A Red Beret At Last

Every lone soldier in Tzahal is entitled to take a month break once a year. The first of these trips is paid for by a sponsor who donated money to the FIDF. So for that reason, I am writing this post from my hometown of Toronto where I am spending the month with my family and friends. <br></p>
<p>Two months ago, not only was I excited about going home, but things on our training base were winding down. We started to give back the equipment that belonged to the base and clean our plugah building so it would be spotless for the November draft. Everyone who had not yet completed the killer obstacle course, including me, was given another chance, which this time was successful. Because of the holiday of Sukkot, we didn't spend much time on base in the final weeks of our training. We also spent about a day and a half on another base to learn about some of the types of missions we would be doing after training. It wasn't  really that useful. All of that stuff could have been done on our own base. I imagine a lot of it will be on-the-job training. <br></p>
<p>Where do you go after training? As you know, I have been a part of the 202nd Airborne Battalion. But until you finish the training, you're not 100% part of the battalion. A few weeks before the final masa, some people traded their guns from the base for the guns owned by 202. Guys who had regular guns didn't trade. Only sharpshooters, grenade launchers, and machine gunners traded. I had a regular M-16 and expected to hold onto my gun until the switch later. But then something totally unexpected happened. Remember the sharpshooter training, where two guys in my kitah got the job and I didn't? Well now it was their turn to be disappointed because I became the one and only sharpshooter in the kitah, until at least, some more guns come in. My commander even told me that I had had excellent shooting results in that week of training. This whole thing was a nice surprise not only because I enjoy being a sharpshooter, but because it allows me to walk around with a really cool gun. I know it sounds a bit barbaric, but in the IDF soldiers show off by having enhanced parts and accessories on their guns. In army slang, that's called wassach.<br></p>
<p>Now that we had finished everything we had to do in training, it was time for the most dreaded but also the most rewarding event of all: the masa kumta. This would be our last march. I remember at the very beginning of basic training we had our first masa of 4km. Man was it hard!! 45 minutes long!! Compare that to the masa kumta which is 15 hours long. Sure, the pace is lowered, but not by much. We set out from our base in buses towards the Beit Shemesh area. I'm not exactly sure where we started from but it was in that area. Our destination? Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. In a car, that route is about 35 kilometers. Our masa was 60 so we took a major detour. The terrain of the route was very hilly, either on a road, a walking trail, or rocky hiking trails. Jerusalem is built on a mountain of sorts so their were a lot of ascents. We usually took breaks every hour for 10 minutes but we were forbidden from sitting. If we did, there was a chance our muscles would seize up. Not long into the hike my right achilles tendon started to hurt. It felt like my boot was digging into it every step I took. I tried to push through the pain for a few hours, but there was no way I could continue like this for 10 more hours! I took my boot off and tied an extra sock I brought around it to separate the boot from my foot. It didn't totally ease the pain, but it would get me through the masa. Because I was now limping, I guess I favored my left foot and sprained it. It still hurts to walk on it.</p>
<p>Everyone took lots of snacks to help pass the time but it was mostly pretty boring. They also put out meals for us to eat along the way. At least we weren't on the base. After about 10 hours of walking and limping we caught a glimpse of the lights of Jerusalem. I couldn't believe it! There were still another few hours of walking, but it was within reach. We were almost there. Just as the sun was peeking from the horizon, we opened the stretchers and loaded them up with the water packs we carry. We are used to carrying people on them, so this was quite easy in comparison. The sun was coming up and it was starting to warm up. We were freezing so that helped. Finally we reached the city and got a few minutes to rest. But it wasn't over yet. Everyone who had done this masa gathered and we walked (or limped) another kilometer or two through the city to Ammunition Hill. This was the best part of the whole march. Most of the cars that passed us honked in support. As we neared the finish line, a lot of parents were there waiting for their sons, including mine. It was such a relief to see them and I'm sure they were even more relieved to see that I had survived.
<p>Soon after arriving, our company commander gave us a speech telling us how proud he was. Then we did some extremely important stretches and put our vests on a truck heading to our new base. The rest of the day we got off so we davened and caught some shut-eye. But there was much more important stuff happening in Israel that day. Gilad Schalit was freed!! There was a point where he was still in Egypt and even with the pictures, it was so hard for me to believe that this day had come. I am often asked as a soldier what I think of the trade, but like most Israeli citizens and Jews, I am split. Obviously though I am thrilled that we have him back. We'll easily catch the terrorists they freed.

A few hours later the tekes started. We were obviously exhausted from the march so it wasn't very long, just 40 minutes. There were a couple speeches, a little music, we sang Hatikva and arrived at the main event: the distribution of the red berets. It's a hugely symbolic event when you trade your basic green beret for your unit's beret, especially when it is red. I'm pretty sure I saw our Mem - Pay( company commander)  shed a few tears as this went on. The whole tekes ended shortly thereafter.

You can find a video of the tekes in the video page of this blog.

In short, after the tekes I went back to our apartment with my family and cousins for a little dinner. Four days later, after Succot had ended, I went to pick up my plane tickets and to return all my army equipment to our new base in Shechem. After that, I packed a bag and within 24 hours I was on a plane heading home! I spent just over a month at home. I didn't do anything overly exciting but it was just amazing to see my family and friends after being in Israel for so long. The day before my flight home I received a frantic call from the airline telling me that my flight was cancelled. The next flight wouldn't be for another 5 days! So I got a bit of an extended break. Then I flew back to Israel and the next day I was on a new base in Shechem for kav.

War Week + Rosh Hashanah

Once again it has been a while since my last post. I'll try to summarize everything I've done since the jumps.

