420 lone IDF soldiers attended a special Passover Seder on Friday. Photo: JNS.org.

JNS.org – More than 400 “lone soldiers” were invited to a special Passover Seder in the Israeli city of Hadera sponsored by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the IDF Education Corps.

This was the 14th annual Passover seder held for IDF personnel who do not have living parents, or those who do not have families that reside in Israel. Many IDF soldiers who have immigrated to Israel or serve through the Mahal program, which allows non-citizen Jews to volunteer for the IDF, qualify for the “lone soldier” status.

The 420 male and female participants came with a variety of ranks and from a variety of units, and attended the seder in a resort village in the Givat Olga neighborhood of Hadera, 31 miles from Tel Aviv, reported The Times of Israel.