There are plenty of resources and organizations that help lone soldiers, Americans who volunteer to serve in the IDF without having any immediate family in Israel, with their transition from America to Israel. But what is available to help them when they come back? While lots of lone soldiers stay in Israel after their service, many return to the United States, and face certain types of difficulties rejoining civilian life. They lack the community support and shared purpose that they had while serving in the IDF, and this can lead to an unsuccessful transition. Chabad Rabbi Ari Abramowitz, who lives in Monsey, noticed this when he came back from Israel after serving in combat as a lone soldier for many years, and founded the organization Nevut.
Nevut’s mission is to empower returning soldiers to lead successful lives and to get involved in their communities. Just a year and a half since it was started, Nevut has helped to create a network of veterans who help each other when they return to civilian life. Over 300 lone soldiers return to America every year, and before Nevut there was not much structure in place to help them transition. Through social events, personal guidance and individual empowerment, Nevut seeks to enable these men and women to become successful and fulfilled after their return.
While in Israel in 2008 attending yeshiva, Abramowitz was appalled by the rockets and terror coming from Gaza. He was especially alarmed after the Mercaz HaRav massacre, knowing that it could have been him who tragically lost his life in yeshiva. He felt a real connection to the young boys who were murdered that sad day. “I was so similar to the people who were killed,” he pointed out. “What’s the difference between them and me?” He chose to enlist in the IDF and joined the Netzach Yehuda Combat Infantry Battalion.
While serving, he was taken in by a group of former lone soldiers who had made aliyah. They “raised” him as a son, and he was touched by their kindness. After working with lone soldiers in Israel for a few years, he returned to America and embarked on a mission to help returning veterans find their direction in life.
Once people finish their service in the IDF, they have many questions as they transition back to their lives: What is my purpose? What is my next step? Why am I here?
Nevut, as Abramowitz puts it, gives these veterans a “push to dive into the deep end” and helps them reach the next level of personal success. Since they lack the sense of brotherhood they enjoyed in their army unit, Nevut creates a community of veterans that form their own brotherhood here in America. This is done through various social events, such as camping trips, barbecues and shabbatons. The focus of the events is getting people to feel comfortable with each other and to empower each other to be successful by giving advice. The goal is to bring them together. “Guys are able to open up and be real and move on to the next level,” Abramowitz said. Additionally, they participate in lots of celebrations for chagim. Jewish identity is a very strong component because, since they’re not in Israel anymore, keeping up religious observance and connections on their own is very important.
Likewise, Nevut provides veterans with personal and group guidance. Everyone has different meanings of success and wants different things, so Abramowitz strives to make each of them successful in their own personal area. This is done in formal sessions as well as in casual conversation or over the phone. It can be deep life conversations, or something as simple as friend or school advice.
Leadership and mentorship are also two important pillars of the organization. “The important thing about these events is not the social aspect; rather to empower these people to be mentors and leaders,” noted Abramowitz. The ability to give back to someone going through similar experiences to one’s own is very important for the returning soldiers. They lived very similar lives while in the IDF, and they want to help each other out after their service.
Nevut has done so much in less than two years. Where will it go from here? The organization grows mainly by word of mouth, and that is what has enabled this vast network to expand and develop. People invite their friends to events and reach out to fellow veterans in the region. While it is based in the Northeast, veterans who have been helped by the group have taken it upon themselves to help lone soldiers around the country, in places as far as California and Texas. That is the true purpose of the organization: to empower others to want to help each other.
There are many opportunities to support Nevut. Recommending the organization to any veterans who may need its vast array of services is a great way to help the soldiers themselves and to help Nevut grow. Businesses can hire returning lone soldiers to help them restart their lives with a clear career path. This lets them grow and also greatly benefits the business because these men and women are skilled in various types of work. Hosting or coordinating events for veterans in a particular area extends Nevut’s reach and allows more and more soldiers to benefit from this growing network.
Nevut continues to helps soldiers reach their personal level of success and achieve more in their lives. As the organization continues to develop, only time will tell how many more lives will be positively impacted. Learn more at nevut.org or join its Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/NevutILS/.
By Zach Marcus
Zach Marcus is a rising senior at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School and a Jewish Link summer intern.
