Friends of Emek Lone Soldiers is an American organization that raises money to support the work of the Israel-based initiative Emek Lone Soldiers. Emek Lone Soldiers was established in 2014 to provide a support system for non-Israelis serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), known as “lone soldiers.”  ¹

In 2025, left-of-center media outlet The Intercept published an op-ed criticizing pro-Israel, pro-IDF nonprofit coalitions in the U.S., including Friends of Emek Lone Soldiers. The piece accused “lone soldier” organizations of recruiting American teens to aid a supposed “genocide in Gaza.” ²

Activities

Emek Lone Soldiers was founded in 2014 by Shalom Myers and his wife Lynne, who immigrated to Israel from South Africa, and have four sons serving in the Israel Defense Forces.  ³ The goal of Emek Lone Soldiers is to give support and resources to the more than 300 English-speaking, religious, non-Israeli IDF personnel who have no immediate family or home in Israel. ⁴

Emek Lone Soldiers assists “lone soldiers” before enlistment, during their active service, and after their duty is completed. Emek Lone Soldiers provides a center, a community, a Shul (synagogue), and a Beit Medrash (Jewish study hall) in an effort to create a home away from home.  ⁴

The Lev L’Chayalot initiative, which was founded by Lynne Myers after the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks, operates as a project of Emek Lone Soldiers to support female “lone soldiers” who serve in the Israel Defense Forces.  ⁵ Lev L’Chayalot intends to create a family for these soldiers and provide solace through personal connections, uplifting musical events, group meals, and other social events. ⁶

Funding

Friends of Emek Lone Soldiers is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While Friends of Emek Lone Soldiers does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Conduit Foundation ($100,000 in 2023), ⁷ the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($36,778 in 2021), ⁸ and the Jewish Communal Fund ($35,168 in 2023). ⁹

Board of Directors

Shalom Myers is a co-founder of Emek Lone Soldiers and the founder of the Emek Learning Center in German Colony, a neighborhood of Jerusalem. Myers formerly served as a chaplain in the South African Defense Force and has four sons who served as combat soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces.  ¹

Lynne Myers is a co-founder of Emek Lone Soldiers and the founder of the initiative Lev L’Chayalot, which focuses on supporting female soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. Myers is the wife of Shalom Myers.  ³

Renee Chani Tessler is the principal officer of the Friends of Emek Lone Soldiers.  ¹⁰

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Donor Organizations

C Funding (nonprofit)

Clayman Foundation (nonprofit)

Conduit Foundation (nonprofit)

Donor Advised Charitable Giving (nonprofit)

Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund (nonprofit)

H & H Charitable Foundation (nonprofit)

Jewish Communal Fund (nonprofit)

JMG Foundation (nonprofit)

Menche Foundation (nonprofit)

Rose Community Foundation (nonprofit)

Skolnik Family Foundation (nonprofit)

1. “Our Staff.” Emek Lone Soldiers. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.emeklonesoldiers.com/our-staff.
2. Gee, Georgia and Lacy, Akela. “U.S. Nonprofits Funnel Millions to Israeli Army Volunteers.” The Intercept. July 19, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://theintercept.com/2025/07/19/lone-soldiers-israel-gaza-idf/.
3. “‘They’ve lost a lot of beautiful friends’: New initiative offers support for Israeli army women.” The Jewish Chronicle., February 3, 2025. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://www.thejc.com/news/features/lev-lchayalot-women-idf-soldiers-sbt89ova.
4. “About Us.” Emek Lone Soldiers. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.emeklonesoldiers.com/about-us.
5. “Lev L’Chayalot.” Emek Lone Soldiers. Accessed September 15, 2025. https://emeklonesoldiers.org/lev-lhayalot.
6. “Lev Le’Chayalot.” CauseMatch. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://causematch.com/lev_lchayalot/.
7. Conduit Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2023, Part XV, Line 3.
8. Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
9. Jewish Communal Fund, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Schedule I, Part II.
10. Friends of Emek Lone Soldiers Inc, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a.