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The Enduring Legacy of Max Steinberg z”l

The Enduring Legacy of Max Steinberg z”l

April 22, 2015

Leadership, Awards & Events

JNS — The stories of “lone soldiers” — the term used for soldiers whose parents do not live in Israel — offer a unique perspective on the Jewish state during a time of crisis, and on the culture of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Max SteinbergFor many lone soldiers, there’s a family connection to Israel that prompts their initial curiosity and, later, their commitment to the IDF cause.

This was not the case, however, for Max Steinberg z”‘l, a lone soldier from Woodland Hills, California, who was killed during last summer’s war in Gaza.

“Max connected [to Israel] from a cultural perspective,” says his father, Stuart Steinberg.

At the age of 22, Max visited Israel for the first time along with his brother Jake, and sister, Paige. “When [Max] went to the [military] cemetery, Mount Herzl, I think that really… impacted him.”

Max’s mother, Evelyn (Evie), recalls regarding her son’s admiration for Israeli history and the country’s defenders. That was the first time Max openly expressed his desire to return to Israel and join the IDF.

Although Max’s decision made them nervous, Stuart and Evie were happy to see their son passionately engaged.

“Max had a strong-willed dynamic personality,” says his father, remembering the inspired 22-year-old who came back from California and only three months later set out again to enlist in the IDF.

“At the time, there was no active war,” Stuart says. “We were certainly concerned, but far more optimistic about the opportunities for growth.”

Indeed, Max’s calls home from Israel were demonstrative of his enthusiasm for the work and his lifestyle as a lone soldier.

“Anger would be the wrong emotion to describe what we felt. We were in shock,” Stuart says, recounting how Israeli agents showed up at his home at 7:30 a.m. to inform him of 24-year-old Max’s death in battle.

Stuart and Evelyn made their first trips to Israel under the tragic circumstances. They attended Max’s funeral and later his unveiling. The crowd of more than 30,000 Israelis who joined in mourning Max offered a glimpse into the compassion Israelis have for lone soldiers and the culture of which Max was so enamored.

Stuart and Evie Steinberg attended the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day Ceremony at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to honor the memory of their son, Max, on April 21.

Stuart and Evie Steinberg attended the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day Ceremony at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to honor the memory of their son, Max, on April 21.

 

Americans for Ben-Gurion University approached the Steinbergs about establishing the Max Steinberg Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund, a program that will commemorate Max’s service in perpetuity by providing full scholarships to BGU for IDF combat reservists in perpetuity, with first preference going to lone soldiers.

“Their reach-out was timely and their sincerity on point,” Stuart says of Americans for Ben-Gurion University.

The Steinbergs, he says, have always valued education highly, and this was an opportunity to honor their son’s legacy by collaborating with a prominent institution in the country Max loved.

View a video tribute to Max Steinberg z”l >>

Donations to the Max Steinberg Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund can be made at www.aabgu.org/maxsteinberg >>

Read more stories from lone soldiers on the JNS website >>