Rebecca Baskin is a Canadian from Toronto. In 2015, the Hamilton Jewish News (HJN) published an article titled, “A Tale Of Three Soldiers: Why The Grandchildren Of Three Iconic Hamilton Rabbis Joined The IDF,” which featured Baskin and two other individuals included in this database: Josh Goldberg and Shmarya Green.
The article stated, “The common thread in the aliyah stories of Goldberg, Green and Baskin is twofold — each of them grew up in families with deeply Zionistic roots.” It noted that Baskin’s parents are David Baskin, the chairman and president of Baskin Wealth Management, and Joan Garson, “a former President of Holy Blossom Temple [a Toronto synagogue], and past Governor of the World Zionist Organization” as well as a former board president of the New Israel Fund Canada. Garson is also a member of the Order of Canada. One of Baskin’s grandparents, Bernard Baskin, was the “Rabbi at Temple Anshe Sholom [in Hamilton, Ont.] from 1948 to 1992.” In 2014, David Baskin tweeted in response to David Frum: “As proud father of IDF vet Rebecca Baskin I say thanks.”
Baskin immigrated to Israel after high school, and became a citizen in 2011. HJN reported, “Baskin enrolled in a commander’s course after her three months of basic training through the Machal program, and was soon herself overseeing basic training for new recruits.” Baskin trained recruits for the Israeli air force specifically, according to an article she wrote for The Jerusalem Post.
Baskin has discussed her experience in the Israeli military on multiple occasions. HJN wrote, “As a new immigrant who chose to serve in the IDF, Baskin was asked how the widespread demonization of Israel in general and the IDF in particular, makes her feel. ‘It feels really awful,’ said Baskin. ‘Something that’s definitely different now from six years ago when I started living here is that I’m more quiet with people who don’t know much about me. Sometimes you just don’t want to have to deal with people’s reactions and being seen in a certain way and have certain assumptions made of you because of where you live. I think that Israel is deeply misunderstood.’” The article ended by stating, “The life choices made by these three young people serve as the greatest possible affirmation of the values in which they were raised. They do their parents, their grandparents and all of us proud.”
The Jerusalem Post reported in 2014: “Baskin volunteers for the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Center and serves as deputy director of the Jerusalem branch. The nonprofit was created by former lone soldiers to help current ones, both during their military service and when they have completed it. Baskin organizes social events for them, including Shabbat dinners, barbecues, marathons and fun days. ‘We also help furnish the apartments of lone soldiers and move in furniture – everything from a fridge or washing machine to a bed or couch that people have donated to help them out,’ Baskin tells the Post.”
Baskin is now an associate at an Israeli law firm.
