MARCH 17 • 2022 | 23

who suffered and lost other 
family during World War II. 
“If the Jewish people 
had an army 80 years ago, 
we wouldn’t have had the 
Holocaust. Through his 
actions — and those of his 
fellow soldiers — the IDF is 
ensuring that the horrors we 
have seen in the Holocaust 
were not in vain, and that 
these atrocities will never 
happen again,” William said.
Esther went on to explain 
how Joseph’s love for Israel 
started when he was a young 
boy. “We’ve traveled to Israel 
many times, and we talked 
about Israel all the time. I 
think it was when he was 
a little boy, he developed a 
love for the land. 
“When he graduated 
high school, he went to the 
Mechina and he developed 
a very special feeling and he 
decided he wanted to stay 
in Israel. He made aliyah 
and went to the army,” she 
added. 
Esther says Joseph keeps 
in touch with his family 
regularly and when he can 
he makes trips back to the 
states. Organizations like 
the Lone Soldier Program 
with the Friends of the Israel 
Defense Forces (FIDF) help 

some actve soldiers stay 
in touch with family in the 
states. 
Paula Lebowitz, director 
of Michigan’s chapter of the 
FIDF, says the organization 
was founded by Holocaust 
survivors back in 1981 and 
helps to ensure soldiers are 
taken care of. 
“I think it’s just import-
ant to stay connected and 
make sure those soldiers 
have everything they need 
because they’re far away 
from home in a place that’s 
kind of scary, and we want 
them to be safe. We want 
them to feel connected, and 
we want them to know that 
they can reach out to FIDF 
for anything,” Lebowitz said. 
Esther says the Lone 
Soldier program is terrif-
ic and she was able to see 
Joseph last summer. “We are 
very proud of him. Joseph 
has a family that supports 
him, and his adoptive family 
and friends make sure that 
they can help any time he 
needs help … everybody 
should be very proud of 
these young people.” 

For more information about the FIDF 

or the Lone Soldier program, visit 

www.fidf.org/how-we-help/lone-sol-

Joseph Icikson stands in between his grandparents 
Esther and William Icikson.

