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Mark Werner

American Sar-el Volunteer

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Dec 9, 2025, 6:04 AM

What Was It Like For An American To Experience the 12 Day Israel-Iran War?

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR AN AMERICAN TO EXPERIENCE THE 12 DAY ISRAEL-IRAN WAR? Americans who are alive today have never experienced a war on their home turf. That is a luxury which I hope will continue. But, unfortunately, Israelis experience...

Oct 21, 2022, 1:49 AM

A Simple Solution to the IDF’s Logistics Problem

I was very disappointed to learn of State Controller Matanyahu Englman’s recent scathing report on the logistical deficiencies he found in auditing the IDF’s West Bank operations. It hearkens back to the IDF logistics scandal that enraged the Israeli...

Aug 9, 2018, 9:15 AM

Musings from a bomb shelter

The site where a projectile from the Gaza Strip hit a house in the Eshkol region of southern Israel, injuring two people, on August 9, 2018. (Eshkol Security)

Have you ever been awakened by a 'Code Red' siren alerting you to the incoming Palestinian missile?

Nov 15, 2017, 8:10 AM

Angels from G-d

Sometimes you don’t appreciate how great an impact you can have as a volunteer. I found that out in an unexpected way in Israel. I recently returned from my 16th stint as a volunteer on an Israeli military base. My volunteer...

Jan 1, 2015, 11:31 AM

A delayed thank you to a destroyed Jewish community

A chance meeting with the granddaughter of those who helped his father escape the Nazis

Aug 12, 2013, 5:40 PM

Volunteering with My Son on an Israeli Army Base

An American lawyer, Mark Werner volunteers each summer to work on Israeli military bases. This is a story of one of his volunteer experiences, where he had welcome company. Some fathers and sons spend time together fishing or attending...

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About Me

Mark Werner is a retired American lawyer in Raleigh, North Carolina. Through Sar-el, he volunteers on Israeli military bases to provide logistical support for the IDF. His latest book about his Sar-el volunteer experiences is "A Passion For Israel: Adventures of a Sar-el Volunteer" (Gefen, 2020).