Menachem Shlomo Stack, 22-23, is mentioned in a December 2024 article from Ynetglobal about wounded lone soldiers.
The article states: “Menachem Shlomo Stack, 22, made Aliyah from Canada on his own to join the IDF. ‘When I finished my service as a Givati combat operative, the war started, and they asked me to stay for reserve duty right away. I wasn’t even a citizen yet—just a tourist in Gaza,’ he quipped. With no relatives in Israel, Stack is preparing to marry his Israeli fiancée next month, determined to build their future in the country.
‘I wanted to feel part of the nation, to be one of those protecting it,’ he said. ‘I don’t have any Israeli relatives, and I’m the first in my family to serve in the army.’
Last July, Stack was severely injured during an incident in Shijaiyah, where his close friend, Captain Roy Miller, was killed. ‘For a year, we were inseparable—always the first to go in, standing back-to-back during missions,’ he recounted. ‘It creates a bond like no other because every time someone fires at one of you, they fire at both.’
Now, as Israel’s Committee for Immigration and Absorption deliberates over how to define and support lone reservists, Stack’s story highlights the challenges they face. ‘It was really hard,’ he admitted. ‘My parents weren’t there; I didn’t have the support you need—someone to bring food or talk to the doctors. My fiancée came as much as she could, but I spent a lot of time alone in bed. It wasn’t easy. There was so much to deal with beyond the injury.’
Despite everything, Stack has no plans to return to Canada. ‘I think life in Israel has a purpose. This is my home. If my medical condition improves, I’ll go back to reserve duty. My parents understand I’m doing something meaningful and staying because my heart is here.’”
