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The Lone Soldier Center Featured on JM in the AM
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Nachum Segal welcomed Lieutenant Colonel Liora Rubenstein, CEO of The Lone Soldier Center, to this morning's JM in the AM to discuss the organization's daily responsibilities in providing support for lone soldiers in Israel. The key insights included the importance of housing, professional support, and community engagement for lone soldiers. Notable stories included the experiences of lone soldiers, including an American captain from Ohio who excelled in combat intelligence roles.
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
It's J A M in the A M hour number three
on a Wednesday.
>> [clears throat]
>> So, the um
there is a New York and New Jersey
speaking tour that's going on right now
brought to you by the Lone Soldier
Center in memory
of Michael Levin.
Uh it's entitled the impact of war on
Israel's Lone Soldiers.
And it's a speaking tour that brings
together Lone Soldiers, former Lone
Soldiers, and Israeli military
leadership for first-hand conversations
about the Lone Soldier experience of
service on the front lines, the ongoing
impact of war,
and the responsibilities facing
communities far beyond Israel. Speakers
include Brigadier General Amit Edri,
Liora Rubenstein, who's going to join us
in a moment, CEO of the Lone
of the [clears throat] Lone Soldier
Center in memory of Michael Levin,
and Israeli and American Lone Soldiers
with recent frontline experience.
Together they're speaking about the
realities facing those who serve, the
vulnerabilities of Lone Soldiers, and
the importance of ensuring that no
soldier is left to navigate the
aftermath of service alone.
Their tour, which began in New Jersey,
is now on Long Island. Today they're in
Roslyn,
tomorrow in Suffolk County,
May the 8th, which is a Friday, in
Melville, Long Island,
uh May the 9th in East Rockaway and
Lawrence, and then Sunday a Mother's Day
brunch
in Cedarhurst, Long Island. So,
essentially the tour is now
out there on the Long Island area. We'll
find out more in just a moment. Liora
Rubenstein, as we told you, is with us
live
via telephone, Lieutenant Colonel
Liora Rubenstein is CEO of the Lone
Soldier Center in memory of Michael
Levin, and more than three decades with
more than three decades of military
service. She previously served
as Deputy Advisor to the IDF Chief of
Staff for gender affairs, playing a
pivotal role
in advancing gender integration across
all areas of military service. For the
last 7 years, she's been a driving force
within the Lone Soldier Center in the
last 2 years has been its CEO. She works
closely with policy makers in the
Knesset to expand benefits, protections,
and long-term opportunities for lone
soldiers, ensuring they are supported
long after
their service concludes.
Lieutenant Colonel Liora Rubinstein, a
pleasure to welcome you to J M in the
AM.
Wow, Nachum. Thank you. Good morning to
all of you, and thank you for inviting
me to speak this morning. Kol Hakavod
L'Chayal. That's what I said.
>> [laughter]
>> Great.
>> [snorts]
>> You're right. Yeah, I'm right. I wish
more people would realize it. Boy, am I
right.
And we've invited you
aside from the fact that my wife and I
have the privilege of having a lone
soldier
in Chayal,
that was not the reason you were invited
on. You're invited on because of the
incredible work the Lone Soldier Center
is doing and because of this tour
that you're on at the moment. You got to
tell this audience What is the daily
responsibility of the Lone Soldier
Center? You have a lot of lone soldiers
in Israel. They come from come from all
over the world, including obviously
those who are Israelis who serve as lone
soldiers. What is the responsibility on
a daily basis of the Lone Soldier
Center?
Oh, oh, okay. Good morning. So, I can
say that the
Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael
Levin is
support the lone soldier for
some circle of uh of life. First,
housing. We know that the soldiers comes
home. They have no one to see them, to
take care of them, to make them the
schnitzel, the the
something that the cake they love to
eat,
etc. And
the Lone Soldier Center by having
housing for 200
combat lone soldier female and men, help
them to come home to see
hot meal,
a fridge
with a lot of food and fruits and
everything they want. Community that
come to sit with them in Shabbat meals,
guidance that sit with them
and and
check how they how they are. How was
their
week on the army? If there is something
that he can help them. It's changed all
the perspective of lone soldiers that
come alone
at the end of the
hour
before Shabbat and need to run to check
where they can make laundry, to be
to buy something to eat, not to find
themselves eating just tuna or
corn
all the Shabbat before they are coming
back to a more 2 weeks. So, this is look
like small things, but it's very
important to lone soldier that he
have something
like our housing. Second,
professional support. We have guidance,
professional assistance that are knowing
exactly every soldier that come to us.
What he needs, what the problem with the
commanders, what we can do for him.
There is a lot of soldier that have
a problem the units they are and they
don't know to who to call to.
>> [snorts]
>> Their parents are
abroad.
Who is Israeli have no family at all in
connect.
