Enlistment. Estrangement.
When David told his Haredi parents he was enlisting in the IDF, they told him not to come back.
Days later, we found him walking the streets with a bag of laundry and nowhere to go. We brought him home.
We met the hidden world of Haredi lone soldiers: young people who choose to serve Israel, often at the cost of family, community, and belonging.
In 2016, that single open door became Osey Chayil. Today, hundreds of lone soldiers know they are no longer alone.
The Reality
Most soldiers leave the army base knowing someone is waiting for them at home.
For many Haredi soldiers, that is no longer true.
Choosing to enlist can mean losing the support of family, community, and the only world they have ever known. Their demanding military service is compounded by an existential identity crisis and the daily struggle to survive without financial stability, emotional support – or even just a place to spend Shabbat.
Osey Chayil exists to make sure they never have to carry that burden alone. From enlistment through life after the army, we provide the home, community, and support every lone soldier deserves.
How We Help
We provide practical, emotional, and ongoing support for Haredi lone soldiers, from the moment they enlist and throughout their service, and into life after the army:
Furnished apartments
Adoptive families
Emotional support and personal guidance
More Than
Care Packages
A Home to Return To
Osey Chail gives lone soldiers from Haredi backgrounds a real home throughout their service: a place to rest, recharge and belong.
Each soldier has a private room in a fully furnished apartment shared with soldiers from similar backgrounds. We provide a stocked fridge, household essentials and everyday support, so they can focus on their service knowing someone cares.
Local host families offer personal connections, Shabbat meals and a listening ear. Today, we operate 22 apartments across Israel, including homes for female soldiers.
A Family by Their Side
Behind every soldier at Osey Chail is a family that opens its home and heart, offering a sense of belonging.
Soldiers join their host families for Shabbat, holidays and family celebrations. The families are there for important moments in their service, from ceremonies and the completion of training to a friendly visit on base.
For soldiers living far from their biological families, this is much more than hospitality. It means having someone to call, a home to visit and people who are always happy to see them.
Today, around 40 families across Israel support Osey Chail soldiers.
Emotional Support
Lone soldiers from Haredi backgrounds often face separation from their families and communities, and a sudden transition from a familiar world to an entirely new reality. Alongside the demands of military service, they may struggle with loneliness, adjustment and emotional crises.
Since October 7, when Osey Chail lost two of its soldiers and many others served in combat across different fronts, the need for professional emotional support has grown.
We fund therapists and social workers who provide accessible, confidential, individual support throughout the journey, alongside group sessions when needed.
Financial Support
The transition from military service to civilian life presents significant challenges for soldiers from Haredi backgrounds, including gaps in the knowledge and skills needed to manage money independently.
Osey Chail offers personal financial guidance and practical workshops to help soldiers build skills and make informed financial decisions.
We also operate an interest-free loan fund to help repay accumulated debts and make a fresh start. Receiving a loan is conditional on completing a financial education programme.
A Place in the Community
We believe a lone soldier needs more than a place to live: they need a community to belong to. That is why Osey Chail apartments are located in communities with active, welcoming local life.
Soldiers become part of everyday community life, joining synagogue services, Shabbat and holiday gatherings, events and celebrations.
These connections continue after military service. Many of our graduates have started families and chosen to settle in the communities they first called home as soldiers, this time with families of their own.
Life After the Army
Together with Gav LaLochem and the association commemorating Major Nadav Milo, Osey Chail runs a programme that helps discharged lone soldiers from Haredi backgrounds transition into civilian life.
The programme combines personal mentoring with financial skills, entrepreneurship, academic and career guidance, scholarships, interview preparation, personal and professional development, and guidance on relationships and healthy sexuality.
Our aim is to close gaps and give each graduate the knowledge, tools and confidence to build an independent, stable and meaningful life.
Four programme cycles have taken place so far, supporting dozens of Osey Chail graduates.
Our Partners
Stand With Them
They chose to serve. Many lost everything familiar in the process.
Now it’s our turn to show up for them.
Together, we can ensure no Haredi lone soldier is left without a home. One open door can change everything.
