Children who fled the war in Ukraine have already grown up in Israel and are going to serve in the IDF – report by Ynet

On June 14, 2026, the Israeli publication Ynet published a story that sounds not like an ordinary report about school graduates, but like a short formula of what Israel means to Jewish children torn from their previous lives by war.

Here is the original in Hebrew – https://www.ynet.co.il/activism/article/yokra14797525. We retell it.

Four years ago, 24 Jewish teenagers were urgently evacuated to Israel from a war zone in Eastern Europe (from Ukraine – ed.). Now they are finishing 12th grade at the youth village “WIZO Nahalal” (“ויצו נהלל”), speak Hebrew, have received Israeli citizenship, and are preparing for service in the IDF. This was reported by Ynet on 06/14/2026 in the article “ברחו מהמלחמה, מוכנים לקרב: “המדינה השקיעה בי, עכשיו אשרת אותה”.

These children arrived in Israel at the age of 14. Without parents. Without language. With small bags. Many did not even have a clear understanding of where exactly they were going and whether they would return home. Initially, it looked like a temporary evacuation — to wait out the danger, wait for the end of the war, see home, friends, and familiar streets again. But the war started by Russia against Ukraine changed not only the security map of Europe but also the destinies of specific families.

Ynet writes that the teenagers were brought to Israel gradually, over long weeks, and in some cases, the warning about departure came literally a few hours in advance. The operation was overseen by the Naale program directorate and the agricultural education administration. For Israel, this was not just a humanitarian action, but work with children who arrived with trauma, fear, and complete uncertainty.

From a suitcase for one night — to an Israeli diploma

In the Ynet article, the story of Asya (אסיה), who is now 18 years old, sounds particularly strong. She recalls the day the war began: her mother told her to pack, and she stood in front of the closet not knowing what to take, when it was unknown if she would return home to Ukraine. The next day, at one in the morning, she had already landed in Israel.

For a teenager, this is not a tourist trip and not an ordinary aliyah according to the family’s plan. It is a sharp break in life into “before” and “after”.

Asya did not understand the language, did not understand the country, and almost did not understand what was happening to her. But four years later, she speaks differently: Israel has become her new home. In September, she plans to enlist in the army and hopes to serve in the IDF press service. According to the girl, after October 7, she was angry that the world was once again blaming Jews and did not want to see the truth. Now she wants to be part of those who explain this truth.

For the Israeli audience, this detail is especially important. It is not only about children from Ukraine who found refuge. It is about young people who have seen two wars: first the Russian aggression against Ukraine, then Israel’s war after the massacre on October 7. And in both cases, they faced the same thing — a world that often tires of victims faster than aggressors.

NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency views such stories as part of the larger Jewish and Israeli reality: Israel becomes a home not through beautiful slogans, but through school, language, support, fear, sirens, protected rooms, the army, and personal choice.

“The state gave me security — now I want to give back”

Another heroine of the Ynet material is Olesya (אוליסיה), 18 years old. In 9th grade, she was sure she would not serve in the army. This is understandable: the girl had just arrived in a foreign country, did not yet know the language, did not feel part of the system, and probably just dreamed of peace.

But much has changed in four years.

Olesya says that over time she realized how much Israel gave her: security, support, and a chance for a different life. Now she wants to give back to the country what she received. Her father immediately supported the decision to serve, her mother initially took it hard that her daughter would wear a uniform. This is a very human conflict: parents saved the child from war, and the child grew up and chooses to defend the country.

Ynet also tells the story of Igor (יגור)— one of the notable examples of successful adaptation. At first, it was difficult for him, but he quickly learned Hebrew, integrated into Israeli society, joined the “Nahalal Tech” program, where he studied robotics, physics, and computers. Now he plans to study in the field of aeronautics and space engineering through an academic program before the army.

His words are the central phrase of the whole story. Igor says that you cannot compare the war in Ukraine and the situation in Israel: there they had to hide at train stations and in various public places, and here they have a mamad and a team that constantly cares for them. After this, he formulates his position very clearly: the state invested in him, now he wants to give back through military service.

This is not a propaganda phrase. This is the mature reaction of a teenager who, in four years, has gone from refugee to citizen.

WIZO Nahalal, “Naale” and the Israeli system that worked

The youth village “WIZO Nahalal” in this story became not just a school or a boarding school. For these children, it became a transitional bridge between their past life and a new Israeli future.

The village director Galia Alef (גליה אלף) told Ynet that the children went through a personal, emotional, and powerful journey. According to her, they feel that this is their home, they are loved, successful, and finish 12th grade with their heads held high and a sense of belonging. She called them true heroes and emphasized that their presence has become a great value for the village.

The broader context of the “Naale” program is also important. The head of the directorate Yishayahu Yehieli (ישעיהו יחיאלי) reminded that through this program, 22,000 students from around the world have come to Israel. Many of them then serve in the army, receive higher education, work, create families, and build lives in Israel.

The story of these 24 teenagers shows that integration is not one document and not one ceremony. It is years of work: language, school, psychological support, trust, a sense of security, growing up, citizenship, a diploma, choosing a future.

That is why the Ynet material is important not only as a social story. It shows how Israel is capable of accepting children saved from war and turning salvation into full-fledged belonging to the country. Not everyone, not automatically, not without pain — but when the system works, the result becomes visible.

For Israelis, especially those from Ukraine, this story sounds especially close. Many know what it means to pack a bag without confidence in tomorrow. Many understand how difficult it is for a child to be caught between languages, countries, and wars. And many today see that the war of Russia against Ukraine and the war against Israel are connected not only by political alliances of aggressors but also by the destinies of people who are forced to choose the side of life again.

NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency emphasizes: these teenagers did not just “adapt.” They went through a journey in which Israel became not a temporary refuge, but a home they are ready to be responsible for.

The final detail here is the strongest. Four years ago, they arrived at night, with small bags, without Hebrew and without understanding the future. Today they are finishing school, speak the language of the country, know the value of security, and want to serve in the IDF.

This is not just a story about refugees.

This is a story about how children of war become citizens of Israel.