Veterans Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates end of combat on the eleventh hour of November 11, 1918 between the Allied nations and Germany during World War I – known at the time as “The Great War.” The war officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, went into effect on For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls to preserve the historical significance of the date and focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good (source: www.va.gov). Though Veterans Day is observed in the United States, as a global organization, we extend gratitude to the members of our staff and the broader Moishe House community who have served in the armed forces in the United States and around the world. Today we highlight Moishe House team members Robert Dorsey, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (U.S. Navy) and Raanan Eliaz, Senior Vice President of Global Development (Israel Defense Force).

Robert Dorsey, who is based in California headquarters, served in the U.S. Navy from 1983 to 1987 as a cryptologic interpreter, specializing in breaking codes written in Persian. He enlisted to keep up with his family’s military tradition of having service members from each generation as far back as the 1690s. His team’s mission was to monitor the Iranian military communications, decipher their messages, translate them and provide the resulting intelligence to the Persian Gulf ship squadron and to the National Security Agency (NSA). He was stationed on the USS Francis Hammond, a Navy frigate or small warship and was also assigned to other ships temporarily. Robert traveled extensively, being stationed in places such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Pakistan, UAE, Diego Garcia (an island in the Indian Ocean).   I enlisted more as a family tradition than anything else.  The men in my family from each generation have served in the military going way back to the 1690s.

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  Raanan Eliaz, who is based in Israel, served for three years in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) as a combat soldier and medic at the Air-Force Rescue Unit and at Nachal special unit. Army service is obligatory in Israel, and while Raanan describes himself as a “free spirit,” he was determined to give his all while he served his country.      

 We thank both Robert and Raanan for their service and for sharing their stories!