Zev Faintuch is a Canadian who was born in Vancouver and raised in Winnipeg. The Jewish Post News reported in December 2024 that Faintuch “had been a Zionist from a young age” and was “imbued with the Zionist ideal and love for Israel” as a student at the Gray Academy of Jewish Education in Winnipeg, which is a K-12 school. The article noted that the school arranges a trip to Israel each year for its graduating class, and it was a moment on this trip that “clinched his decision to join the IDF.”
Faintuch would go on to serve in the Israeli military for 18 months between 2011 and 2012 as an infantry member of the Nahal Brigade, and was stationed near Gaza. The publication wrote: “His principal duties in the army were manning a heavy machine gun and operating a remote control overhead weapons system. ‘I sat in a vehicle – with a 50-calibre machine gun on the top – and operated a joystick connected to a camera,’ he said. ‘I was supposed to surveil the surrounding area and provide cover for my other team members should we find ourselves in a combat situation.’”
After finishing his service and returning to Canada, Faintuch completed a bachelor’s degree in global studies, and a master’s degree in global risk. His LinkedIn states that he works as the head of research and intelligence at Global Guardian, a security company that says it “protects and delivers employees and families from political, environmental, and bad actor threats around the world.”
The Jewish Post News article noted that Faintuch’s mother, Shelley Faintuch, is part of the reason he joined the Israeli military, and described her as “a leader in Israel-related programs and activities in our community.” An online bio for Shelley states that she was “Director of Community Relations for the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg” for more than 20 years. In another bio, Shelley acknowledges Zev’s service in the military: “[Zev] is currently serving as a combat soldier in the Israel Defence Forces because he says he has a ‘moral obligation to do something for the country that will always do something for me.’ I am in awe of his moral compass and am extremely proud of him.”
