Shlomo Kroopnick, a 19-year-old TABC graduate from Bergenfield currently living in Giv’at Shmuel, is set to join the Israel Defence Force on December 24. Describing himself as someone who grew up always having a strong passion for Israel, Shlomo’s decision comes on the heels of years of thought and an inherent passion to help people.

Having always wanted to give back to Israel, Shlomo explained that he made the decision to join the army towards the end of his high school days. Following his 2016 high school graduation, Kroopnick attended Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion for his gap year, spending time enjoying the country’s culture and learning Torah. He ultimately decided to remain and continue studying for longer than just the year. Having now lived and gone about his life amongst the soldiers of the IDF, Kroopnick is ready to finally become one himself. He said that part of his interest in joining came from meeting people who have already gone through the experience.

“I’m a little nervous, but also very, very excited,” Kroopnick explained to The Jewish Link. “There’s always going to be those pre-army jitters that come along with everything, but I’m so glad to say that it’s finally happening after so much preparation and effort. This is something I’ve been waiting to get to do for a while.”

While Shlomo has signed on to do an 18-month service, he is already thinking of extending it to two years. He will join Plugat Tomer, which is an all-religious company in the Givati Infantry Brigade. As a modern Orthodox Jew, Kroopnick said he’s looking forward to working with people from different backgrounds, as well as the religious benefits that this unit has to offer, such as daily minyanim and an hour a day to learn Torah during training. When asked to discuss how his time growing up attending yeshiva in the States affected his decision and goals, Kroopnick partially attributed it to the nurturing environment of his schools and the support of his parents, who raised him to strive to follow his heart and do something in life for which he has passion. While they were hesitant about Shlomo being drafted, they have now accepted his decision and support him.

“Once I was thinking of drafting, I wanted to get the full picture of everything,” Kroopnick shared. “I spoke to many people from all different walks of life and heard both the good and the bad. My parents were nervous for me through the process, really in a worrying way because there can be some scary things that can happen. To see your son go across the world can be stressful, but once things started happening they came around.”

As Kroopnick had already been in Israel for yeshiva, when asked if he plans to make aliyah following his service he explained that he fully intends to, and it’s something he’s looking forward to doing one day in the future.

“Obviously I would love to make aliyah,” Shlomo explained. “I can’t really say for sure now, but after the army I’m going to see if an opportunity presents itself. It’s something I really want to do.”

For those individuals considering becoming soldiers themselves, Kroopnick explained that the key for him was giving himself enough time to thoroughly think over the opportunity and all the factors involved before coming to his decision. He said that if such a large decision is made on a whim, due to the difficulty of the army, the person may unfortunately come away resenting the experience, which would be a shame.

“You really have to think it over,” Kroopnick shared. “You have to spend a lot of time on it. It’s something you really, really have to want and believe in. If you don’t want it or are unsure about it, from what I’ve heard, it’s only going to hurt your experience. Everyone I’ve spoken to says that the army is a very hard place. If you don’t have the right motivation and mindset it’s going to be harder.”

For those interested in learning more about pre-army preparations, Shlomo shared that he is very open to talking about his experience. He welcomes all questions, which can be sent to his email at [email protected].

By Adam Samuel

 Adam Samuel is a journalist from Teaneck. When he isn’t busy reading the daily news, he divides his time between managing his blog, adamssoapbox.blog, and gradually learning how to play piano.