We jumped for the fifth and final time on a Sunday and in a very informal ceremony, we received our wings. From there we traveled to our base to get ready for War Week. Sounds kind of scary doesn't it? Well that's exactly how we all felt. We were really nervous. Instead of just a few weeks in the shetach, we were about to do 6 days, including Shabbat. Was this going to be Hell Week #2?

We spent Monday and Tuesday morning getting ready for the week ahead. Late afternoon on Tuesday we walked with all our gear to the area where we once flew in Black Hawks. That is how this week started as well. Once it was dark and it was our turn to fly, about 15 of us were led to a landing spot and within a few minutes, a Black Hawk touched down in a storm of dust in front of us. We ran towards it, jumped in and it took off. We only flew for about 5 minutes and then landed somewhere nobody recognized. Because this was war week, a war simulation, we just landed deep in enemy territory and had to meet up with the other groups and get out of the area before the enemy fires artillery to the place where the helicopter was spotted. If I remember correctly, we walked all night, about 10km to the place where we would do our exercise in the morning. We arrived at the place before first light, so we lay down in "ambush", which when you haven't slept all night, means resting your helmet on your gun and nodding off.  Not long after though we woke up, davened and did an exercise as a plugah. When we finished that, we walked about 2km to a shady area to sleep for the day. That is basically what we repeated for the next few days. Walk about 10km. Do a plugah exercise. Sleep, or attempt to fall asleep during the hot part of the day. Do a plugah exercise before dark and repeat it at night. And again and again. It was actually kind of boring, but the lack of sleep was starting to take a toll on us so we started counting down to Shabbat. On Thursday night we did an exercise alongside tanks, but they just shot their machine guns, not the cannons - a little disappointing. Once again we walked all night, but this time to capture the fake arab village from our rivals, the 890 battalion. Unfortunately we didn't use paintball, just empty rounds that make the noise of a bullet but don't shoot. It could have been very cool, but honestly it was a mess. There's no way of knowing who won.

Shabbat was like finding an oasis in the desert. After all, we had been walking for days and would finally be able to sleep like we needed to. This was also the first time we were allowed to take off our vests. Needless to say, all we did was daven, eat, and sleep, a lot. And then on Saturday night we walked to a "mission", where part of the plugah blocked a road and we were supposed to ambush the terrorists. What was supposed to happen was that we would come down from a hill on one side and another machlacka would come from the other side and we would complete the mission. However, they came too early and killed them before we got down. So it didn't go as planned. We walked through the night again but we knew that soon the week would end. On Sunday morning we did another exercise and then we were given time to sleep. But the most unlikely thing happened. It poured for about a half hour. So no sleep. Then helicopters picked us up and we flew back to the place where we started the week. Although the base was visible, it was just a tease. But it wouldn't be long till the week would finally end. After we landed we walked away from the landing spot and rested for a while. Then once it started getting dark we walked to the arab village and did an exercise till the early morning and walked towards the base. Would we be going back there today was the question on everyone's mind. We waited for the light in ambush. The guy beside me actually got stung twice by a scorpion as we were waiting but he's fine. After resting until about noon, we put on all our gear and put on gas masks. This was how we would walk back to the base. As we were walking, gas grenades were thrown at us, but because of the wind and the large spaces between soldiers it didn't affect us. Soon we took off the masks and opened stretchers for the final walk to the base. This time I was on the stretcher. It was only about 3 kilometers to the base but it was the heat of the day. The feeling back on base was one of accomplishment. We had survived war week!!

There was supposed to be a really big festive meal for everyone, but we were called to Chevron to strengthen the area in light of the recent events surrounding the Palestinian state. That weekend was Rosh Hashanah- Wednesday night, Thursday, Friday, and Shabbat. We were disappointed that we weren't going home but we would be protecting small Jewish towns. You sort of walk around a bit, daven at the shul, but you eat the meals at their homes. We were on our way to a town but then the driver turned off the highway near the town and pulled into a base, the same base we were at for Shavuot. We were 5 people and 2 places to guard. In the end, a miluimnik (reserve soldier) helped us out and we guarded 3 on 6 off for those 3 days. Not the most fun. Davening was sometimes done individually as there was hardly a minyan on base and the food really sucked. Instead of hearing Unetaneh Tokef, I was hearing Allah a-u-akbar But often when things are looking pretty down, there is light at the end of the tunnel. For me, that light was a Day of Fun for chayalim bodedim.

As a general rule, when you are told the night before to wake up and stand for the commanders on the dress uniform, you know it's going to be a good day. This time though, we were told to wake up in civilian clothing. Almost unheard of in the army. We boarded buses while the sun was still just below the horizon and drove off to Dor Beach which is in the north. My expectations were high, but I had no idea just how incredible a day the FIDF (Friends of the IDF) had planned for us. This wasn't just a day at the beach. There was tons of great food being served all day. They gave out lots of little gifts like towels and bags. There were massages being given throughout the day. Koby Peretz, a famous Israeli singer gave us a memorable concert. This event was so amazing that even Miss Israel was there for the day. We could use this more often!! Thanks FIDF!!

