Last week, Frisch seniors from Dr. Tuvia Book’s class heard from Josh and Jake Flaster, American Jews from Arizona who made aliyah a decade ago to become lone soldiers in Israel. Today, Josh—a Yale graduate and former college football star who turned down law school to serve in the IDF—runs The Lone Soldier Center in Jerusalem to help others who choose to become chayalim despite having few, if any, family members and friends in Israel.

Josh and Jake answered questions that students asked about the challenges and triumphs they experienced serving as lone soldiers, and they imparted to students the incredible privilege they feel to be able to help protect the Jewish State and help others acclimate to the army and life in Israel.