The following video released by the IDF in honor of Israel’s 64th Independence Day features lone soldiers – young individuals who choose to make aliyah and enlist in the army, leaving their families behind in their country of origin.

The soldiers are seen greeting their families and wishing Israelis a happy Independence Day.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)