So,
to whom who can who who uh, can call? To
the guidance in the center and say, "I
have a problem. Can you speak with my
commander? Can you help me to change the
uh,
the
way
he treat me? He doesn't give me a Yom
Kippur,
the arrangement day that they must give
them once a month." So, all of this
we do for them by the uh,
teams of the Lone Soldier Center. And
there's there's three at this point,
right? There's a Jerusalem, there's Tel
Aviv and Beersheba at this point,
correct?
Uh, until this
month, but in this month we expanded and
now we have four
centers. We have one more in Haifa in
the north Wow. because we
understand that there is a lot of needs
there in this area and we wanted to be
all over the country. Pretty amazing.
Um, Yael Rubinstein, Lieutenant Colonel
in the Israeli Army is with us.
CEO of the Lone Soldier Center memory of
Michael Levin.
Um, so how is this tour going? I mean, I
know that you're traveling with actual
lone soldiers
who can give, you know, first-hand
accounts of what it's like to serve.
What has been the reception? What's been
the
the reaction of those who have been in
the audience for these sessions so far?
I can say that it's go amazing. There
are
so
amazing people in the communities that
met us or in the JCCs or in the shuls. A
lot of parents of lone soldiers
that serve now in the army that comes to
see
what else they can do
to their children and to the other that
is coming
forward and it's very warmly to see the
people in US the Israeli and the
American
Jews
that wants to help the
IDF soldier the lone soldier
the Israeli one or the the
this they are come from abroad and
they are asking what we can do what we
can help to you
and
I think after they hear the soldiers the
two soldier the American one Rocky and
the
Israeli one Moti that was in
Golani Brigade.
They are understanding what
the help of the United States Jewish
community and people do for us
and the daily
activities because
because of the donation of these people
we can allowed
health treatment therapy treatment to a
lot of soldiers
we can
allowed
warm meals to a lot of soldier that come
every
Shabbat to our centers to eat even they
are not living in the in our houses
houses. We can allowed
to take
guidance that can sit with them and see
them every time that they need us
and
I hope it will be continued because we
have
more days, but it's warmly and I think
we are
hugging by all the communities here and
it's it's
thank you
Yeah, well,
you deserve it frankly.
In addition to all these stops that I
mentioned earlier that they're making on
Long Island,
I should note that this past weekend
they were in Bergenfield, New Jersey and
that's what Leora is referencing
is these events that have taken place
already and then Monday they were in
Middlesex County plus Staten Island and
then they started in the Five Towns and
West Hempstead. So they've made the
rounds. A lot of people have been
extremely
amazing and the reaction's been great.
This Do you know where this Rohi is from
by the way? Do you have any idea what
city in the United States she's from?
I I I don't know
I don't know if you know
>> From Ohio, wow.
So this young lady from Ohio
rose to the ranks of captain in regular
service and reserve, served in multiple
rounds in Gaza and frontline
intelligence roles countering weapons
and narcotic smuggling and thwarting
terror plots. She developed war
readiness training programs for special
forces safeguarding Israel's northern
border against Hezbollah.
And the first woman usually in these
leadership roles paving the way for
other women to take on similar
leadership roles in combat intelligence.
She's gotten a bunch of awards,
valedictorian recognitions, etc. etc.
And Leora, I point this out because this
is a young woman from the United States
who obviously made a real difference in
Israel's security. A lot of people don't
understand
that even lone soldiers from outside of
Israel including from the US make a real
difference, take real roles and I'm not
minimizing any other role. Every role is
important. Everyone's doing, you know,
important work in the army, but they're
taking very serious roles, some of them
very dangerous roles and they're
excelling at them. And I want people to
understand that, that you know, those
who are attending or those who are
enlisting, rather, voluntarily in the
Israeli army, this is the type of work
they're doing.
You're right. Uh most of them, I can
say, most of them wants to go to the
combat units. Uh also the women. I I see
all of them when they're coming to our
center and they intend to to say,
let us uh go to combat units and they're
fighting with the army a lot of times
to
to get this uh role. And it's so amazing
to see them.
Uh before the war, I used to say, the
soldier the lone soldier that that comes
from abroad, they don't understand the
the the meaning of war because they're
not
born in Israel
in the army like we are, we're born here
and
and I
now, after the October 7th that I saw
the most of them fighting in the in Gaza
and in the the north,
it's impossible to think that this child
that didn't know anything about the
IDF and what it's going how it's to
fight in war coming and fight for the
national of Israel for our Israel and
want to be a part as everyone else with
no fear and to be at the uh most
important roles in the combats
that we have.
>> Yeah, true.
>> [laughter]
>> attitude. I know.
Trust me. Trust me. We We have trouble
understanding it also sometimes. It's
unbelievable. It really is unbelievable.
Uh watching them go 6,000 mi to the east
and insist on taking combat roles in the
Israeli army. Kol hakavod. Kol hakavod.
Where are you from? You grew up in what
city?
