Two Long Island–raised brothers have joined the Israeli Army as “lone soldiers,” serving in combat units during a period of escalating conflict that now includes fighting tied to the widening war involving Iran.
Their story was told by their mother, Orly Regev, to Gal Swisa Cohen during “The Israeli Bond” podcast on hmTv, a production of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County.
The twins, sons of Long Island resident Orly Regev, enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) after graduating high school in New York, despite being American-born citizens who had already been accepted to several U.S. colleges.
Regev, a certified public accountant and mother of three, said the decision reflected the values her family emphasized while raising their children in both Israeli and American cultures.
“My husband and I both served in the army,” Regev said in a recent interview for the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County’s podcast, The Israeli Bond. “For us it was meaningful. We never forced our kids, but they grew up hearing about it and learning about Israel.”
The brothers grew up on Long Island while maintaining close ties to Israel through family visits and participation in Israeli Scouts, a youth movement for Hebrew-speaking children. Both were active athletes in high school, one a swimmer and the other a rower.
Although they applied to colleges as a backup plan, their primary goal was joining the IDF. “They were accepted into elite combat units,” Regev said. “For them, it felt like a major achievement.”
Their service took on new urgency after the October 7 attacks in Israel, when both soldiers were called to their units and deployed into active combat zones.
One son was sent south toward the Gaza border area, while the other was stationed in northern Israel amid fears of a broader regional conflict.
For Regev, the pride she initially felt quickly turned into constant worry. “You go from pride to fear,” she said. “When your son goes into a combat zone, you wait for a message that he’s okay.”
The situation has grown even more tense as the conflict in the Middle East has expanded, including Israeli military operations tied to the war involving Iran.
Despite the risks, Regev said both sons remain proud of their service. “They were never afraid the way we were,” she said. “They felt they needed to be there with their unit.”
One of the twins has since completed his service and recently began medical school in Israel, inspired in part by his work as a combat medic during the war. The other remains in the army.
For their mother, the experience has been both difficult and meaningful. “When you raise your children with values about giving back,” Regev said, “eventually they carry those values themselves.” Hear the entire interview with Regev at www.hmtcli.org