As training was coming to an end, we had only two masaot left. The one to prepare you for the masa kumta and the masa kumta itself. The preparation one started at about 7pm and once again we did it on the base, which, if the walking doesn't kill you, the boredom will. The pace wasn't too fast and everything up to about 20-25 kilometers felt pretty normal. But after that, your feet just start to sting and there is nothing you can do about it. You just have to continue. A number of times throughout the masa I fell asleep. No, not during the breaks. While walking. That's possible?!? Apparently it is. Even the commanders were sleepwalking. You nod off, walk a few steps, suddenly wake up and try to continue walking while awake. Then it repeats. One time I started sleepwalking and the whole group stopped for a break while I just crashed right into the guy in front of me. This masa was literally neverending. It just went on and on. After 10.5 hours and 48 kilometers, it came to an end. At least we got gun straps with our logo on it at the end. Despite the pain and the major chaffing (sorry), we went to sleep for the day and at about  sundown we got on buses and limped home.    

Just one more to go!! (which at the time of writing this, I've already done)

Kfotz!!!

I must begin by saying that it is impossible to properly describe the feeling of something like jumping from a plane but I'll do my best.
We gathered on the base at about 2 in the afternoon to prepare for our first jump. With just helmets in hand we walked to a building where all our parachutes are rigged. As a side point, one night we were taken to see how a parachute is folded. First of all, it takes about 30 minutes for some 18 year old girl I don't know to fold each parachute. They fold about 10 of these every day so I have no idea how they don't get bored and make mistakes. Watching a parachute being folded was probably the first time it sort of hit me that we were about to do what we were about to do. Its kind of like seeing your life being packed into a bag.
So we received our main chutes and reserves in a bag that carries both. Really heavy. Then we loaded buses to the air force base next door and unloaded right next to a runway of sorts. This is the same place that the Tzanchanim have always used to take off. In 1967, they were all geared up to be dropped into Egypt (I think) when they were told to take off their chutes and load buses. Destination? Jerusalem, where we captured the Kotel.
Although still hours before the plane was scheduled to take us, we set up all our gear according to the door we would be jumping from. After a break and a safety speech, we were told to strap in to our parachutes. Next we were all thoroughly checked and told to take off our helmets and sit down. It still didn't feel real to me. Until the plane rolled in. It sounded like a thunderstorm was coming in. Standard procedure is to wear earplugs next to it, important especially because it passes within meters from us. By now we are all standing on shaking legs watching as the rear ramp of the plane was lowered. Just as we had practiced, we shouted "Hey, Hop!!", turned towards the plane and waddled towards it (ever tried walking in a harness?) through the hot exhaust wind of the propellers . Our instructors then sat us down in zigzag formation, the ramp closed and the plane started to taxi.
After a few minutes we got to the runway and the plane revved its engines to lift off. According to paratrooper tradition, the plane will not take off unless everyone yells "Hey, Hop, Hey, Hop" continuously. We made it up. At 100 meters, which is the lowest possible height at which we could jump out, we raised the end of the yellow rope which was strapped to a wire that runs the length of the plane. Needless to say there was a lot of tension and anxiety in the plane. So first we said Tfilat Haderech L'tzanchan (I remember when I first saw it at the beginning of training and I thought it was a joke, but its not, and on the plane, believe me I've never prayed with more concentration), and then sang, including obviously the tzanchan song. A few minutes later, at 400 meters, the plane filled with fresh air and a howl as the side doors were open. If anybody wasn't shaking yet, they were now. As the plane neared the drop point the first cluster was told to stand and move towards the door. The red light turns on. Looking out of the plane, one can see the beach of the Mediterranean Sea. It should be only seconds now...GREEN!!! Kfotz!! Kfotz! Kfotz! The rest of us just feel the wire being pulled as the yellow rope opens the chute. The instructor looks outside to make sure nobody is left hanging out there (it once happened). Then the next group jumps. And then it's my group. We stand up and walk towards the door. I was the fourth last in my group. Red light....GREEN!! I look at the other door and see them shoving them out the door. After feeling a few tugs on the line from people leaving, I'm next. I toss my yellow rope down the wire, get into position at the door and next thing I know I'm outside in what feels like a tornado counting 21...22...23...and then all the confusion stops. I look up. The canopy opened normally. I think to myself, okay, what next? I'm forgetting some sort of check or something. Nope. I'm forgetting to enjoy. And then it hit me. Pure silence. Absolutely nothing. I imagine space is something like that. Soon after though it is broken by screams of joy by all. Everyone is just happy to be alive. I look around and see myself surrounded by a few parachutes in a long line of open canopies with a couple white reserve chutes opened. They say it takes about 40-50 seconds to reach the ground but I swear it took me 10 seconds until I had to identify my drifting direction. That happens at about 100 meters. I think I had a drift to my left or right, which makes for a simpler roll. At about 50 meters I start to hear people on the ground shouting "Raglayim tzmudot!!" which means legs together. At this point I start to feel the breathing pattern of the parachute. We don't fall at a constant speed. The parachute takes in air and fills up so you slow down, and then it lets out that air through the top hole which is when you fall faster. And over and over. The amount of force with which you hit the ground has a lot to do with when in the cycle you hit the ground. I brace for impact with legs together. Its hard to tell when exactly the ground will arrive so I wait and wait, and boom, I'm on the ground. After a few seconds of confusion I check that I'm uninjured. My parachute pulls me in the direction of the wind but I quickly get it under control and on the ground. Then the next feeling is hard to describe. The exhilaration has ended, but there is an ultimate high, and at the same time you're just feeling thankful that you're alive. Before folding up my parachute I take a few minutes to enjoy the moment and look up in wonder as the same plane drops the next cluster of tzanchanim. I ask myself: "I just did that? That's crazy!" But I loved every second of it. Except carrying the parachute to the collection point. Although once there everyone is hugging everyone, making sure that they are actually alive and not dreaming. Tension in the air is now replaced by a high.
Somehow though, the IDF always finds a way to spoil the fun things. Instead of bringing the bus to us, we had to walk about a kilometer with these heavy parachutes (and the next jumps with vest and gun) on our backs to where it was parked.
I asked a bunch of people if they remember jumping or being pushed and not one person including me could remember. I have no recollection of hearing the command "Kfotz with a hit on the back. "From the moment you're standing at the door until your parachute opens you seem to forget everything, your mind just goes blank. Despite that, the training was so good that you sort of turn into a robot paratrooper. Everything in the process is completely automatic. As soon as you leave the plane it's just you and your parachute, no instructor to help you, so we have to be absolute experts at jumping, and we are.
In addition to three day jumps, we also jumped twice at night. Wow. The view from the plane is just a bunch of lights and darkness. Only once you start falling do you start to see the ground and spot your landing. A bit more dangerous but nothing we can't handle.
Now that the jumps are over and I have my wings, I just dream about jumping again. It's such a great adrenaline rush and just an indescribable experience. If you're planning on joining the IDF, I recommend going to Tzanchanim just for the jumps. Its a great reward after a tough training. And who doesn't like walking the streets with a shiny pair of wings?

