(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Forty young new Olim arrived in Israel on Wednesday morning, 14 Tammuz, and they are planning to volunteer in the IDF in the coming months. These future lone soldiers arrived from the United States through Nefesh B’Nefesh in cooperation with the Ministry of Aliyah, The Jewish Agency, KKL-JNF and JNF-USA, and will enlist into the IDF through the Nefesh B’Nefesh – FIDF Lone Soldiers Program as well as Tzofim Garin Tzabar.

“I have lived my whole life in an area with a very small Jewish population. Growing up in the type of town that I did, I learned very quickly that a Jew can very easily become an outsider,” said 19-year-old Jordan Cooper, from Garnet Valley, PA, one of today’s newcomers. “My reason for wanting to move to Israel is that I wish to serve in the IDF. I feel that it is my responsibility as a Jew to protect future Jewish generations, so they can live in their homeland without fear of persecution.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem/Photo Credit: Nefesh B’Nefesh)