Moving to Israel by yourself and joining the IDF or National Service (Sherut Leumi) can be one of the most challenging and frustrating decisions people can make, especially if their knowledge of Hebrew is minimal. This is especially the case if they lack a proper support system. In that regard, the Michael Levin Base may be exactly what they need: a home, a family, a community.
Michael Levin was a lone soldier from Philadelphia who moved to Israel in 2002 and was drafted into the paratroopers unit. In 2006, he was killed during the Second Lebanon War. Levin had constantly spoken about his life’s dream – to create a support system for lone soldiers so that they would be able to avoid what he personally had to deal with before and during his army service.
Supporting Israel’s b’not sherut as much as IDF lone soldiers
Although the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Center and the Michael Levin Base both have similar goals to help lone soldiers, co-director of the Michael Levin Base, Lizzie Noach, told The Jerusalem Post in 2021 that “previous Michael Levin organizations had different intentions and did not want to serve b’not sherut (female National Service volunteers), so that aspect is now focused solely on the Michael Levin Base.”
Noach added that it is important to help and support b’not sherut, as they have similar struggles and face many of the same problems that lone soldiers deal with.
The Michael Levin Base was founded in 2020 by volunteers and professionals who had worked within the lone soldier community in the past. Owing to its effectiveness and usefulness, the base recently moved to a larger location in Jerusalem, in time to celebrate its third anniversary and Levin’s birthday. The Michael Levin Base, which measures 210 square meters, is now located at 4 Eliyahu Mani St. near Mahaneh Yehuda, around the corner from its previous location.
“We are very pleased that we have a new venue, a new home,” said Richard Corman, chairman of the board of directors of the Michael Levin Base. “The largest room is double the size of what we had before. It means, in terms of creating community, for Shabbat events we can have 80 or 90 people instead of 40 to 45.”
Bonnie Rosenbaum, co-director of the Michael Levin Base, noted: “Over the past three years, we have gone above and beyond our expectations. We can’t wait to see what the next three years and beyond will bring to our Lone Soldier/National Service community.”
“Over the past three years, we have gone above and beyond our expectations. We can’t wait to see what the next three years and beyond will bring to our Lone Soldier/National Service community.”
Bonnie Rosenbaum
On a recent Friday morning, the Michael Levin Base reopened its doors, inviting friends, neighbors and notable guests such as Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum and Israel Police international spokesperson Dean Elsdunne.
The base was filled with laughter, joy and excitement as about 40 people came to celebrate the move. The new space erupted with applause and cheering as the first mezuzah was affixed to the door.
Corman, Hassan-Nahoum and Elsdunne spoke about the Michael Levin Base and how much it means to the Lone Soldier/National Service community, as well as Israel in general.
“The incredible work that they do to support our lone soldiers, for them to have a community here, is incredible,” Hassan-Nahoum said. She pointed out that many young women in the National Service are neglected, since they are not serving in the army and feel like there is no support or respect for them compared to lone soldiers. But the Michael Levin Base stands out for making sure that they feel loved, respected and cared for just as much as lone soldiers.
“For the Sherut Leumi young women to be considered on the same level as lone soldiers is something that is really important,” she said.
“For the Sherut Leumi young women to be considered on the same level as lone soldiers is something that is really important.”
Fleur Hassan-Nahoum
The Michael Levin Base: “Doing God's work”
WHEN YOU enter the Michael Levin Base, you are immediately greeted with the staff’s warm smiles and friendly hellos. The new location’s outdoor sitting area, perfect for barbecues, is a great place to meet others who have come to Israel and volunteered in the army or National Service.
The large kitchen is open for everyone to enjoy, and is complete with a coffee bar, numerous refrigerators filled with endless amounts of milk, a cereal bar, and a variety of kitchen appliances ready for use. Near the kitchen is a mini-store stocked with reasonably priced necessities such as toiletries, clothing, shoe polish and general merchandise.
The main room features a comfortable couch, giving the new facility a homey feeling as soldiers and National Service volunteers settle into watching programs on TV and XBox.
Every Thursday night, the Michael Levin Base hosts lone soldiers and lone b’not sherut – current, past or pre-draftee – for events such as movie night, Super Bowl parties, sheva brachot and trivia nights. Every Friday morning, there is a breakfast for everyone to enjoy.
Elsdunne, who had been a lone soldier himself, said he believed that the Michael Levin Base “is doing God’s work.”
“The focus is on our soldiers. Instead of all the negative things you hear, they are really focusing all the needs on the people who want to be something greater,” he explained. “We all have a role, and the role of the base is no less important.”
What do the lone soldiers, b’not sherut think of their “home away from home?”
The Post asked current and former lone soldiers and lone b’not sherut how they feel about the Michael Levin Base, the majority calling it their “home away from home.”
“The base is an incredible organization that gives support and community to lone soldiers, which is exactly what they’re missing,” one former lone soldier said. “They come from overseas to serve, and what they lack is a support system in a foreign land and a community to be around them when they do get home [from their army base], and that is exactly what they can get here.”
“When I come here, I feel at home and I can be myself. I made so many friends around my age who are going through the same thing as I am. It warms my heart to know that I’m not alone.”
Sivan Harpaz
“It’s a comfort zone,” said Sivan Harpaz, a National Service volunteer. “When I come here, I feel at home and I can be myself. I made so many friends around my age who are going through the same thing as I am. It warms my heart to know that I’m not alone.”
“As a former lone bat sherut, having a support system like the Michael Levin Base that supports b’not sherut is very hard to find,” a former National Service volunteer said. “We [b’not sherut] feel like we are cared for, respected and, most importantly, supported while doing our service in Israel.”
“It’s a place where friends can gather,” said Shmuel Goldberg, a former lone soldier from South Africa. “It’s a place where I can relax; there’s no pressure, and I can just be myself here.”
Moving overseas to serve in a different country can be one of the hardest and scariest moments of a person’s life. But the Michael Levin Base, and the support the organization gives, are something so important to the lone soldiers and National Service young women, that it has become a true home away from home. ❖
Gabrielle Abrams contributed to this article.