Empowering Lone Soldiers: How a Unique Israeli Program Secures Employment
An Israeli nationwide employment program helps active-duty lone soldiers and financially distressed troops balance service constraints with steady jobs, recording thousands of success stories.
For Yasmin Lasri, home was not always a safe place to return to. There were times when she was locked out for two days because her mother had fallen asleep and the door was bolted. Beyond the daily struggle to find a safe place to stay, she worried constantly about her mother's well-being. At 23, having served as a lone soldier in the IDF, Lasri had to support herself and help sustain her family throughout her military service.
"I do not come from a very stable financial background. As long as I can remember, I had to support myself and help my family make ends meet. My parents are addicted to drugs and alcohol, my father is constantly undergoing surgeries, and my mother suffers from a psychotic disorder, suddenly shouting and crying in the middle of the street, or hurting herself and others," she shares.
The Challenge of Military Service
Lasri immigrated to Israel with her family at a young age, noting that military service was not part of her household's culture. "We did not know what the army was, and I did not know how to navigate the system. Ultimately, I insisted on enlisting, but it was very difficult for me," she explains. Due to her difficult family and financial circumstances, she was recognized as a lone soldier, receiving housing and a living allowance from the IDF. However, the financial assistance was insufficient to fully support her, let alone help her struggling family.
As her discharge approached, acting on the recommendation of her social worker, Lasri contacted "Taasuchil"—a nationwide program run by the "Laofek" association, operating with the approval of the IDF Manpower Directorate. The program helps active-duty soldiers in financial distress find employment tailored to their service constraints and specific needs.
At the onset of the war, when many businesses were closed, the program successfully placed Lasri in a supermarket job. Later, upon her request, they connected her with positions that included housing. Recently, after moving to Jerusalem, they directed her to employment in the capital. For Lasri, the assistance extends far beyond mere job placement.
You can truly see that they care and that they view me as a human being. Two weeks after placing me in a job, they call independently to check how I am doing and whether everything is all right. There is a level of care there that goes far beyond what is required of them, Lasri notes.
From Food Parcels to Employment
Behind the establishment of "Taasuchil" is Aryeh Zilberberg from Efrat, a father of five and grandfather of four working in print production. His connection with soldiers in need began in 2010 following an unexpected request from a brigade commander asking him to raise funds and pack Passover food parcels for needy soldiers. The initiative gradually expanded, eventually shifting from holiday food drives to addressing the severe employment needs of thousands of active-duty soldiers.
By 2014, requests from military welfare officers regarding employment assistance began pouring in. Researching the issue, Zilberberg discovered that an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 active-duty soldiers work concurrently with their service for various reasons. These include lone soldiers, youths who left their homes, soldiers from single-parent households facing financial hardship, and former ultra-Orthodox individuals left without familial support.
Finding employment for a soldier who only gets home on weekends proved highly complex. In 2015, Zilberberg turned to Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, president of the "Laofek" association, uniting efforts to launch "Taasuchil" in 2016 to systematically match soldiers with suitable jobs.
Measurable Impact and Future Planning
According to program data, roughly 15,000 success stories have been recorded since its inception. Each year, the initiative assists approximately 2,500 soldiers who collectively earn between 5 million and 6 million shekels annually. The service is provided free of charge to both soldiers and employers, with 90% of participating soldiers reporting that the assistance enabled them to successfully complete their military service.
The program employs four paid staff members and 45 nationwide volunteers, guaranteeing a response to every inquiry within 24 hours. Another beneficiary, a 22-year-old single-parent child serving on a week-on, week-off schedule, noted how difficult it was to find an employer willing to accommodate his schedule until the program stepped in and secured a stable job within a week.
For soldiers like Nir Shuker, a 21-year-old armored division mechanic from Modiin, the program provides a vital bridge to saving for the future. Working at Aroma through the program's placement, Shuker managed to save enough money for a trip to the United States for World Cup matches while planning to invest the remainder into publishing a book he authored about football. While Shuker uses the opportunity to build his future, for Lasri, employment remains tied to the fundamental necessity of earning a living and securing a stable place to live.
