By RUTH EGLASH
Thousands of lone soldiers serving in the IDF will receive a financial boost this month thanks to an ongoing aid program sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.Totaling more than $1.6 million (NIS 6.1 million), the program will see gift cards between NIS 400 and NIS 1,000 distributed to the soldiers. The cards can be used in major chain stores in Israel to purchase food, clothing, shoes and leisure items.There are currently 5,516 lone soldiers serving in the IDF, 40 percent of whom are in combat positions, and every unit in the army has at least one lone soldier. Nearly 700 soldiers are immigrants from the US; 218 from France; 461 are Russian; and 270 are from Ukraine. There are also an additional 4,535 people serving who are considered lone soldiers due to their family situation.
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