Natasha Stern accepts her award from IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, and left, Israeli President Shimon Peres.   [Sasson Tiram photo]

But after she took a year off between high school and university to live, learn and work in Israel nearly two years ago, Stern, 21, decided to make aliyah through Nefesh B’Nefesh.

Today, Stern is a corporal in the education corps of the Israel Defence Forces, and just last week, she was one of 120 IDF soldiers who were honoured at the  annual Independence Day ceremony May 8 at Beit Hanassi by Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and the chief of general staff, Gabi Ashkenazi.

Stern, a lone soldier who began her service about 14 months ago working with olim who enlist in the army, was presented with the Presidential Award of Excellence by Peres and Ashkenazi.

Although Stern said she is honoured to receive the award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship through the Soldiers Welfare Association, she didn’t decide to join the army for the accolades.

“I believe that Jewish people should be living in the Jewish homeland. This is the Jewish homeland, and I think I should be living here,” she said.

“[I was taught] that Israel is an important place – gotta give money, gotta go visit – but I just really believe that we have this state and everyone has to chip in. There is no reason that it should just be Israelis fighting because they were born here.”

Although Stern’s parents, Ellie and Arthur Stern, were initially reluctant to accept their first-born daughter’s decision to move to Israel, they quickly understood how important it was to let her go.

“She was so sure about what she wanted to do, and it was the right thing to do, and it is a great thing to do. She had to follow her dreams,” her mother said, adding that she is proud of her.

“The initial reaction, like anything, is the emotional one,” her father added. “But… I realize that my daughter is someone who is very committed and she has always been that way… She had that attitude and nothing was going to get in her way. Like any parent, you have to do a paradigm shift and say it’s in the best interest of the child. We had to step out of the way, no matter how difficult it was.”

He said that when Stern went on the March of the Living four years ago, her Jewish identity was reinforced.

“Before she made the decision to make aliyah, she had years of concretizing who she is as a Jew. Now that she knows who she is as a Jew, what does she have to do? What role does she have to play for the Jewish people? What kind of difference can she make?” Arthur said.

Although there were many experiences in her life that led her to the ultimate decision to make aliyah, Natasha said that spending Yom Hazikaron in Israel during her gap year was what triggered her desire to move to Israel and serve in the army.

“Yom Hazikaron was the day where I saw so much mourning and I thought there was no way that these kids – and they are kids – died just so that we could do Birthright and do March of The Living. They died so that we could move here, make it better, improve and add and give, and keep [Israel] going,” Natasha said.

“It is one of the most meaningful decisions I’ve ever made. It is sometimes the worst thing ever, but sometimes the best thing ever. It’s really hard. It’s not a joke. It’s really hard for everyone in different ways.”

Natasha said she is humbled to be one of 120 soldiers who were recognized for their contributions, but she doesn’t want it to detract from the work that every other soldier is doing.

“Everyone works so hard in the army. I believe that a lot of people give everything they can.”

Before getting the news that Natasha would be receiving the award, her parents had joined an adult group of the March of the Living who travelled abroad from April 28 to May 11.

When they applied to participate on the march, which starts in Poland and ends in Israel, they had no idea that they would be in Israel on the same day that their daughter would be publicly recognized as an outstanding soldier.

Natasha’s 18-year-old sister, Alex, who is currently studying in Israel, was also there to witness the ceremony.

Another aspect of the event that can be chalked up to fate is that Natasha’s grandmother and great-grandmother were liberated from Auschwitz-Birkenau on May 8 – the same day Natasha received her award.

“This is everything that a child of a survivor, that a survivor, dreams of. It was my mother’s dream being realized. It just sent chills down my spine,” Arthur said about watching his daughter shake hands with Peres.

“Next to childbirth – she’s done good in a lot of dance recitals – but next to childbirth, this was right there.”