Meet Lt. Toby Cohen: First Nigerian Female Officer in Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

21-yr-old Lieutenant Toby Cohen was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian mother and Israeli father. Her parents and 8-year-old sister live in the northern part of Nigeria, while she immigrated to Israel on her own at the age of 17. Cohen serves in the Homefront Command.

“Even when I was 3 years old I knew I wanted to come to Israel. My father was born here and served in the Armor Corps, and our home in Nigeria was full of stories about Israel and the army,” she said. “On Rosh Hashana and Passover, we would always travel to celebrate with Dad's family in Israel, and as I was getting older I wanted more and more to get to know Israeli culture and strengthen my connection to Israel.”

When she turned 17, Cohen immigrated to Israel alone within the framework of the Jewish Agency's "Young Judaism" program, and joined the Metzar pre-army educational program at Kibbutz Metzar in the Golan Heights.

On the Metzar program, Cohen learned Hebrew and her friends helped her get to know Israeli society more intimately and experience the country more completely. Cohen recalls that when her enlistment day arrived, her father came to accompany her on the special day.

“He was just as emotional as I was,” said Cohen. “For him it was a dream come true, and his being there really helped me.”

Cohen initially served as an operations sergeant in the Homefront Command, but was later accepted into the officers' training course. “My mother and my entire family attended the officers' graduation ceremony. It is very touching to be the first woman officer from Nigeria in the IDF. Obviously I have fallen in love with Israel. This is my home and I see myself continuing my life here,” she says.