Video of the Big Pendulum

Watch "משאך" on YouTube

Video of Tower

Once you get over the fact that it looks exactly like a person being hanged, its pretty harmless. It looks more painful than it is.
Watch in HD for better quality.
Watch "מגדל קפיצה" on YouTube

I'll never fly with this company ever again!!

We had been given our main and reserve chutes already. We had loaded the buses and driven to the runway. We had already put on our gear and had it checked. And then we waited. Okay. Delayed an hour. So we waited. And then an announcement "We are sorry to inform you but the jump has been canceled. Yes, we are serious. Take off your parachutes." I couldn't believe it. Nobody could. We were so ready to do it. But it happens. Better to push off a jump than fly on a plane with technical difficulties.
There should be a jump tomorrow but they are not 100% sure. Either way, next week on Sunday we will make up this jump. The only downside is that when we leave the base this weekend, it won't be with wings.

Ape!!

Unless you've been through the IDF Airborne School you have no idea why the title of this post is ape. I will explain shortly.
Right now I am near an air force base in the center of Israel at the school for paratrooping. Once upon a time paratroopers actually used to fall into battle. 1956 was the only time we used that method but luckily for me the tradition of still training paratroopers continues. We arrived on this new base on Friday morning before going home for shabbat after absorption day. All we did was sign in and put our stuff in the tents before hearing a few speeches. Now where does the ape come in. So Israel learned its paratroop skills from some country in Europe and has adopted some of its traditions. One if them is that before any class or speech everyone lines up and when an instructor says "Ape", everyone straightens to attention. After three days of this it still cracks me up.
We got back to the base on Sunday morning where we met up with our cluster instructor. A cluster is basically a unit of paratroopers. When we train and jump we do it in these clusters. Ours is 13 people. The first thing we did was have a class on the main and reserve chutes we would be using. It's the classic circular parachute but what you will probably be surprised to find out is that it weighs about 14kg and only slows your fall to a speedy 6 meters per second. If you were to try to land without the method we are taught you would most likely get injured. Therefore we started our lessons in a giant sandbox doing rolls. The most important thing that must be done for a safe landing is to keep your feet together. Then depending on which direction the wind is taking you, you roll in that direction. First we just rolled from a standing position. Then we did it from a ramp about 3/4 of a meter from the ground. Next we took runs up the to the top of the ramp and jumped off. The technique for this roll seems simple but performing it perfectly takes a lot of practice. My cluster has told me that I roll the best, but some of them, well, they're lucky we do it on sand. Often we, including the person on the ground who just landed on their backside die of laughter at the mistakes.
The next exercise is the small pendulum. Basically you strap into a harness and jump about a meter where it catches you. Then you check your canopy and the instructor will tell you to fix a problem likes twists in the ropes. More severe problems like rips in the canvas or a candle, which is when the chute fails to open, cause you to open the reserve which is on your abs. By the way, the jumps are from 400 meters. If your chute opens, you have about a minute until you reach the ground. If it doesn't, it would only take about 12 seconds. The main canopy opens in 3, until you realize could take another 2. That leaves about 7 seconds to open the reserve. Not a lot of time. Luckily the last time someone got a candle was in the 90s, so the chances are extremely low.
There are also replicas of the plane we will be jumping from, the C-130 Hercules. Before and on them we rehearse the procedure of putting on the parachutes, loading, in air safety checks and finally the jumps. There is a hilarious method to walking on the plane from your seat to the door but it is only for our safety. The commands we call out also have a funny tune to them, which in my opinion are used to calm people down.
Another exercise we do is the tower. Its about 9 meters in height and replicates the jump and jolt of the chute opening. This is the jumping procedure: Both hands on the outside of the plane with feet in a staggered position ready to kick out. With the command "Kfotz!!" and a slap on the back, (which on the plane will turn into a push) you throw yourself out of the plane, put your feet together, head down, hands on the reserve and count 21, 22, 23 and the chute opens. Then you look up and check the canopy. After enjoying for a bit you get into the landing position: head down, arms on the helmet, hand grasping the straps, back and knees bent. And then once you hit the ground you roll. Now back to the tower. You jump and fall about 4 meters before the zipline catches you and you slide for 50 meters to a hill where you should already be in landing position. We also practice opening the reserve and releasing the chest bag. What's a chest bag? That's where we secure all our equipment, gun and vest for me. It's strapped to our harness and is dropped 4.5 meters after the chute opens. It's annoying but that's what's necessary to become a full fledged paratrooper.
Another simulator we use is the Omega. It is basically a low zipline where you zip, jump off and perform a roll. It replicates a fast forward wind so you fall pretty hard.
The last simulator we use is the big pendulum. It is the same thing as the small one but much taller and much more painful for two reasons. First because you fall farther and second because after swinging around for about half a minute a meter above the ground, the instructor pulls a lever and you come crashing to the sand, hopefully with the roll. I hate this thing. Every time I get up there I just imagine my instructor dropping me when I'm not ready and face-planting into the sand. I'm glad I'm finished with it.
And then there is the Eichmann. The instructors deny its existence but we have seen it. A while back they canceled it. I wonder why.
So that's what we did the first week of the course plus Sunday and part of Monday. Right now we are waiting till our first jump at about 4pm. It still hasn't fully hit me bit I imagine once we board the plane it will.
There are two videos of the tower and pendulum that I will post soon. Wish me luck and stay tuned!

