National Service Honorees Recognized at President’s Residence for 40 Million Hours of Volunteering

At the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, the National-Civil Service Authority is honoring outstanding volunteers during the current week of appreciation for national service. The ceremony highlights the work of about 20,000 young men and women serving across Israel in hospitals, education and welfare systems, security and rescue bodies, local authorities, and other public institutions.

According to the authority, national service volunteers contribute roughly 40 million hours a year to society and the state. Since the outbreak of the war triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack, enrollment has risen sharply, along with demand for placements in emergency response, security, and community aid roles. The program is also expanding across Israeli society, including among Haredi, Arab, and Druze communities.

Authority director general Reuven Pinsky said that behind every honoree stand “thousands of hours of giving, responsibility and commitment to Israeli society.” He said the more than 20,000 volunteers have shown again that “in times of trial they are everywhere the state and society need them,” and called them a proud generation that chooses to take responsibility and lead. Minister of Settlement and National Missions Orit Strock, who oversees national service, said the volunteers have become “an inseparable part of Israel’s national resilience” during two and a half years of war and unprecedented challenges.

The article also spotlights several honorees with personal stories. Hallel Miriam Peretz, granddaughter of Miriam Peretz and daughter of the late Lt. Col. Eliraz Peretz, serves in a kindergarten for children with disabilities and supports bereaved families. Shira Steinberg, daughter of the late Col. Yehonatan Steinberg, commander of the Nahal Brigade killed on October 7, serves with the One Family organization aiding bereaved families and terror victims. Another honoree, Yaros Kaso, who immigrated from Ethiopia five years ago, volunteers with Meshkan HaRe’iya helping disadvantaged people obtain glasses and hearing aids while coping with the disappearance of her sister, Haimanot Kaso, more than two years ago.