are young men and women from around the world, from Teaneck to Toronto, Los Angeles to London, who have picked up and left families, jobs and universities to serve alongside their Israeli counterparts in the defense of Israel.

The Michael Levin Base, established in 2020 and located on 4 Eliyahu Mani Street, adjacent to Shuk Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem, is serving over 2,300 young men and women as a “welcoming home away from home.” Unique among lone soldier facilities, the base serves over 400 b’not sherut.

Addressing the March 28 event was Richard Corman, native New Jerseyan, who served as the executive director of the JCC of Central New Jersey for 21 years. After making aliyah in 2012 with his wife, Jean, to join their two sons and their families, Corman served as the development Director of StandWithUs for seven years. Shortly after retiring from SWU, Corman received a call from Mark and Harriet Levin, who were in the process of establishing the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation in memory of their beloved son Michael, z’l, who was the first paratrooper and the only American to die in the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Michael Levin was a lone soldier from Pennsylvania. He grew up in a traditional Jewish household, was active in USY, and attended Camp Ramah. After graduating from high school, Michael attended the NATIV USY yearlong program in Israel. At age 16, Michael’s dream was to join a frontline combat unit in the IDF, a dream that he fulfilled three years later when he immigrated to Israel and joined the elite Paratroop Unit #890. During his first year of service, he rose to the rank of first sergeant, with the hopes of becoming a career officer. He always shared that upon arrival in Israel as a lone soldier, he slept on a park bench for two nights without anyplace to go. He was determined that after his discharge, he would create a place that young lone soldiers could call their “home away from home.”

In fulfilling their son’s wishes, Mark and Harriet Levin established the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation in February 2020 to meet the social and supportive needs of the lone soldier and b’not sherut community, while providing them with opportunities for enrichment and a successful assimilation into Israeli society upon discharge from their service. They turned to Richard Corman to serve as the chairman of the board of the newly established Michael Levin Base.

The Michael Levin Base is manned by a board of professionals and volunteers including rabbis, doctors, mental health specialists, teachers and experts from a variety of physical and mental health backgrounds. The base serves its clientele before, during and after their service. These services include providing Shabbat and holiday meals, securing suitable living arrangements, arranging for quick access to medical specialists, arranging for mental health counseling, and preparing for life after service through educational seminars on discharge benefits, budgeting, job search and CV writing. For soldiers out in the field, the base provides comforting visits, supplementary food packages, and clothing essentials such as socks, underwear, hats, towels and toiletries. Since October 7, the base has been providing critical supplies such as tourniquets, hydration packs, energy bars, first aid kits and much-needed winter gear. Fully cognizant of the needs of the parents and families of lone soldiers, the base reaches out and offers them helpful resources and advice.

Corman, who also serves as the vice chair of the Jerusalem Green Fund, whose mission is to make Jerusalem a greener and cleaner city, said that all of the activities of the Michael Levin Base are accomplished through the dedication of only two full-time staff members, joined by a devoted coterie of volunteers. Two of the volunteers served alongside Michael Levin, z”l, and are “giving back” as a tribute to his memory.

Recent activities on behalf of the lone soldiers and bnot sherut have included the distribution of arba minim on Sukkot, a festive Chanukah celebration, Thanksgiving dinner and most recently, three Megillah readings over Purim. After providing for Pesach and marking Yom Hazikaron, the Base will mark Yom Ha’Atzmaut by hosting barbecues for lone soldiers at bases around the country. A new initiative undertaken by the Base is reaching out to Russian and French lone soldiers in their bases.

Corman proudly reported that since October 7, the Michael Levine Base has facilitated the shipping of 44 pallets of supplies donated by a U.S. Syrian community, including 800 boxes of merchandise, which were distributed to 300 army units consisting of 20,000 soldiers. Also, many of the missions that have been visiting Israel make the Michael Levin Base an inspirational stop on their itineraries.

Your support of the Michael Levin Base is most appreciated.

USD Checks should be made payable to:

The Ne’eman Foundation USA

Memo: The Base

Mail to: 867 Boylston Street, 5th Floor #1342, Boston, MA 02116

NIS checks should be made payable to:

The Michael Levin Base

Mail to: 4 Eliyahu Mani Street, Jerusalem, Israel 9432412