Aside from that, life is GREAT. The past two weeks have been some of the best in my life. I love the group of people in my Garin, we have a great blend of serious, funny, nerdy, and all-around good people. We are making a movie to present to the kibbutz what we decided to be our name. Stay tuned, when it is done, I will post it here. I love my adoptive family, we are slowly getting closer and they let me do my laundry by them which is a huge favor. Apart from that, I am working on my Hebrew and working out. I feel good and excited for the army. Our staff has calmed down a lot and gives us much more free time and leeway and so everyone is super happy. In other news, I started on the process of getting my Israeli license and already took a few lessons. Aside from parallel parking which makes no sense, I felt confident on the roads.
Miss you guys. Stay in touch.
Here is what I wrote to my family explaining my decision to go combat:
Hey guys,
I am
writing to explain my decision to accept the combat envelope and become a
combat soldier. On the most basic level, I am 23 years old and I am the age
where I make my own decisions such as this one. Nonetheless, I want to explain
myself so that you understand my motives and goals and maybe one day even come
to support this.
I don’t
need to explain the religious and Zionist reasons that caused me to make
aliyah, after all I learnt and imbibed them in our house. In regards to combat
or not, looking at the decision dispassionately, why do it if the country is
not requiring me to do it by law? After all, there are non-combat roles where I
can contribute to the country.
While this is true, the simple fact
is that Israel DOES need combat soldiers. There needs to be someone manning the
borders 24/7, there needs to be someone who is trained to deal with all
eventualities. I know that the country by law doesn’t require me to do combat,
but I personally could not live with myself knowing that I had the capabilities
and motivation to protect the country but did not. My degree and schooling are
not going anywhere, but this is the only opportunity I have to do this. I feel
that if I am going to live here, then as my blood is no redder than any other
Israeli, I have the responsibility to give my best to the IDF. I also think
that in opposition to what you guys have been saying, the IDF is best served by
my serving as a combat soldier. The non-combat roles are given to those with
medical issues or incredible intellects; my biology degree is perhaps only
useful as a doctor which I do not want to do in the first place. I want to
serve, I am highly motivated and physically fit, as such I think that I have a
responsibility to do this and furthermore I think that my being a religious
oleh can serve as an example to the other Israelis in my unit.
I know that I will be putting
myself in harm’s way and causing you guys worry. Combat soldiers are the price
Jewish independence demands, however, there is simply no way around it. I am no
better or worse than the average Israeli who causes the same reaction in his
own family.
I am also not an idiot, I am not
doing this to be a hero or think that the service will somehow be “fun”…it will
be long, painful at times, boring and full of unmotivated Israelis. But this is
for me to do because I feel that I have to do this and as such, I will deal
with it.
I am not asking you for to be happy
with this decision or even understand it. All I can ask is that you respect my
decision and know that it has been in the making for over five years, it is not
a spur of the moment thing.
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