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is why we created Lev LaChayal – to – like being able to push themselves
make sure that religious lone soldiers in their learning in the beit midrash.
never have to be alone and get the
support they need. Most importantly, we help our
students strengthen their spiritual
Why was Lev LaChayal started, foundation. We learn about the
and what makes the program spiritual ideal of serving in the army
unique? as well as the halachic issues that they
will grapple with in active service.
While serving in the IDF, Lev LaChayal
was the program I wished I had. I We help our students understand
wasn’t the only one who felt this that serving in the IDF is about self-
way. I often spoke with my roommate, transcendence, about sacrificing our
Yehuda Yager, about how much a lone own concerns for something greater
soldier support system would have than ourselves.
helped us while we were in the IDF. How has the landscape for
The day I was released from the army, religious lone soldiers changed
I returned to Yeshivat Lev HaTorah since your IDF service twelve
and discussed the idea with Rabbi years ago?
Binyamin Kwalwasser (now executive
director of Lev LaChayal), who During a break in the middle of my
loved the idea. Together with Rabbi IDF service, I went back to New York
Dudi Winkler (now director of Lev and visited my old high school. One of
LaChayal), we opened Lev LaChayal my teachers said, “It’s funny, everyone
the following year. The first few years in your grade went in one direction,
were small, with 5 to 7 lone soldiers and you went in another,” which
each year, but the program has sums up what drafting into the army
since exploded in popularity. We are as a lone soldier was like at the time.
now supporting over fifty students People would often ask me, “When
currently in the IDF. are you going to start your life (i.e.,
when are you going to start college)?”
How does the program help or “When are you going to get a job?”
students acquire the necessary
skills and spiritual fortitude to In recent years, something has
prepare them for their army changed; there has been a paradigm
service? shift. I don't know if it’s because of
programs like Lev LaChayal and
In order to draft into the IDF, you Yeshivat Hakotel or the improving
need to be able to speak Hebrew at Israeli economy, but somehow, for
a certain level, and if you don’t meet Anglo students, fulfilling the dream
that standard you have to join Michve of serving in the IDF has become
Alon, a co-ed IDF training base for normal. I’m not so crazy anymore!
olim – a very challenging environment More and more young Diaspora Jews
for religious students. Lev LaChayal, want to serve on behalf of our people
in cooperation with the Ministry of and country. At Lev LaChayal, we’re
Defense and the Association of Hesder here to help our students fulfill their
Yeshivot, offers a Hebrew language dreams – and begin rich, meaningful
course that is an ideal alternative to lives here in Eretz Yisrael. n
Michve Alon.
IDF service is very stressful, and so
we provide our students with direct
access to a psychologist and offer
weekly classes preparing students
for the psychological challenges of
serving in the army. We also provide
physical training twice a week – not
to get the students into shape, but to Yedidyah Rosenwasser, from Chicago,
teach them how to push themselves Illinois, served in the IDF through the
mentally. I personally run this Yeshivat Hakotel hesder program, and is
program, and I believe these skills not now learning in yeshivah in shana daled.
only help them in the army, but also He also works as an intern for HaMizrachi
translate into many other areas of life magazine.

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