Black Hawk Down (but back up)

This past Sunday (by now a few weeks ago) is a day I'll never forget. I knew we would be doing this sometime but I wasn't sure exactly when. Well it was time.
Each general infantry brigade (Tzanchanim, Givati, Kfir, Nachal, and Golani)  has two ways of getting into battle. Tzanchanim either walk in, hence the extremely long masaot we do, or we are flown in by helicopter. Now was the time where we practice on helicopters.
We walked out the base onto a huge field and waited for a few hours. Then finally three desert-camo painted helicopters land a few hundred meters from us. We were given a speech about it and told how to get on and off it. Ideally, loading is supposed to take 20 seconds and unloading 30, but we obviously took it a bit slower when we tried. We walked back to base for dinner and then at night went once again to this field for the exercise. After seeing other classes go up, it was our turn. We all crouched in a line near a light where the Black Hawk would land. A few more minutes passed and then we saw some lights in the air flying towards us. When it was a few meters off the ground, a huge storm of dirt flew up around it making the helicopter invisible and blinding all of us. After it died down though we ran towards the door and piled in just like we were taught. It's hard to describe what it's like to lift off in a helicopter.  I guess the closest comparison would be to a magic carpet. You don't really feel yourself being lifted up until you look outside and see how fast you've risen. By the way, it's REALLY loud inside. We flew for about 7 minutes and then landed somewhere far from the base. Luckily, a few minutes later a bus came to drive us back to base. I can probably say that that was the most fun I've had so far in the army.
Yesterday, we all were taught the very basics of how to shoot a MAG machine gun. This is a really big gun (it fires 7.62mm rounds) that is carried by one person in each machlacka. Unfortunately we only got five rounds to fire but it was fun for that half a second.
Since about a month ago, after the regila, we made the transition into advanced training. The new August draft has come to the base so now they are the babies. The relation between the soldiers and commanders is a bit different now because we call them by just their names. No need for mefaked. We also no longer salute to commanders in the plugah. In the future, we are supposed to be able to be friends with our commanders but not yet.
So what have we been doing the past month? Mostly we have been in the shetach, doing even more advanced exercises with an entire machlakah. We had a week of certifications, where, since I already have one, I worked in the kitchen most of the time. Last week we had a week called machlakah mitkadem plus nagmash. It was more or less like the other weeks in the shetach except for two things. The first was the nagmashim. A Nagmash is an APC or armored personnel carrier. The week before a few people took courses and became drivers, so we drove around a bit and practiced some drills. For example, these things can flip over pretty easily, so if it does, you sort of grab something and hang on for dear life. Two days later we had our first tarpal, or targil plugah. This time we were going to conquer a monster of a hill with an entire plugah!! That's about 100 people. It all started with a bang. They simulated breaching a wall with an explosive called Boogaloo or something like that. The ground shook underneath us. Then we ran through a smoke screen ( seriously, just like in the movies) towards the hill that was being thrown up in dust by the machine gunners from another hill. And then with thousands of bullets we captured the hill.
This past week was advanced shooting. I thought it was going to be really cool and advanced but it was more of just a reminder of how to shoot, and believe me, you get pretty rusty.
This past Friday we traveled to Tel Nof, an air force base. Yeah, you guessed it. It's time for Jump School!! We just dropped our stuff off, met our instructors, and left. The course isn't supposed to be overly hard, but it has some of the toughest discipline in any course in the army for obvious reasons. So in two weeks I should be walking around with silver wings on my uniform.
In other news, we only have two masaot left, 40km and then the final 50km masa kumta on Succot.

