Growing Wings builds a home front for Israel’s lone reservists
When Israeli reservists return from the battlefield, many come home to families who have kept life moving while they were away. Someone has paid the bills, spoken to the landlord, opened official letters and made sure there is food in the refrigerator.A lone reservist may return to an empty apartment and face it all alone.“For years, the system saw reservists as soldiers while they were in uniform, but it did not always account for what happened when they went home,” Levi Preger told JNS in a recent interview.Preger is community manager of Growing Wings, a nonprofit supporting lone soldiers and lone reservists. Since Oct. 7, 2023, he has served more than 300 days in the IDF reserves while trying to maintain his university studies and civilian life.His own journey to Israel began in an unexpected way.When he was 17, his grandmother received a letter from the German government informing her…
Growing Wings, a nonprofit, is assisting Israel's lone reservists in rebuilding their civilian lives after extended IDF call-ups. Community manager Levi Preger, himself a lone reservist, highlights that while lone soldiers receive extensive support during service, this framework largely disappears for lone reservists, exposing them to significant challenges with housing, education, and income. The organization estimates that 55% of the lone reservists they assist are immigrants, while 45% are Israeli-born individuals lacking family support. The IDF now officially recognizes lone reservists, providing some welfare and administrative assistance, but Growing Wings steps in to bridge gaps, offering emergency aid, housing, mental health referrals, and bureaucratic guidance. Preger emphasizes that the goal is not just immediate intervention but to "build relationships that continue long after the immediate crisis has passed," fostering a community where former lone soldiers support current ones.
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