metro >> Detroiters in Israel
Anxious, But Proud
Local parents of Israeli soldiers say support for the troops,
frequent calls help them at home.
I
Barbara Lewis
Contributing Writer
A
t least three Detroit-area fami-
lies are more anxious than most
about the news from Israel. They
have sons in the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) who last week were awaiting orders
for a ground operation in Gaza. Several
others are only slightly less anxious, know-
ing their children's IDF units are not likely
to be the first into battle.
These young people are among the
Metro Detroiters serving as Lone Soldiers,
the term for IDF volunteers from the
diaspora who have little or no immedi-
ate family in Israel. Most are ohm, new
immigrants, who plan to remain in Israel,
though some never become Israeli citizens
and plan to return to the United States
after their service.
Some have finished their regular service
and are in the reserves. As of last Thursday,
Israel had called up 30,000 reservists. The
Israeli Cabinet has authorized the military
to call up as many as 40,000 troops, 10,000
more than were mobilized during Israel's
offensive into Gaza in November 2012.
Armonite Albalak's son, Alon, has been
stationed on the Gaza border since January.
He recently completed Special Forces train-
ing and will probably be part of any ground
action.
"When your child moves to Israel and
joins the IDF you hope nothing will hap-
pen, and until now, nothing has; said
Albalak of West Bloomfield.
Usually Alon and his mother talk every
Friday afternoon, but since the current
crisis started they've been communicat-
ing every day. They use WhatsApp, a cell
phone program that facilitates free texting
between the U.S. and Israel.
"WhatsApp lets me see when he was last
online, so even if he wasn't talking to me, I
can see that he was on and know he's safe,"
she said. "We try to touch base every day.
It's for my sake more than his. He's not a
very stressed-out person, but he doesn't
want me to worry7
Friends and family have been very sup-
portive, she said. "It's nice knowing that
people care:'
Michal Korman's son, Jake, completed
his IDF service the first week of July — and
he was called back less than a week later.
When she spoke to the JN, Jake, like Alon
18 July 17 • 2014
Karen, Aaron and Ken Goss
Albalak, was with his unit on
the Gaza border, waiting for
orders to go in.
Jake, 21, grew up in
Southfield and made aliyah at
19 after spending a post-high
school year at a yeshivah in
Israel.
"He has a great attitude;
Korman said. "He says they
don't want to hurt anyone; they
just want to get rid of the ter-
rorists. They're not too cocky.
They just want to take care of
llamas once and for all. I'm
really, really proud of him7
While Jake waits for orders
to enter Gaza, he's able to call
Aaron Leaf with his siblings, Yaacov and Miriam
his parents every day. "Hearing
him always makes me feel bet-
ter; Korman said.
She knows a ground opera-
tion will be "really ugly7 Jake experienced
he gets nervous if more than three days go
something similar in Nablus, where his
by without a call from his son. "I just pray
unit conducted a house-to-house search for that everything's OK; Goss said. "We just
terrorists. Korman says she's glad she didn't hope for the best7
Aaron is scheduled to finish his IDF ser-
know about that action until it was over.
She copes with the stress by keeping her- vice in September.
self busy. "I just spent the whole day clean-
Not On Front Lines
ing my house; she said.
Ken Goss's son, Aaron, an IDF para-
Parents with children in IDF units that
trooper, could also be part of a ground
aren't on the front lines are worried as well,
action, though his unit had been serving
as much for the safety of the country as for
in the West Bank, not on the Gaza border.
the safety of their children.
Aaron has been in tense situations before,
Sanford "Sandy" Rosen of Bloomfield
Goss said. His unit was the first to enter
Hills is proud that his daughter, Carly,
the West Bank to search for the three kid-
chose to join the Israel Defense Forces. But
napped teens, whose murder in June led to
he's also relieved that the escalation of hos-
the escalation in hostilities.
tilities this month coincided with Carly's
Goss of West Bloomfield acknowledged
annual home leave.
Stephanie Horwitz at her IDF ceremony
Carly, 24, arrived home on June 28 for
her annual 30-day leave. An IDF physical
fitness instructor, Carly said she felt frus-
trated when she learned about the military
buildup in Israel, even though her unit was
evacuated from its base near the Gaza bor-
der. "Why am I here when all my friends
are there?" she asked herself.
Her father said he's happy that she's out