A Lonely Solider Finds a Home

Schachter, who was born and raised in Canada, decided to immigrate to Israel alone in order to join the ranks of the IDF, leaving behind a brother and sister, parents, friends, and familiarity. “When I joined the IDF as a lone soldier, they helped me rent an apartment and a room,” says Schachter, “but every weekend I went home, I saw how hard it is to find time to shop for Shabbat [the Sabbath] and do laundry, and, of course, there is the silent solitude.”

Schachter, fed up, decided to log in and write about it: “Lone soldier is looking for an adoptive family.” The unusual post garnered an immediate reaction. One was from Tali Aziza (20), a psychology student at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, who came with her family to Israel from Canada two years ago. Aziza sympathized with Daniel and gave his post a “Like.”

That weekend, Daniel arrived at the Aziza family home and since then has become a member of the family. “I came one Saturday night; met Tali's parents Michelle and Anita, and her brother and younger sister. The next weekend, I came with a suitcase,” he says.

Aziza's family says Daniel has become an integral part of the family. “We have an 18-year old boy who stands on the verge of enlisting in the army, and it's good for him to have someone like Daniel, a combat soldier in the army, with whom he can consult,” says Tali's mother Anita.