Avigayil Briode left everything behind in Boca Raton to help others in Israel.
“It is part of my responsibility as a Jew to do my part and serve in the Israeli army and be part of protecting the Jewish homeland,” says Briode, who joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) a year and a half ago.
But the 20-year-old combat soldier didn’t expect to be one of the force’s Lone Soldiers – those who left their homes, family and friends to join IDF and ended up quarantined on base indefinitely to help Israel contain the virus by minimizing their exposure to it.
“This mandate applies to some 1,000 Lone Soldiers from the U.S. who do not know when they will see their families again,” notes a press release from Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, which is helping with Lone Soldiers’ needs.
Yet, Briode, a Katz Yeshiva High School graduate, doesn’t regret her decision, saying her desire to help has only grown stronger.
Visit fidf.org.