
New Garin Tzabar Lone Soldier Home Opens in Galilee
A new residence at the Hannaton Educational Center in the Galilee has opened its doors to IDF lone soldiers, creating a warm home where young men and women without nearby family can live alongside Israeli peers. The project aims to ease both the practical and emotional burdens of service by embedding soldiers within a supportive campus setting—shared meals, mentorship, and a built-in circle of friends that can make all the difference during long stretches away from base. Organizers describe the model as a meaningful upgrade over classic housing assistance, offering a true community rather than just a room.
Beyond a bed and four walls, the residence focuses on the ordinary rhythms that build resilience: a place where someone asks about your day, a Shabbat table that is set even when parents are continents away, and a neighbor who notices if you’re late back from base. Staff and volunteers coordinate healthcare appointments, budgeting workshops, and career guidance, while alumni and reservists drop by to share hard-won advice on navigating military bureaucracy and planning for life after service. The home also plugs soldiers into nearby kibbutzim and regional programs, widening their social network and deepening roots in northern Israel.
Supporters say the approach fills gaps that stipends alone cannot bridge. The stability of “home life” helps soldiers focus on their missions and endure the stress of training, deployment, and reserve duty. With new cohorts already applying, advocates hope Hannaton’s example will be replicated in other regions so that no IDF lone soldier has to serve Israel without a place to belong.
(JPost/VFI News)
“God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing.” – Psalm 68:6
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