May 9, 2006 / 11 Iyar 5766

A reception was held at the President's House on May 8th to honor lone soldiers and their visiting parents. At the event were 100 parents who had arrived from the former Soviet Union along with 100 of their children who are now serving in the IDF. The visit is part of the Jewish Agency's Keshet project, which reunites lone soldiers with their parents who live overseas.

The visit was made possible by the generosity of New Jersey philanthropist, Steven Beilowitz and the assistence of the United Jewish Communites - The Federations of North America (UJC). Project Keshet,  initiated in 2001, has brought in up till now, a total of 920 parents in 23 groups.