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Tuvia Book
Author, educator, Tour-Guide, artist

March ‘15: The Great Green IDF Equaliser

This month across the country eighteen-year-old boys and girls including; veteran Israelis, new immigrants, Jews, Druze, Christians and Muslims, “Lone-Soldiers,” left-wing, right-wing, religious, secular, rich and poor will be drafted, or will volunteer into the “March ‘15” cohort of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF plays an important role in Israeli society and is supported by a national consensus of the Israeli population. General Elazar Stern (res.) notes that,

“What makes the IDF exceptional compared to other militaries around the world is its diversity. It consists of a mix of people who in normal circumstances would never consider befriending each other, and here they are willing to give their lives for one another. If it was not for the IDF chances are that they never would have met, and now that they have met, it is not only the army that benefits from this friendship, it is the entire nation.”

Service in the IDF is mandatory for all Jewish and Druze citizens. The draft age is eighteen, with males required to serve for 36 months, and females for 24 months. In addition to the Jewish and Druze citizens who have compulsory service, Muslim, Christian, and Circassian citizens have the option of volunteering. Furthermore, polls consistently show that a majority of Israelis would volunteer to serve in the IDF, even if it were not compulsory. Regarding the sociological importance of military service in Israel, Yaakov Lozowick notes that,

“If one were to seek a single explanation for the cohesion of Israeli society and its ability to integrate masses of newcomers, this (service in the IDF) might be it. The central fact about military service is its universality; even today, when the distance between the ideal and reality is growing, the essence has not changed significantly.”

Lozowick observes that most of the youth in the IDF will have had more money spent on them by their country than most will make in their lifetimes. He mentions that many soldiers (in combat units) will endure sleepless nights and difficult conditions as they are being transformed into a fighting unit. As far as responsibility and maturity he remarks that they “will have been given responsibility such as many of their peers in other societies will never have.” He refers to the IDF as, “a citizen army that has contributed immensely to the cohesion of Israeli society.”

IMG_9742

Birthright “Amazing Israel” Mifgash IDF soldiers

(Photo:(c) T. Book, 2015)

Popular musical entertainer Idan Raichel in an interview with the Jewish Journal (2011) made a moving observation about the two-minute silence during Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) in Israel which is commemorated immediately preceding Israel’s Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut). Raichel who served in the IDF himself, refers to service in the IDF as a “basic ingredient” to “Israeliness.” Raichel commented that,

“I think that those two minutes truly reflect the Israeli way of life, the Israeli pride, our longing and sadness, our concern for and about the future, our patriotism and our mutual destiny. Those two minutes truly show what all Israelis have in common, if it’s our lives in the present, or the respect we have for our past. To me, those two minutes sharpen our minds and are the epitome of Israeli society.”

 

About the Author
Tuvia Book has a doctorate in education and is the author and illustrator of the internationally acclaimed Israel education curriculum; "For the Sake of Zion; A Curriculum of Israel Studies" (Fifth edition, Koren), "Jewish Journeys, The Second Temple Period to the Bar Kokhba Revolt, 536 BCE-136 CE," (Koren), "Moral Dilemmas of the Modern Israeli Soldier" (Rama) and the soon to be published “Jewish Journeys, The First Temple Period, 1000 -586 BCE” (Koren). Dr. Book was born in London and raised in both the UK and South Africa. After making Aliya at the age of 17 and studying in Yeshiva he volunteered for the IDF, where he served in an elite combat unit. Upon his discharge he completed his undergraduate degree in Jewish history and literature, as well as a certification in graphic design. He then served as the Information Officer and deputy head of security at the Israeli Consulate of Philadelphia, while earning a graduate degree in Jewish Studies. Upon his return to Israel, Dr. Book graduated from a course of study with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and is a licensed tour guide. Tuvia has been working in the field of Jewish education, both formal and informal, for many years. He has guided and taught Jewish students and educators from around the English-speaking world for some of Israel’s premier educational institutions and programs. Tuvia has lectured throughout North America, Australia, Europe, and South Africa. In addition, his artwork has been commissioned on every continent (except Antarctica). Tuvia served as a Shaliach (emissary) for the Jewish Agency for Israel as the Director of Israel and Zionist Education at the Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York (Jewish Education Project). He was a lecturer/educational guide at the Alexander Muss Institute for Israel Education (AMIIE) in Israel. Tuvia has lectured at both Bar Ilan University and Hebrew University. He is a Teaching Fellow at the Tikvah Fund. He is a research associate at the Hudson Institute. His latest book, "Jewish Journeys, The First Temple Period, From King David to King Zedekiah, 1000 - 586 BCE," (Koren) is part of a series on Jewish history.
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