Hi Everyone,
A lone soldier or known as a chayal bodeid here in Israel, is very special. A lone soldier is someone who has come from outside of Israel without any family and decided to join the Israeli army. This soldiers Mom called from the U.S. and asked if I could make her son a cake. He was about to go into the army and as it is somewhat traditional to make a Mesibat Geus (Drafting party); she wanted him to have a cake that was unique. Being a lone soldier, while it does have some benefits, can be very difficult, you do not have a home to come back to with food or clean sheets after weeks in the army. I have personally had many lone soldiers come and stay at my house for Shabbat and it is a heart warming experience. Just being able to cook for them and give them a place they can feel comfortable is not even close to enough gratitude for what they do on a daily basis.
His mother, knowing all of this, wanted to send him off into his time in the army with something that would let him know she wasn’t just thinking about him, but she wanted the cake to be something that would bring him joy and give him a good laugh. Although his mom didn’t know what unit he would be going into we decided we could figure out some cute things to put on the cake that any soldier would relate to. The pieces on the cake for tanks, infantry and paratroopers are iconic in Israel, yet there is something quirky about the boots with the holes. While it is funny and there is quite some truth it made me realize that more needs to be done for our soldier whether or not we are in battle. There are great places to donate money like FIDF and A Packages From Home. Also, there is currently a lone soldier house being created right in our neighborhood! If you ever want to sponsor cakes, cupcakes, cookies or email us letters to be sent to them let us know and we would love to get you involved!
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~Love From Our Kitchen to Yours
A Taste of Home in Israel