Six Boca Raton Teenagers Are On Their Way To Becoming Lone Soldiers

“I decided to serve in the IDF [Israeli Defense Force] because I felt it was important for me to do something important and meaningful. My entire family also served in the IDF and I see it as an important responsibility to keep the family services going and give my part to the country.”

These are the words of 19-year-old May Sela, a recent graduate of American Heritage High School in Boca Raton, as she explained why she decided to join the IDF as a Lone Soldier for the next few years.

Lone Soldiers currently make up some 7,000+ individuals actively serving in the IDF today. Defined as a soldier with no family in Israel to offer support during their duty, Lone Soldiers are described by Friends of the IDF, a nonprofit that provides guidance and support to all IDF Lone Soldiers, as “determined young men and women from all over the world who choose to leave the comfort of their homes and families to become proud IDF soldiers.”

Of the more than 7,000 Lone Soldiers serving today, 1,011 are from the United States and, furthermore, 86 are from our own state of Florida. Zoom in a little closer and you’ll be proud to hear that six soon-to-be Lone Soldiers are volunteering from our very own city of Boca Raton. Unlike most people their age, these outliers are neither working nor studying in college, but rather preparing to serve in combat units on the frontlines of one of the world’s most dangerous war zones.

Right beside Sela on the list of soon-to-be Lone Soldiers from Boca Raton are: Danielle Chaham, a future infantry instructor; fraternal twins Lee and Dekel Dahoah, the former to be an infantry instructor and latter to serve in the parachute unit; siblings Ziv and Ben Shoshan, the former to be a sergeant instructor and latter still awaiting his assignment. Coming from schools across Palm Beach County, such as West Boca Raton Community High School and Donna Klein Jewish Academy, these Boca Raton natives are receiving a lot of support from their communities.

“My family was my biggest support system of my decision because my sister served in the past and my dad is also a veteran, who served in IDF’s Golani Brigade Batallion 51,” explained Lee Dahoah. Having been born in Israel before moving to Boca, she and her brother were inspired by the Tzofim movement in Miami to make Aliyah and return back home.

These six teenagers are defying the American norm of immediate college enrollment after high school by enlisting. Ziv Shoshan explains, “It was a bit of a struggle keeping my dream realistic while growing up in a place where the mainstream is college right after high school, however when it came down to it, I was quick to understand that growing up in an Israeli home, visiting Israel every summer and spending most days missing my distant family, who reside in Israel, are just a few things that make me feel no different from an Israeli 18-year-old.” Having grown up in a Hebrew-speaking household and been a part of the Israeli Scouts for most of her life, she felt it was finally her turn to give back.

To help aid them in their re-location and support them through the process is Friends of the IDF. Among many other services, FIDF pays for flights to visit friends and family in the US, has a 24-hour call center for soldiers and parents, provides grants and financial assistance, offers holiday gift packages, gives Shabbat meals and acts as a social network for soldiers. Put beautifully on their website, “Lone Soldiers may be far away from the warmth of home, but they know that the FIDF family is by their side every day.”

As of now, these Boca Raton natives are all living on a Kibbutz in Israel waiting to be drafted. By the end of the month, they’ll all be soldiers.