A Taste of Life in the Israeli Army

What would inspire hundreds of volunteers to come to Israel at this time, when a multi-front war is ongoing and the cost and difficulty of getting there has never been higher?

For those of us who signed up for the Sar-El program in which volunteers from abroad and within Israel are assigned to help out at army bases throughout the country, the answer was remarkably the same. Although we came from different countries, were at widely different stages of our life and even of different religions, we all experienced a pull. I think we all felt like part of a big extended family that was under siege.

After paying exorbitant prices for airfare, being that El Al was the only airline still flying into Israel (with the exception of Arkia whose flights were limited to Europe), some of us flying over 10 hours, even 30, and on multiple legs, we were eager to begin our army service. 

While conditions were decidedly about two levels below the most basic hostel, we more or less cheerfully settled into our bunks in a somewhat permanent tent that accommodated give or take 30 or us. Being able to wear real army uniforms even though most weren’t even close to fitting, more than made up for the lack of privacy. We even had flag raising every morning, where we were instructed in the Israeli version of “attention” and “at ease,” followed by Hatikvah. Fun. Our duty was to man an assembly line in a big warehouse and fill cartons with provisions for soldiers in the field. This we did with gusto.

It was gratifying to be able to do something, anything, to help the IDF in its battle against its enemies in Gaza and Lebanon. I think we all found it immensely gratifying. But for me, at least, the best part was talking with the other volunteers as well as the soldiers on base.

When you don’t have wifi or television, you are free to engage in open discussions for hours. We did have one one-hour activity per evening, usually a talk. But that still left us plenty of free time. After we finished our work, we talked about what drew us to Israel and our experiences. I learned so much and was so impressed with my short term “comrades in arms.”

Following are just a few of the stories I heard. (I am using just first names because I didn’t get permission to write about them.)

Sara. A tall and capable woman from Germany. She’s not Jewish but probably knows more about Judaism than most Jews I know. Soft-spoken, she cheerfully did her packing and when I overheard her speaking Hebrew one day we began to speak Hebrew together, as we were at about the same level language skills. (OK, I admit, she was better than me.) I discovered that she is considering converting to Judaism and has been to Israel many times.

Michael, a British bloke, told me about a program he has established in England whereby he raised money to underwrite an annual visit for Israeli soldiers who suffer long-term injuries or have PTSD. He and others arranged for these soldiers to tour England and were hosted by members of his synagogue. He has kept in touch with some of them. Because they were British I decided to serve them tea each night using the electric kettle someone had left in the women’s tent. 

Jerry was a convert who told me that he underwent conversion to Judaism three times: First Reform, then Conservative and he was rejected by the Orthodox rabbi three times before being allowed to convert again. I’d say that makes him 100 percent kosher!

Nancy who is Christian, came from Canada. She wanted to set an example for her four children to show that doing the right thing involves more than just talk or contributing to charity, she said.

Another non-Jew came from Holland. It was Igor’s second time in Israel. He brought his 21-year-old son with him to volunteer over the summer. Again, setting an example.

Beth, from England, was one of our youngest volunteers, just 23. She shined her army boots and brushed her uniform every night. She told me that she had been in a pre-army program for high schoolers in England and was prepared to enlist in the Royal Army, before October 7. Then she experienced such a level of anti-semitism that she felt she no longer could serve her country. Instead, she said, she was enlisting as a lone soldier in the Israeli army.

Shelley, from Australia, told me she bought a one-way ticket here and isn’t eager to go back.

Yoram. A real, lovable character, he smoked cigars, and railed against Milan and Italy in general. He is a repeat volunteer who desperately wants to make aliyah. Occasionally he would take a break from ranting against antisemitism to dance on the conveyor belt. 

Larry was so into working at the warehouse, a whiz with the box cutter, he did twice the work of an average person. When we were told we had to leave early on our last day to pack up, he refused. “I’m not f—king leaving,” he declared and ended up working an extra hour.

Robert, who came from California, was the sole Sephardi in our group the first week. He was unhappy that more Sephardic Jews didn’t come to volunteer and spoke of some customs unique to the Iranian/Persian Jewish community.

There were so many more…All happy to be here and extremely distressed about the climate for Jews in their countries, especially the Europeans and Australians. As someone who follows the news closely, I was still shocked at the personal nature of the Jew hate going on in the world. Lauren from Australia said someone had sprayed painted “Jews Must Die” on the wall of her school. One soldier told me his aunt and uncle removed the mezzuzahs from their home in France. Beth from England said a close friend told her to go back to Germany. Yoram said that on Shabbat after services, they can’t leave the synagogue alone but need a police escort on their way home.

And then there were the Israeli volunteers. We got to engage with the smiling teenagers from local schools, the seniors from Rehovot who volunteer every month, and members of a nearby dental clinic. Occasionally they would break out in song. 

This is Israel. People pitch in. We pitched in. Nothing can replace the satisfaction of actually coming to Israel and being among those who share your values, your beliefs, your desire to be in Israel at a time when you are needed the most. Over the course of each week we packed 10,000 cartons of food, providing nourishment for 40,000 soldiers in the field. An Israeli high school teacher who came with his class one day, told me that when he was serving in Gaza, he ate the food assembled here. 

If you are interested in learning more about Sar-El, please go to their website at sar-el.org. Since its inception from 1982 until May 2024, the Sar-El Volunteer Project has brought in over 240,000 volunteers, (40,000 since October 7, 2023 alone), providing broad logistical support to the IDF on bases throughout the country.