ADAM EISNER When Adam Eisner left Voorhees to join the Israel Defense Force last year, it never crossed his mind that his first assignment after basic training would be fighting in a war in Gaza.

“As soon as we moved in, it was like a movie with all the explosions,” recalled Eisner, 24, a sharp shooter with an infantry unit who spoke to the Voice during his first visit back home earlier this month. “I did have some thoughts that I would not be getting out.”

Still, he said, he was more concerned about the younger guys in his unit, whom he considers his brothers. For him, he explained, defending Israel was his choice, and he was emotionally prepared to accept the risk.

“It was everyone’s first experience with war,” Eisner explained. “For these young guys, it was crazy what they have to go through right after high school.”

In Israel today, there are some 5,500 soldiers like Eisner— those who either left the country before age 15, or never lived there, and whose service in the IDF is voluntary. They are known in the IDF as Lone Soldiers. While some have dual citizenship, others come without local relatives and few ties beyond a strong sense of Zionism. They may speak little to no Hebrew when they arrive and come from all corners of the world to serve.

Although several dozen current or veteran Lone Soldiers hail from South Jersey, their service to Israel and their emotional and financial needs are not widely known in this community, said Mira Aumiller, who is among a group of volunteers inspired by their recent Israel Mission with Jewish Federation of Southern NJ to organize an evening program meant to shine a spotlight on Lone Soldiers.

The event,

“Salute our Lone Soldiers Fighting for Israel,” will feature Joel Chasnoff, a stand-up comedian, former Lone Soldier and writer, whose memoir “188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah” is based on his service. All proceeds will be donated to the Lone Solider Center, created by the family of Bucks County resident Michael Levin, an IDF paratrooper who was killed during the second Lebanon War in 2006. The Center fulfills Michael’s dream of creating community for Lone Soldiers.

“We want this event to raise the community’s awareness about Lone Soldiers,” said Aumiller, a Voorhees resident who admits she had never heard of a Lone Soldier before the Israel Mission in March. “Essentially these kids either defer college or go into the IDF right after college. They’re making sacrifices to protect our Jewish homeland.”

The event, on Dec. 9, is sponsored by Jewish Federation in collaboration with the JCRC Israel Advocacy Initiative and Cong. Beth El in Voorhees. Besides Aumiller, chairpersons include Jody Dembo and Tracy Schwartz.

Awareness of Lone Soldiers heightened this summer when two Americans were among the 66 IDF soldiers killed in battle. Max Steinberg, 24, who grew up in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley, joined six months after he visited Israel for the first time on a Birthright Israel trip in June 2012. A sharp- shooter in the Golani Brigade, he was among 13 Israeli soldiers and scores of Palestinians who died during the first major ground battle in two weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Nissim Sean Carmeli, 21, the second American killed, was from South Padre Island, Texas. He had moved to Israel four years earlier.

Michael Levin is perhaps the best known because of both his local ties and the fact that his loved ones channeled their grief into the creation of an organization that not only provides basic needs to Lone Soldiers, but also Shabbat and holiday meals, social and educational events, and counseling. The Center is run by a former Lone Soldier with the support from some 250 volunteers, many of whom are former Lone Soldiers.

Michael was 22 when he was killed by a Hezbollah sniper. His grave in Mount Herzl Military Cemetery is covered in Phillies baseball hats and Eagles jerseys.

“Although Adam Eisner knew there were risks to uprooting his life in comfortable South Jersey to serve in the IDF, he thought more about the fact that young adults in Israel have no choice but to join. The son of an Israeli mother and American father, Eisner said the idea of military service was always a Plan B if he couldn’t figure out what to do with his life. At age 22, after a couple of semesters of college, many changes of majors and taking time off to work, Eisner’s Plan B started sounding more appealing. He left for Israel in March 2013.

After spending the first three months learning Hebrew with other immigrant soldiers, he was ready for boot camp. Three months later, he joined his infantry unit as a sharp shooter. Just as his unit finished training, war broke out. Eisner made a few headlines in Israeli media when he deferred his first scheduled trip home to go to war in Gaza.

While he usually spends his Shabbats decompressing in his Be’er Sheva apartment that he shares with a Canadian roommate, he said he is grateful that South Jersey Jews are interested in raising awareness about Lone Soldiers.

“It’s not a bad option to take a few years serving in Israel,” he said. “I definitely learned a lot about myself.”

As for the future, Eisner plans to use his next nine months of military service for soul searching. He is considering making aliyah, knowing that he will be eligible for academic scholarships to attend college and other benefits.

“It’s a funny word, ‘Lone Soldier,’” he added. “You’re really not alone.”

The Salute to Lone Soldiers Defending Israel is being held 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Cong. Beth El. Tickets are $25; Sponsorship levels start at $250, and 100 percent of proceeds will be donated to the Lone Soldier Center.

For more information and tickets, visit http://southernnewjersey.securefedweb.jewishfederations.org/page/contrib... event, or call for more information (856) 751-9500, ext. 1188. .