Around 2,000 U.S. soldiers are poised to be deployed nearly 7,000 miles from home toward Israel, preparing for possible defense tactics in support of Israel in its war against Hamas.

But some Americans are already on the frontlines, battling in the war that has so far taken the lives of more than 4,000 people in the region. 

When 25-year-old Denver native Elazar Fleischmann learned of the first Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, he knew he had to act, his family said. A former member of the Israel Defense Forces for three years, Fleischmann headed toward war within a couple of days of the conflict.

In joining the war, Fleischmann left his wife, 25-year-old Eliora Walles Fleischmann, and sixth-month-old daughter Ayla Wilma Fleischmann behind in Denver.

He didn’t act begrudgingly, though, his wife said. His family stands behind his decision.

“He is following what he believes to be the truth,” Fleischmann said of her husband. “We’re not left behind; we’re standing behind him.”

A family built across the world

Fleischmann met her husband in elementary school in Denver. He went home his first day and told his parents that he was going to marry Eliora – a story his family still teases him about. 

The two kept in touch throughout childhood. When both were in Israel for Aliyah  – the immigration of Jews back to Israel  – they began falling in love. They went on to spend three years in Israel between 2018 and 2022. Eliora Fleischmann worked as a doula, helping deliver newborns. Elazar Fleischmann served three years in the army.

“We really wanted to integrate into Israel – learning the language, getting jobs there, everything. We were very committed to being there. That was important to us,” Eliora Fleischmann said.

The duo returned home to Denver to start a family in 2022. They brought Ayla into the world in the spring of 2023, just five months before Elazar Fleischmann went back to Israel – this time, to fight in a war. 

“We’ve discussed many times that you should live a life that you are proud of and that your children would be proud of you living,” Eliora Fleischmann said. “I tell my daughter that one day when she’s bigger, she’ll be so proud of her dad. That’s why he had to go. We had to show our daughter that we stand up for what we believe in.”

Sleepless nights

Elazar Fleischmann is currently in northern Israel working as a medic for Paratrooper Unit 202. He is defending the northern border from attacks by Hezbollah, a terrorist group based in Lebanon. 

The husband and wife communicate as frequently as possible, calling each other when time and service permits.

Eliora Fleischmann asked Elazar if he was sleeping. He responded, “I can’t explain to you what it’s like to be shot at and hear bullets whizzing by your head. … You hear explosions, you drop to the ground. You don’t sleep.”

Fleischmann said she’s not sleeping as well, either.

“I have a six-month-old baby, so I don’t sleep so well anyway,” she joked.

Eliora Fleischmann’s mission at home is also crucial. When her husband arrived in Israel, the only tourniquet he had was the one he brought from home. Eliora Fleischmann said the lack of medical equipment in Israel is troubling.

To help, Eliora and her friend have been working with local U.S. veterans to put together medical kits to send over, shipping them out with soldiers heading to the area. They’ve sent more than $3,000 worth of medical equipment so far – a mission she doesn’t plan on stopping.

“From dusk to dawn, I’m looking at my phone and talking to people to see how I can help soldiers and the families affected,” she said. 

Eliora also looks to bring organization branches to Denver that will help with families of soldiers in Israel and the soldiers themselves once they return.

‘Your prayers matter more’

While Eliora Fleischmann’s two fundraisers have raised over $12,000 for her family and $5,000 for medical equipment, she noted that the care from the community has been the biggest help.

“Your monetary contributions matter, but your prayers matter more,” she said. “The awareness and the care are the most important. My husband said it really lifts the morale of the soldiers to know so many people care.”

She spoke highly of the local community – both Jewish and non-Jewish – showing support and love during this troubled times.

That support eases but cannot lift the burden of having her husband, and father of her child, away at war. Eliora feels the terrifying gravity of the situation, and she finds solace in her husband’s determination.

“I find a source of comfort knowing that he won’t be the first, or last, person leaving his family to fight for something he believes in,” she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.