Chantal Bouchard, 22-23, was born in Israel and moved to Calgary in 2014. Bouchard was active in the local Jewish community and graduated from Henry Wise Wood High School, a public school. In 2021, Bouchard said that after finishing high school in 2019, she decided to return to Israel.
She initially worked and learned Hebrew, and then in December 2019 got connected with Garin Tzabar, a program for lone soldiers. In March 2020, Bouchard was drafted into the Israeli military as a “combat soldier” in the K-9 Combat Unit, and as of April 2021 was still in the midst of her service, with another 18 months left.
Speaking of her service, Bouchard said, “Being in the army for me is not something I see as a burden in any way whatsoever. I think it’s one of the most important things you can do for your country. The fact that we have a Jewish homeland to go back to whenever we want to […] is a privilege that we only have because of people that have given their lives to be in the army, so I think it’s an honour for me to be able to go to the army and contribute back to a country that I love so much.”
Bouchard produced a video for a 2021 Calgary Jewish Community Centre (CJCC) event dedicated to mourning Israeli soldiers that had been killed in combat. She told viewers, “I do think it’s important to send your kids [to Israel] in any way you can. The March of the Living for example, any Israel trip, any gap-year programs, is the easiest way and the most important way to learn about Jewish heritage and to really understand what being a Zionist is.”
On the event page, the CJCC wrote, “We are very proud of the many members of our Calgary Jewish community who have served in the Israeli army.”
