“There is nothing I’d rather be doing with my life right now, more than serving the country of Israel,” said Myles Rosenblum, his voice, steady with conviction, with just a hint of anger. “To my core and soul, nothing is more important. I know deep down that I need to be here, and it’s more important than ever.”

Rosenblum, 21, moved to Israel in June 2023, just one month after graduating from Tulane University. He graduated from Clayton High School in 2020. He and his parents, Steven and Andrea Rosenblum, are members of both Kol Rinah and Central Reform Congregation.

“I wanted to do something special before going to law school. I looked at many opportunities but kept getting pulled back to the idea of serving Israel and honoring my grandfather, Doron Berger, who immigrated to Israel at 15 years old and proudly served in the Six-Day War, defending Israel over 55 years ago,” said Rosenblum.

After completing the “Mahal Mechina” program, which prepares Jewish youth from foreign countries who wish to volunteer for military service, Rosenblum was sworn into the Israel Defense Forces on Sept. 5. Just one month later Israel was under attack.

Israel at war

On the eve before the Hamas surprise attack, Rosenblum was doing what any young man might be doing after completing two weeks of tough military training.

“I was with 45 guys. We all had been on base training and so we went to Tel Aviv to celebrate,” he said. “We went to clubs, to the beach and then I went home to my cousin’s home. That morning I was dead asleep when my cousins woke me up because my base commander was calling.”

On Saturday morning, Hamas terrorists infiltrated several Israeli communities, killing at least 900 people and taking at least 100 hostages back to Gaza.

“I began hearing from friends who are in the Israeli special forces and they said they were going operational, but didn’t know where they were going,” said Rosenblum. “I soon learned that people I knew had been murdered and others injured. It was heartbreaking.”

Rosenblum in service

While Rosenblum is a member of the IDF, he will not be mobilized for combat simply because he has not received enough training. He will serve Israel in other ways until that time.

“All I want to do is go fight for my people and I am unable to. What I can do is guard a base and volunteer,” said Rosenblum. “I just returned from packaging boxes for victims in Sderot and for soldiers in the north. Packaging baby shoes and onesies for children whose parents were murdered broke my heart. If there is any good to come out of this, it is to see how Israelis band together in times of need. Every single person in this country is doing what they can.”

This type of duty is standard for IDF soldiers like Rosenblum, known as “lone soldiers” as they work and train for combat and to become fluent in Hebrew.

“I am a lone soldier and a proud one at that. A lone soldier is someone who leaves their home country to fight for Israel. This is personal to me on many levels. My grandfather was a lone soldier over and over the past 48 hours has been working to raise money to support me and other lone soldiers.”

Safe but angry

For now, Rosenblum is safe living at the home of a cousin in the town of Kadima-Tzoran, north of Tel Aviv.

In an email to friends and family he wrote, “First and foremost, I am safe. Given the horrific terror attacks on Israel, I wanted to reach out and let you all know that I am unharmed. I am enraged and heartbroken. Not a single person in Israel has gone untouched by the actions of Hamas. Every single Israeli, me included, knows someone who was murdered, kidnapped, or is fighting for their life. Unfortunately, I fear there are more to come.”

Sadly, Rosenblum is right. In an address to the nation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had begun a war that would end with the terror group’s defeat but added, “There are hard days ahead of us.”

“I am proud to serve this country. I am proud to be Jewish. Am Yisrael Chai. (The people of Israel live.),” Rosenblum said.

Myles Rosenblum, the St. Louis Jewish community is proud of you too.

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