Noga Weiss, 18, who was abducted on October 7 from Kibbutz Be'eri and released after 50 days as a hostage in Gaza with her mother, Shiri, enlisted on Monday as a social welfare soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. Noga's enlistment day came more than five months after she was released and about four months after the announcement that her father, Ilan Weiss, 56, from Kibbutz Be'eri, was murdered and his body held in Gaza.
"After a very tumultuous period, I feel that enlisting is the right thing for me. I always wanted to enlist and contribute to the country, and the army for me is a combination of processing what happened, a distraction, daily routine and mainly getting in touch with reality," Noga said during the enlistment ceremony.
"Being a social welfare soldier was my dream role for years. I feel that I can contribute a lot, be significant and help others. I remember that on the day my mom and I were released, they took us to Kerem Shalom, and there the hangar was full of soldiers. The presence of the soldiers made me feel safe, and it only strengthened my desire to be a part of and serve in the army," she said.