Uh
today I'm from Hod Hasharon, Buchman
neighborhood, if you know. Because I I I
asked that because like you said,
people like yourself grew up with, you
know, with with army and unfortunately
with war and terror surrounding you.
Obviously, the kids here didn't have
that, thank God, generally speaking.
Didn't have that. And you know, we we we
and we appreciate the, you know, the
luxurious life we've continued to have
here. Uh so that's why it's so much more
difficult to understand. You know, there
um there's no question that, you know,
you're surrounded by many, many young
people that want to take on the role
that you described, but uh that people
come to the United States and do it is
amazing. All right, um you're
representing the Lone Soldier Center
in memory of Michael Levin. So tell me
about the aftermath. You made a point uh
that the organization tries to deal with
soldiers, lone soldiers, even after they
finish their army duties. Is that a
difficult transition for them? Is Are
they dealing with issues or you're just
there as a support system if they need
it?
No, we
there for a support they needed to
navigate their life after they release
from the army. Wow. And understanding
uh
what we can do for them uh to help them
help them the American ones or the
immigrant ones to stay in Israel.
Uh even maybe I will say that the
parents
doesn't want them to stay uh
in Israel. We try to see if they are
wants
to wanted to
to stay here. We navigate their life. We
give them a scholarship for
students to let to go to learn. We help
them to find works. Some of them after
they finish their degree.
Unfortunately, after October 7, we deal
with a lot of
release
reserve soldiers that comes with
trauma and needs to therapy
treatment. So, we speak with them with
keeping
um
their
issues between our
guidance and doesn't
tell the army because this is a point
that they are very afraid that they will
get out from the reserves units and they
prefer not to tell about their traumas
trauma and the
sleepless night that they
have. So, this is where we are and the
community that we have in the centers
even after they release 5 years after
they release is very significant for
them. Because it's something that
that you cannot find in other places.
You come, you can speak with the same
native
language language that you
speak to feel hugging around you, to
speak with the team, to eat something,
just to be there and
not to
be afraid that someone will ask
question. And it's very important to
them even these days after they are
released and
every reserves or between
reserves
duty. Oh, I believe that. All right.
This this entire panel
Leora who's with us live via telephone,
CEO of the Lone Soldier Center,
Captain Rokhi, Commander Motti, Imi
Adari, the chairman of the board,
they're all going to be um
uh continuing on this tour
today in Roslyn, Long Island, tomorrow
in Suffolk County, then Melville, then
East Rockaway and Lawrence, then a
Mother's Day brunch in Cedarhurst
on Sunday. And I I I know you hesitate
to give out exact locations. We We know
this whole routine already, which I get.
Uh but is there a place for people to
get more information? Should they go to
the Lone Soldier Center website, the
Friends of Lone Soldiers? Is there a
place to get more information if they
want to come and uh see you guys present
during this trip?
Yes, thank you. You want to me to
read the
the website? Oh, okay. So, I want to
make it too for the nation and the
information of the tour, they can come,
please, uh to friends
uh uh
friends of the lone soldiers dot com dot
org.
And to see all that we do and
and to get involved. When you coming to
Israel, you welcome to come to our
centers to see, to volunteers.
And for question, they can connect
connect lone soldiers
uh lone soldier center dot com.
>> All right. It's very simple, folks.
Information about the current tour that
they're on or to donate and to help out
as the Lone Soldier Centers continue to
grow and as you heard they're expanding
now, a fourth one going to Haifa, uh
friends of the lone soldier dot org.
Again, tour information to be in touch
with them about the um about them coming
to your neighborhood next time they're
around or information about what's
happening this week and to donate and to
support their cause, uh friends of the
lone soldier.org.
Again, that's friends of the lone
soldier.org.
For general information about visiting
the Lone Soldier Center in Israel
and general information about what
they're doing, go to lone
soldiercenter.com.
Again, that's lone
soldiercenter.com.
Lieutenant Colonel Leora Rubinstein, kol
hakavod. Thank you for what you're
doing. I hope the trip goes really well
and that people support the cause.
And kol hakavod, what can I say? This is
This is a really good opportunity for
people to meet lone soldiers who are on
the front lines who could
[clears throat] tell real stories, real
accounts about what it's been like over
the last few years and I think it's
really important for our community here
in this area. So, kol hakavod and thank
you so much.
Thank you, Nachum. Thank you for the
opportunity and thank you for all the
people that listening and invite hosting
us here in the tour and to Amy Golding,
our chief
development
director. So, thank you everybody.
Amy Golding is chief development
officer, folks.
Arranged this whole conversation and
obviously had quite a role, I'm sure, in
arranging the whole tour. So, kol
hakavod to her.
Website information about the tour and
to donate and support friends of the
lone soldier.org.
Friends of the lone soldier.org.
General information about the Lone
Soldier Center, if you want to pay a
visit
or just find out more about what they're
doing.
Lone soldiercenter.com.
Kol hakavod. More coming up. It's a
Wednesday morning edition of JM in the
AM.
>> Mhm.