Growing Wings

Growing Wings was founded by Maxwell Long, Yuval Hadari, and Roy Milstein, all veterans of the IDF. After their own experiences in Poland, they founded Growing Wings to support IDF lone soldiers. ²

In 2025, left-of-center media outlet The Intercept published an op-ed criticizing the pro-Israel, pro-IDF nonprofit coalition in the United States, including Growing Wings. The piece accused the group and similar organizations of recruiting American teens to aid in the “genocide in Gaza.” ³

Initiatives

In addition to providing housing, subsidies, and relocation services to Israel Defense Forces lone soldiers, Growing Wings also maintains the Lone Soldier Support Network, a coalition of pre-draft, active-duty, and veteran lone soldiers who support one another in Israel and have access to living accommodations and housing scholarships. ^{1  4}

Growing Wings also operates Strong Voices for Israel, an educational group of pro-Israel activists and Zionists who equip others with “the knowledge, skills, and confidence to stand up for Israel and combat antisemitism.” ⁵

Growing Wings has an initiative called Operation Gratitude which hosts barbeques and events for IDF soldiers. ⁶

Growing Wings also raises funds for a trip to Poland where it sends pre-draft lone soldiers to learn more about the Holocaust to increase their support for Israel. ²

Growing Wings claims to have reached over 5,000 soldiers, saved more than $1.8 million for soldiers’ scholarships, donated over 4,000 pieces of furniture, housed over 500 soldiers, and provided more than 120 beds for soldiers across 11 buildings and apartments. ⁷

Growing Wings has partnered with several other lone soldier organizations to achieve its impact, including Bayit Brigade, Merage, the Right Spirit Association (Ruach Nechona), and the Yahalam Association. ^{4  7}

The Intercept Editorial

In July 2025, left-of-center media outlet The Intercept published an op-ed accusing Growing Wings of being part of a nonprofit coalition that supports and recruits “American teens to provide reinforcements to the Israeli military during its ongoing genocide in Gaza.” The editorial told the story of Eli Wininger, a lone soldier from Los Angeles who spoke at a Growing Wings event in Alabama, sharing how he was recruited after participating in a youth scouting program Garin Tzabar, served with the IDF in Gaza, returned to the United States, and began volunteering as a youth leader at Friends of the IDF. In a different presentation at a Growing Wings event, Wininger claimed he “was instructed ‘not to kill Palestinian children. There is not a single soldier in there that is doing that.’” ³

Leadership

According to information from Growing Wing’s nonprofit tax returns, Maxwell Long is the president of the organization, Roy Milstein is the co-founder and treasurer, and Yuval Hadari is the clerk. ⁸

Maxwell Long served in the Israel Defense Forces as a special forces operator from 2015 to 2018. In addition to founding Growing Wings, Long also founded the Concierge Real Estate Group in Tel Aviv, Israel and the Social Impact Marketplace. ⁹

Roy Milstein served in the IDF from 2020 to 2023. He is a student at Columbia University and works at the Sustainable Finance Group. ¹⁰

Yuval Hadari served in the IDF from 2015 to 2018 as a staff sergeant and company navigator. He graduated from Columbia University in 2024 and works full-time at Growing Wings. ¹¹

Finances

In 2022, Growing Wings reported $53,828 in total revenue, $51,108 in total expenses, and $4,658 in total assets. ¹² In 2023, following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, Growing Wings’ revenue increased dramatically, as it reported $499,874 in total revenue, $167,830 in total expenses, and $336,702 in total assets that year. ⁸

From 2021 through 2023, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston gave $115,000 to Growing Wings. ^{13  14  15}

In 2023, Growing Wings received a $7,500 grant from the National Philanthropic Trust. ¹⁶