Regila!! And then 21

     In the army, every soldier is supposed to get a 5 day break about every 4 months. This break is called a regila. After finishing our 4 month basic training, we received our first regila which as it turned out, gave us a shabbat, the week, and the shabbat afterwards. A week sounds like too short a break and it is. But since that is the most we'll get, it is a precious week in which time must not be wasted. The first shabbat I spent with a guy in my kitah at his house in Beit Gamliel. After that I spent the next week in Jerusalem with a family friend but every day from Sunday to Thursday I managed to go to some body of water. On Sunday I met up randomly with a friend from my kitah and we drove to a natural spring just outside Jerusalem. The next two days I went to the beach with the lone soldiers from my plugah and a friend from Toronto. We had heard that the water was filled with jellyfish, but being the brave soldiers we are, we didn't let it stop us from going in. The next day two friends from my kitah invited me to go with them on a hike in the desert outside of Jerusalem. You'd think I'd be sick of walking in the desert, but this trail, every 15 minutes had a bigger and better spring. About a half hour into the hike you get to a place called Ein Tamar, an oasis, where they have built a pool for the water to fill up. It was pretty busy but it was still a ton of fun. On Thursday, my kitah had planned a barbeque at my friend's house in Beit Gamliel. Unfortunately, not the whole kitah was able to make it. But the best part was that someone there called up his cousins who live on that yishuv to ask them if we can use their pool. They said yes so we drove over and swam for a while in a beautiful pool. A great way to end a regila! Shabbat I spent at the same place in Jerusalem and prepared for my Sunday return to base. The fun was over but I'm ready to finish training already.
     Surprisingly, unlike most Sundays, everyone including myself was in a good mood and ready to go back to base. And this time we would be doing three weeks straight on base, known as "21". On top of that, all three weeks were in the shetach, as is most of advanced training. The first week was a step beyond Chulyah, namely Kitah, in which we learned how to work as a whole kitah. A few week ago, someone in Givati was shot accidentally in the back by his friend while doing this exact exercise. The shabbat after that we were sent to Chevron to guard. Normally the hours there are crazy, but luckily I was sent somewhere near Chevron where we slept a lot and guarded just 8 hours each the whole shabbat. We returned to the base late on Saturday night and the next two days we spent preparing for a competition between all the units. The events were shooting, fitness, and knowledge of the weapons and stuff. For some reason though, on the day of the contest I was told to put on my nice uniform and be ready to leave with a few other people from my machlakah. We knew we were going to Jerusalem but we had no idea why. First we stopped at the president's house but from there we were told to go to the Knesset, the main government building. We found out that we were going to sit in the audience of a ceremony to honor the fighters in the Warsaw Uprising. Before that though, we were taken on a tour of the Knesset. We sat in a conference room and watched a short movie about the place, saw some works of Mark Chagall, and walked around the new and old buildings. But the best part? Going into the main hall. Yeah, that place where all the arguing takes place. We didn't go down into where all the ministers sit, but we did sit on the balcony where important people sit. Laura Bush for example sat where we sat.  Unfortunately, they were not in session at the time, but if they were, anybody is allowed to sit and listen. As a side note, there is someone in my kitah who always feels the need to snack on something. Always. No matter what, where, and when. However, it is very against the rules. Get caught and you could stay in for shabbat. Nonetheless, he manages to always snack. So not surprisingly he brought jelly bellies into the main hall and carefully ate them. That's courage!!
The next week thing we did was something I had been looking forward to for a while: urban combat. We learned just the very basics of fighting in an urban environment but it was a ton of fun. While in most of the army, shooting live rounds into these buildings is forbidden, on our base there are special walls which allow us to shoot live. Hopefully next time we learn this kind of stuff we will use paintball.
Another shabbat in, this time with kitchen duty and guarding the base. We could have used more rest because the we knew the week ahead would not be easy. Instead of kitah, this was kitah mitkadem, or advanced kitah. And as opposed to being a more chilled couple of days on the shetach, this was going to be more war-like, something like hell week (see Hell Week post). It began with a masa of 5+5, but we were carrying all our stuff for the week. This is the start of our new type of masa. The masa to get the beret has always been 80km, but it has been changed to 40+10. Sounds a lot easier right? Well, not exactly. Each person will be loaded up with 40% of weight in relation to his weight. That makes the masa a lot harder in my opinion. And this past masa is starting to prove that. As usual after a masa we were all drenched in sweat and for risk of hypothermia, we all put on dry uniforms and went to sleep for a couple hours. The next day we did a kitah exercise, walked a lot, carried "wounded" on us and on stretchers. Again we slept during the day while it was too hot. That night was rumoured to be a layla lavan, or white night, where you go through the night without sleep. In the end we slept for an hour and did some more exercises in the night and day. By 11am we were on a bus heading back to the base. And then before we knew it we were home the next morning.

