Israel’s lone warriors: Foreign students answer the call to arms - opinion

In the chaos following Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, an unlikely cohort answered the call to arms: international students. These “lone soldiers” – volunteers who leave their home countries to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) – exemplify the growing phenomenon of Diaspora Jews taking active roles in Israel’s security.

Three hundred former lone soldiers are enrolled at Reichman University’s Raphael Recanati International School. Strikingly, over 20% of these students, already IDF veterans, reported for reserve duty in the current conflict. Their choice is particularly poignant since, without family in Israel, they face unique hardships balancing military service with studies and part-time jobs.

Nichole Amar, a third-year American student, epitomizes this commitment. Called up before her final year began, she served over 100 days in a Home Front Command unit. “When I got the call, I didn’t think of my studies or well-being,” Amar reflects. “I felt at peace putting everything aside to join the family of reservists.”

Similarly, Menachem Mendel Reinitz, a 25-year-old New Yorker in his first year, served in an elite unit. “After making aliyah six years ago, it’s rewarding to give back to this country I love,” he says. Reinitz’s service was tinged with tragedy; he dedicated his efforts to fallen comrades, a stark reminder of the risks these students face.

The toll is palpable. Two Raphael Recanati international students at Reichman, Sgt. First Class Omer Balva from New Jersey and Sgt. First Class Joseph Gitarts, a top computer science student, were among the casualties. Their stories underscore a profound commitment. They were willing to sacrifice for a greater cause.

We will do anything we can for these youngsters that have given up so much to serve our country. The fact that they made the move to come to Israel, and then raced to serve during Operation Swords of Iron, is extremely touching.

They started the academic year at a big disadvantage, they missed out on lessons, and now they are trying their hardest to catch up. Financially many hold down jobs and many have lost them while they were away serving. We do everything we can to help them, from therapy to private academic tutoring, financial assistance, and an open-door policy to the university’s movers and shakers.

This crisis highlights a broader trend: the deepening engagement of Diaspora Jews with Israel’s security. 

For these students, support from institutions such as Reichman – offering therapy, tutoring, and financial aid – is crucial. Yet their primary motivation transcends practicalities. It’s rooted in a sense of duty to a land many have only recently adopted as home. In an era where global youth often seem disengaged from national causes, these lone soldiers offer a counter-narrative. They embody a visceral connection to Israel that compels them to exchange lecture halls for battle zones. 

Their stories challenge assumptions about millennial detachment and redefine modern Zionism as more than an ideological abstraction – it’s a call to action they’re willing to answer, even at great personal cost.

The writer is vice president for external relations at Reichman University, and head of the Raphael Recanati International School.