Most Serve Close to Home
Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey, which means that no military base is ever truly far from home. Most soldiers are assigned to bases within a few hours of their families, and the IDF's weekend leave system means that the majority of non-combat soldiers head home every Thursday night and return Sunday morning. Israel's work week runs Sunday through Thursday, so Friday-Saturday is the weekend break.
This proximity to home creates a military experience that feels very different from American or European service, where deployments might take you thousands of miles away. Israeli women maintain their friendships, family connections, and social lives throughout their service. It's common to see groups of uniformed soldiers at shopping malls, restaurants, and train stations every Thursday evening, rifles and all, heading home for the weekend. Military life and civilian life aren't separate worlds here — they overlap constantly.
