American IDF volunteer Josh Pankin, in red shirt, poses with Israeli soldiers during his recent trip to Israel.

Are you fearful of the challenges that lay ahead of you in college or worried about the stress you’ll face in the coming school year? While these and many other feelings are rational and normal concerns for a teenager to have, consider this: Toward the end of September, 18-year-old Josh Pankin will be traveling to Israel to serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), committing himself to three years of service to protect the Jewish homeland.

While the majority of his fellow classmates from Gann Academy, a pluralistic Jewish high school in Waltham, Mass., will be preparing themselves for a post-graduation lifestyle away from home, Josh will instead immerse himself in the complete unknown of army service, plus an entirely new and foreign culture. This challenge, however daunting, is one of the things Josh most looks forward to, and he’s “excited to live in Israel and be a part of the society.”

These feelings of excitement and anticipation, coupled with the inevitable sense of apprehension and nervousness, have been in his thoughts, as well as those of his family members. “My family is nervous, of course,” he says, “but they are completely supportive of my decision. They also know that I’ve made my decision and this is what I’m going to do.”

Josh came to his decision gradually and cites a number of factors that played a significant role. His Jewish day school background and upbringing, for one thing, instilled in him a love for Israel. This love for Israel and desire to take an active role in protecting the country was cemented on his recent trip to Poland as part of a summer teen tour in Israel, where he felt he was able to really understand “the destruction of the Jews and the need for a Jewish state.” After learning about the lowest point in the existence of the Jewish people and experiencing the intensity and sense of purpose of life in Israel, Josh decided that protecting the Jewish homeland was “something [he] wanted to be a part of.”

As might be expected, Josh’s excitement hasn’t made his feelings of anxiety subside. But his tenacity and willingness to confront his fears and move forward is remarkable. In a society in which most teens follow the same track—preparing themselves for college life and the search for a good job—Josh stepped back, considering himself and his community, and made the decision to actively engage in the pursuit of his ideals and values. Eventually he hopes to become a paramedic in an elite combat unit.

Josh disclosed that aside from physical harm, his greatest fear is finding that the army has no real use for him. He knows many Israelis won’t understand his motives and will question his decision to leave his comfortable home to serve on behalf of a country halfway around the world. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, Josh knows that wherever he ends up, he wants to be placed in a unit of highly motivated soldiers who “really want to be there and share [his] ideologies and deep love and appreciation for Israel.”

Col. (Res.) Sharon Davidovitch of the IDF has been instrumental in creating and refining IDF programs to absorb overseas volunteers. According to him, the IDF is very aware of the many challenges faced by recruits like Josh: “We are proud and appreciative of the commitment of these young people—we have many programs designed to ensure that they are supported along their journey.”

While acknowledging the risks and difficulties, Col. Davidovitch states that highly motivated young adults like Josh can make a significant contribution to the welfare of Israel and can grow tremendously as individuals as a result of their service.

In talking to Josh about his decision, one gets the sense that he knows wholeheartedly what he’s getting himself into, and beyond that is absolutely certain that this is what he wants to do. While it’s true there are many motivated, active, caring young Jews in America, our community should be proud and supportive of Josh’s bravery and commitment to Israel and the Jewish people.

We wish him and others who make this monumental decision the best of luck.

Ari Fine is 17 years old and attends Gann Academy in Waltham, Mass. He spends a lot of time in Israel and lived there for seven months during his sophomore and junior years. He likes playing sports, playing piano, listening to music and hanging out with friends.