The Michael Levin Base: A welcoming home away from home for lone soldiers

I recently attended a lecture at a synagogue in New York City that was hosted by Richard Corman, chairman of the board of directors of The Michael Levin Base in Israel. St.-Sgt. Michael Levin was a lone soldier from Pennsylvania who served in the IDF in 2002 and was killed in Lebanon in 2006. 

Upon his arrival in Israel, Levin slept on a park bench for two nights because he didn’t know where to go, and he didn’t speak Hebrew. This lonely feeling convinced him that when he was discharged from the army, he would create a place that supported lone soldiers – a place where young men and women could reach out for help, a place that they could call “home.” Although Levin fell in combat, the vision that he had lives on through The Michael Levin Base. 

Corman told the audience the heroic story of Michael Levin that was shared to him by Michael’s parents. (He said he speaks to Michael’s father every month on a conference call.) There were always lone soldiers since 1948, most notably from South Africa and the United States, he said, but it wasn’t until Michael Levin was killed in action that the words “lone soldier” took on a completely different meaning.

Michael's story

“Michael wanted to be a soldier from a young age because his maternal grandparents were survivors of Auschwitz, and he made a commitment to his grandparents that his input, along with others, would ensure that there would never be another Holocaust. 

“After he graduated high school, he traveled to Israel and went to the IDF induction center. He weighed 128 pounds, didn’t know much Hebrew, and was applying to be a paratrooper – and was rejected. But to show you the spunk that Michael had, he walked around the building and he said, ‘I’m going to show that guy.’ He climbed on the dumpster and was able to sneak into the back window and back in the facility. 

“He went up to the same guy who had said, ‘No, you’re not material for the army’ and was asked how he got back into the building and passed security in the front. Michael cleverly answered, ‘What makes you think that I went through the front?’ That clinched it, and he was accepted. He became a model paratrooper, a model soldier. During the Second Lebanon War in 2006, he was in Philadelphia attending a wedding and didn’t have to go back to Israel. Regardless and with great dedication, he felt that he had to be with his unit. So he flew back, hitchhiked to the Lebanese border, was reunited with his unit, and unfortunately he fell in battle. 

“Michael had always hoped that when he was discharged from the army, he would be able to form an organization like ours that there would be some kind of community, some kind of extended family to help young men and women so they could have someone to turn to when they would feel lonely, depressed and that they could create social opportunities on days like Shabbat and so many other important things,” Corman said.

IN 2020, when Corman received the call from Michael’s parents to form the organization, they requested two things. One was to include Michael’s name in its name so that they can carry on his legacy. The second request was to include two Israelis on its board – one was Michael’s commander Gilad (who carried Michael’s body out of Lebanon), an attorney. The second person was one of Michael’s closest friends, Ari, a businessman who owns an art gallery. These two Israelis were invaluable in terms of helping the organization orchestrate the various contacts within Israel. 

The Michael Levin Base was founded by volunteers and professionals who had worked within the lone soldier community in the past. The organization started from scratch in February of 2020 with the motto “If you build it, they will come.” During the first year, it attracted 600 young men and women. Now, in 2024, it is serving over 2,300 young men and women. Lone soldiers are not the only young people serving the State of Israel without family support. Each year, over 300 young women from all over the world come to Israel and do National Service (Sherut Leumi). They are called B’not Sherut.

B’not Sherut deal with many of the same issues that lone soldiers have, which include coming home after a long day or week to an empty fridge, no parents and siblings to help with learning the ins and outs of being in a new country, and where to seek help when there is a crisis. These young women are also served by The Michael Levin Base to meet their daily challenges and help them succeed as new olim (immigrants). The Michael Levin Base is the only organization in Israel that serves both lone soldiers and B’not Sherut.

It has a Thursday night activity every week, a Friday morning breakfast, and Shabbat meals. Co-directors Bonnie (who is in charge of programming and staff) and Lizzie (who is charge of donor relations, the website, the organization’s lawyer, accountant, and dealing with the logistics of the Jerusalem Municipality) came up with the idea that instead of hiring a caterer to do the cooking for Shabbat meals, it would establish cooking brigades to make home-cooked meals for the soldiers. Today the organization has around 2,200 cooking brigades all over the country. The Michael Levin Base offers, inter alia, Shabbat meals, therapy sessions and advice, weekly events and holiday celebrations, a supplies closet and self-service laundry, base visits, and Michael Levin commemorative attire. 

Aaron (currently a lone soldier in the IDF’s special forces) said, “The Michael Levin Base always worries about me and makes sure that I have everything I need. This is what you call mishpacha [family]”. 

At the end of 2023, The Michael Levin Base moved to a larger location in Jerusalem, in which the co-directors helped with setting up the new space, a true labor of love. 

The Base, as it is called, is now located at 4 Eliyahu Mani Street, adjacent to the Mahaneh Yehuda market. Established by volunteers and professionals who have vast experience working with the lone soldier community, the organization and its team have grown over the years to meet the social and supportive needs of lone soldiers and B’not Sherut, particularly after October 7. 

Last year it hosted a Tu Bishvat event, a Purim celebration (with over 450 attending and featuring mentalist Matan Rosenberg), a Passover package distribution (over 220 packages were given to soldiers), a Remembrance Day ceremony at Ammunition Hill (with over 1,500 in attendance), an Independence Day BBQ for over 650 people, a blood drive with Magen David Adom, Sukkot celebrations with the distribution of over 120 lulav and etrog sets, Thanksgiving dinner deliveries to various army bases, a dinner (for over 180 soldiers), and a Hanukkah party with Col. Richard Kemp as special guest. The Base provides opportunities for enrichment and a successful assimilation into Israeli society upon the soldiers’ discharge from their service as well. 

“Our mission is to create a homogeneous atmosphere for lone soldiers from abroad, soldiers of new olim families, Israeli lone soldiers, and B’not Sherut,” it says. “From Shabbat and holiday meals to social activities and counseling, The Base offers a variety of programs and services. In our first two years of operation, this vibrant nonprofit organization made a compelling difference to over 2,300 young men and women who serve the State of Israel. In short, many participants describe The Base as a ‘welcoming home away from home.’” 

The five pillars of the organization’s programming are pre-army/sherut assistance; new immigrant services; postal service; social events and activities; and support for parents of lone soldiers and B’not Sherut. 

On a personal note, I would like to add that this is an organization that truly resonates with me. There are nearly 7,000 lone soldiers in Israel, with half of them hailing from 50 countries that include Ukraine, Russia, the United States, France, and South America. They all left their homes abroad and bravely set out for the Holy Land to enlist and fight for the Israeli army. 

The other half comprises Israelis who have no immediate families on which to depend. The Michael Levin Base was made possible through a generous grant from the Michael Levin Soldier Foundation and from generous supporters around the world. The foundation is a 501(c)3 organization, and all donations are tax deductible in the US.

In my humble opinion, there is no better way for supporters of Israel to show their appreciation than to support an organization that provides a home, love, and support to those who risk their lives on a daily basis for the nation of Israel. ■

The writer received his undergraduate degree in business (cum laude) from Yeshiva University and his MBA with double distinction from Long Island University. He is a financial adviser who resides in New York City and is involved in Israel-based and Jewish advocacy organizations.