The Michael Levin Base
| Abbreviation | The Michael Levin Base |
|---|---|
| Formation | February 2020 |
| Founders | Bonnie Rosenbaum, Lizzie Noach |
| Type | Non-profit organization |
| Registration no. | 580696094 |
| Legal status | Registered charity |
| Purpose | Support for lone soldiers and national service volunteers |
| Headquarters | 4 Eliyahu Mani Street, Jerusalem, Israel |
Region served | Israel (primarily Jerusalem) |
Co-Directors | Bonnie Rosenbaum, Lizzie Noach |
| Website | themichaellevinbase |
The Michael Levin Base is an Israeli non-profit organization based in Jerusalem. Founded in February 2020, it supports lone soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and lone b'nei sherut, the young men and women performing National Service (Sherut Leumi) away from their families. The organization is named after Michael Levin, an American-born lone soldier from the Philadelphia area killed during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.[1]
Background
Michael Levin (1984–2006) grew up near Philadelphia and immigrated to Israel in 2002, enlisting as a volunteer in the IDF Paratroopers Brigade. In the summer of 2006, while home visiting his family in the United States, war broke out on Israel's northern border. He cut short his leave and returned to his unit, and was killed in combat on August 1, 2006, at the age of 22.[1]
Throughout his service, Levin spoke about his hope to one day build a support network for lone soldiers, sparing them the isolation and practical difficulties he had faced when he first arrived in Israel with no family nearby. His parents, Mark and Harriet Levin, later established the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation to fund programs serving that community.[2]
History
The Michael Levin Base opened in February 2020, founded by volunteers and professionals with backgrounds in the lone soldier community. The organization was established at the request of Michael Levin's parents, Mark and Harriet, who asked that it bear their son's name and include two Israelis on its board: Michael's military commander Gilad, and a close friend named Ari.[3] In its first year the organization served 600 young men and women; by 2024 that number had grown to over 2,300.[3][1] The timing coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which constrained in-person programming through much of its first year. The organization launched with $100,000 in startup funding raised over four months, with its first public event a Purim celebration in February 2020. All 16 members of its board of directors serve as volunteers.[4]
Mark and Harriet Levin visited The Michael Levin Base for the first time in July 2021, joining nearly 100 lone soldiers and staff for an evening event. Mark Levin recalled that his son had spent his first two nights in Israel sleeping on a park bench, with no family or support structures in place to receive him.[5]
By early 2023, growing demand prompted a move to larger premises. The Michael Levin Base relocated from 10 Hadekel Street to 4 Eliyahu Mani Street, near the Mahane Yehuda Market, in February of that year. The new facility spans approximately 210 square meters, about twice the footprint of the previous location, and can accommodate 80 to 90 people for Shabbat events compared to the previous capacity of 40 to 45. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum spoke at the reopening ceremony.[6]
In March 2025, The Michael Levin Base received the Jerusalem Mayor's Volunteer Award, presented each year on Good Deeds Day (Yom Maasei Hesed).[7]
Mission and services
The Michael Levin Base serves lone soldiers and lone b'nei sherut regardless of whether they came to Israel from abroad or grew up there, including Israeli-born soldiers who are orphans or whose parents live outside the country. It is the only organization in Israel that serves both lone soldiers and B'not Sherut.[3] The five pillars of its programming are pre-army and national service assistance, new immigrant services, postal services, social events and activities, and support for parents of lone soldiers and B'not Sherut living abroad.[3][6] Services are provided free of charge and include both practical support and community-building.[3]
Regular programming includes weekly Shabbat meals open to current soldiers, national service volunteers, and recent veterans, as well as Thursday evening social events such as film screenings, trivia nights, and holiday celebrations. The Michael Levin Base also offers pre-service advising to help prospective soldiers navigate the enlistment process, individual mental health counseling, a communal kitchen and coffee bar, a subsidized mini-store stocked with personal necessities, resources and communication support for the families of lone soldiers living abroad, and post-service assistance for veterans transitioning into Israeli civilian life.[6][3]
The Michael Levin Base extends its services to b'not sherut, female national service volunteers who are not IDF soldiers. Co-director Lizzie Noach has said that this population was not previously served by organizations focused solely on IDF soldiers, and that The Michael Levin Base was set up in part to address that gap.[6]
Relationship to other Michael Levin organizations
The Michael Levin Base is sometimes confused with the Lone Soldier Center, also known as the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Center, a separate organization founded by a group of Levin's friends to support lone soldiers in the IDF.[1]
The Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation, created by Levin's parents, funds programs and services for lone soldiers across multiple organizations. It lists The Michael Levin Base among the initiatives it supports.[8]
Operation Swords of Iron
After the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the launch of Operation Swords of Iron, The Michael Levin Base expanded its programming to serve lone soldiers called up for reserve duty and those deployed in active combat. Activities during the conflict included meals, care packages, and community events for soldiers serving in Gaza and on other fronts.[9] During the war, The Michael Levin Base was one of only a handful of organizations providing support specifically to lone B'not Sherut, who continued working in hospitals and schools across Jerusalem while many regular staff were called up for reserve duty.[10] Within a week of the October 7 attack, the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation shipped 41 pallets of supplies to Israel on a full El Al cargo flight, including socks, underwear, sleeping bags, and portable showers, distributed not only to lone soldiers but to all IDF soldiers.[11][10]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Adler, Rivkah Lambert (June 4, 2020). "The Michael Levin Base – Expanding Levin's legacy for lone soldiers". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ↑ "The Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation". Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Scutts, Joseph (July 22, 2024). "The Michael Levin Base: A welcoming home away from home for lone soldiers". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
- ↑ Cohen, Sharon Mark (April 4, 2024). "The Michael Levin Base Offers Lone Soldiers Physical and Emotional Support". Jewish Link. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
- ↑ "Michael Levin's parents visit the lone soldier center named in his honor". The Jerusalem Post. July 26, 2021. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- 1 2 3 4 Feigenbaum, Noa (February 25, 2023). "Michael Levin Base: The 'home' of Israel's b'not sherut, lone soldiers moves". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ↑ "Jerusalem Mayor's Volunteer Awards". Baltimore Jewish Life. March 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ↑ "The Michael Levin Lone Soldier Foundation". Fun in Jerusalem. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- ↑ "Operation Swords of Iron". The Michael Levin Base. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
- 1 2 Feigenbaum, Noa; Reich, Aaron (January 13, 2024). "Israel's Rosie the Riviters: Unsung heroes keeping Israel from collapse". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
- ↑ Cohen, Sharon Mark (April 4, 2024). "The Michael Levin Base Offers Lone Soldiers Physical and Emotional Support". Jewish Link. Retrieved 2026-06-15.