The End of the Beginning

Oh how I love the shetach. I love they thorns. Love sleeping in the heat of the day. Love carrying half my weight on my back.
Okay, so I hate the shetach. But this time actually wasn't so bad. This week was based on chulyot, or one third of a kitah, 4 people. It is made up of a variety of soldiers, for example, a mefaked chulyah, a sharpshooter, a negevist (the negev is the light machine gun), and a regular soldier. The last time we were in the shetach we conquered hills in pairs. That was just to get used to it. This was a step closer to the real thing. But, it was also much more complex and dangerous. Instead of 2 people it was four. Instead of regular M16s, some people had machine guns to spray the area in front of us. Instead of being careful not to shoot one of your friends in the back, you now have people on both your sides. In total we did the exercise 5 times, 3 times during the day and twice at night. During the day is pretty straight forward because you can see everything. The night is a different story. Forget about seeing the terrorists, just seeing your friends beside you can be problematic. Ideally, everyone would be given night vision, but that's way too expensive. The mefaked has night vision goggles, sharpshooters have a night vision scope, and thank G-d the machine gunner has a one eyed scope. The machine gunner in my opinion has the coolest one because he has a laser on his gun that only people with night vision can see. In fact he shoots better at night than during the day. The rest of us can't really see much. We do have a small red dot in our scopes, but if the targets didn't have sticklights on them, there is no way we would see them further than 5-7 meters away. So safety is number one. There is a saying in the army, "Safety rules are written in blood" and it's true. I actually had an interesting thing happen to me. As I was getting up and running forward to find my next cover, I slipped on some rocks and the barrel of my gun dug into the ground. When I got down, I looked at my barrel and saw that there was a rock stuck inside. I gave the gun a few hits but it didn't come out, so I stopped the exercise and the mefaked came and carefully took it out. Then we continued normally. After the exercise, the mefaked told us that a few years ago the same thing happened to his friend but he actually put his finger in front of the barrel. That finger is no longer with him. Enough said.
Our sleeping pattern this week was changed to more accurately simulate wartime. Most fighting in wars is done at night when you are least likely to be seen, so sleep takes place during the day. Now remember that we are in the desert. It's really not easy at all to sleep in that kind of heat even though there was a tent-like thing over us. We were given about 6 hours between 1 and 7 and an hour or two at 2am. It seems like a lot of time but with guarding and the heat it ends up being nothing.
Near our camp were soldiers from Chavat Hashomer, the base where problematic soldiers are put through basic training, who were using our shetach. There's a show on TV here about what happens there and it gets pretty intense. So while we were doing our night exercises, we were told that we had to stop everything until further notice. At first I thought, maybe somebody got injured G-d forbid. Nope. Apparently, two soldiers from Chavat Hashomer ran away from their mefakdim. Seriously? They decided to run away into the pitch black night in a live shooting area? It's kind of serious but I couldn't help but laugh at the stupidity.
We were supposed to have a masa of 14+3km a few weeks ago but with scheduling difficulities it was pushed off to this past week. And this masa was different. It would be led by our mefaked hasamal who is in charge of our discipline and let's just say he takes his job very, very seriously. It was also after minimum sleep and shetach food, except for the meal right before the masa. I was both nervous and excited. Excited for the beret pin that I would receive and that great accomplishment feeling after a masa and nervous because it was our mefaked hasamal. We saw the machalacka in front of us start of with a sprint and knew it was only a matter of minutes until we would start. Then we started walking fast until we hear our mefaked hasamal yelling about how he is waiting for this masa. Oh great. Then he shot a few empty bullets into the air and broke out into a sprint into darkness. Thank G-d the sprint only lasted about 30 seconds and then we slowed down to a standard masa pace which we walked to most of the time. Every once in a while though we ran. After an hour, as is army law, we had a fifteen minute break to drink and switch packs. And then again off into a sprint for the second leg. An hour later, during the break, we opened up the stretchers and put sandbags on them. That means we had completed 14km and had 3 left, right? Well, it never goes exactly like we think. We reached our plugah drenched in sweat and exhausted, and the mefaked hasamal yells "You think it ends here? It ain't over till I say its over!" So we walk around the base a little and reach the plugah once again. He pulls out a sticklight and bends it to make it light up, and says, " Just like I break this sticklight, I'm going to break you". And we continue again, but this time we go back out into the shetach! No! Not again! I had a feeling that we would go a few hundred meters and turn back which is exactly what we did. We got to the plugah, did some much needed stretches, and then recieved our beret pins.
The next day my machlacka went to the ranges to check that their guns were zeroed, but I went with another machlacka to do something I've been waiting to do since the beginning. Throw a grenade. The truth is I was half excited and half scared out of my mind. You're going to give me a live grenade to throw? Okay. After a few classes about a bunch of different grenades and a couple quizzes we left the base and walked to the grenade range. The range is basically a thick concrete structure and a large pit with a target in the middle.
Soon after we got there I was called up to throw. I went to get my live grenade, carefully put it in my vest and ran up to the range to meet the Mem mem . The first exercise was a simulation of a situation where I pull the pin and accidentally drop it into the concrete structure. 4.5 seconds. 21! 22! 23! Next thing I know this Mem Mem is lying on top of me outside the structure. 24! Putzatz! (Exploded, by the way, this has happened in the past, miraculously, no injuries) The next exercise was throwing a fake grenade with a string attached into the range. And then he told me to take out the real one. Really? But I've hardly practiced?! So I'm standing there and say to myself "Oh my G-d. I have a live grenade in my hand. I've got to get as far away from this thing as possible." And then he tells me to pull the pin. "Do what!?!?!?" So I pull it, reach back, look back, look forward and throw it into the pit. Then I quickly duck down but he pulls me up to watch the thing fall and roll. Seriously? 21! 22! 23! We duck. 24! Putzatz! Then we rise and I point my gun at the dead terrorist to confirm death. He told me that I threw it well so I definitely killed the target and all his terrorist friends.
That shabbat just my kitah went home because we stayed in the week before when everyone else went home for a chamshush which is when you go home on Thursday. It would have made sense to let us out on Thursday. But they didn't. Not only that, but they made us come back on Saturday night instead of Sunday. Totally illogical. Instead of going back to the base we went to a park in Ramat Gan to guard the spot where the Yom Sport for Tzanchanim would take place. The shifts were a few too many but between we were allowed to do most anything we wanted plus there was a concert at night. One of my shifts was filtering entrance into a parking lot, allowing only really high ranking officers in. Had this been Toronto for example, people in cars who would see a blockade in front of a parking lot with two soldiers standing in front of it would run for their lives. But this is Israel. "What do you mean I can't park here? I park here everyday!!?" We heard every reason in the world. It seemed like people thought they were the most important people on Earth. "No sir, entry is forbidden". " So who are you letting in?" Only high ranking generals." Usually that shut them up. It was just a really frustrating job especially with my imperfect Hebrew. It was a really important job but it was so hard to make people turn away. Luckily the other soldier with me was Israeli so he dealt with them better than I did. There is no doubt that chutzpah was essential in building this amazing country and still is necessary to keep developing it. But there is a line. This time I felt the vast majority were disrespectful of the situation.
Sunday night we got back to the base late and woke up early the next morning to work in the kitchen. You guessed it. Once again our plugah had shavua Hagnam, guarding and cleaning. No complaints from me though. Except that we were working through the week on less sleep than usual. People got pretty fed up by the end. But no need to be down. That week we finished basic training with a very generous barbecue. And on Friday we went home. For 9 days!!! This is our first regila, or 5 day break that is supposed to happen every 4 months. We also got the shabbat before and after off to make a total of 9 days out of the army!!! In my opinion, it is well earned.
One thing I forgot to mention is that my mefaked throughout basic left to another job with the battalion commander. Many people including myself were sorry to see him go. He was an amazing commander who taught me never to give up. It's going to be odd at first with the new commander but hopefully in the end it will be okay.

