In October 2007, the combined efforts of Tzahal Shalom of Northern Westchester and the Israel Defense Force made it possible for seven handpicked Israeli soldiers to spend 10 days in my town of Chappaqua, N.Y. The soldiers were to follow an obscenely busy schedule of speaking arrangements and “parlor meetings,” serving a role best described as “goodwill ambassadors” of the IDF. And yes, as it turned out, one thing followed another, and my family volunteered to provide food, lodging and some semblance of American normality for one of these soldiers.