The Ultimate Freedom

Over the last few months, the army has physically turned me into a soldier. But the most important difference between the IDF and all other armies in the world, is that the IDF is the most moral army in the world. This past week was all about educating us about our identities, why we are fighting, who we are fighting against, and what kind of moral issues we might have to deal with.
The best part of the week was definitely being off the base. This was the closest to freedom we would get in the army without going home. On Sunday I had a yom siddurim so I went to see my parents one last time until they fly back to Toronto. Then I joined my plugah in Ramot Shapira, a guest house in Beit Meir about 20 minutes from Jerusalem.
The first day, Monday, was about our, or their identities as Israelis and as Jews. We answered questions and discussed some issues like "Who is an Israeli?", which isn't as simple a question as it sounds. My favorite part of this day was hearing everyone's reasons for why they are in the army because I and the other lone soldiers have the strongest reasons. Yes, there is conscription, but it's so easy to get out of the army these days. Plus it's Tzanchanim so everyone here wants to give more.
We talked about our machlacka and how much we think we know about each other versus how much we actually know. I learned some extremely vital pieces of information about people this week.
One of the more heated discussions was that on Nohal Shachen. In Operation Cast Lead, two Givati soldiers were found guilty of using an Arab boy they found on the street to open a bag in which they suspected there was a bomb. It is illegal in the army now but hasn't always been. Very interesting dilemma. On one hand, we must protect our own soldiers. On the other hand, we are incredibly moral and don't ever put innocent civilians in danger.
Another hot topic was the disengagement. Not whether it should have happened or not. I think it was a total disaster. But if you were commanded to pull somebody out of their house, would you do it or not? Before we talked about it, my opinion was that I would never do it. I still would try my very hardest to get out of it, but the fact is that we are part of an army. If everyone has their own opinion about things and lets their emotions get involved, the army simply wouldn't function properly.
On Thursday we left the guest house and headed to Castel, a very strategic hill near Jerusalem that we conquered in 1948 and discussed what happened there. From there we went to Yad Vashem which is really the reason why we are doing what we are doing. Had you asked anyone in the Holocaust if they thought there would be a Jewish army within a few years, they would have called you crazy. But it is because of the Holocaust that we have a state and an army. Never again will it happen. Although it may not always seem like freedom, it is the ultimate freedom to be serving in the IDF.

And Basic Drags On

There are a lot of very frustrating things about the army. Let me give you an example. Last week was Shavuot and my machlakah is going to Chevron. However, because I'm not Israeli (yet), I am keeping 2 days of chag. So I didn't go with them. I was told a couple days before that I would likely be going home. But instead, it was decided to keep me here. I and a few other Americans did absolutely nothing on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and we went home on Friday for Shabbat. Does that make any sense at all? Not only that, but there was no minyan here for us the second day. We tried speaking to everybody about it but to no avail. Even some of the mefakdim agreed with us. Finally we got the reason: everyone else is staying, so you have to stay. That makes sense, but we aren't like everybody else. We need that second day. But no. That's not how the army works. So frustrating!!!
Now I'll try to sum up what I've been doing the last month or two because I have a bit of time. I don't remember the exact order of events but its something like this.
Luckily, after Shavua Sada'ut, or what I called hell week, we were able to rest a bit during our extended weekend. We were let out for Shabbat, Sunday we had a culture day, Monday was Yom Hazikaron, and Tuesday was Yom Haatzmaut. Yom Hazikaron is always a very solemn and special day, but never like this past one. It is the promise of Tzanchanim to send a current Tzanchan to stand at every single grave of any Tzanchan during the tekes. I personally stood at a grave and felt a deep connection to a fellow Tzanchan. It was also extremely important because this particular Tzanchan died in the 50s and I was the only person standing by his grave. That night, things take a total 180 and turn happy. Every year that Israel survives is a complete miracle and it can really be seen in the way we celebrate. My parents and I went to the center of town in Jerusalem where there were a bunch of different concerts, huge crowds of people and of course that string that the kids spray at everyone. We also walked over to Kikar Safra where there was folk dancing. Who knew that macho Israeli men enjoy folk dancing? And then of course, like all Israelis, during the daytime, we made a BBQ. Classic. Then sooner than it should have been we were back on the base. At least all we did was learn first aid. Mostly we listened to classes and practiced bandaging up our friends. After successfully completing the course, we now carry around an "Israeli Bandage" and a rubber rope type thing that stops blood flow to a limb.
Remember when I complained about cleaning and picking weeds? Well ever since the army started actually being like the army, these menial work weeks are actually kind of a relief. You either get put in the kitchen, on guard duty, or clean and stuff. The kitchen is pretty fun because even though I don't think its allowed, you often sneak some food. My friend and I even made ourselves some pasta.
The next week was a shetach (wilderness) week. But unlike sadaut, this was a much easier week. We took the same heavy bags but also our sleeping bags, which would at least provide a little comfort. Luckily, instead of carrying that ridiculous bag, I was the radio guy. Kind of funny that the non-Hebrew speaker is chosen but maybe that's a sign that my Hebrew has improved. This week was called Tzemed and it was the first time we would be using live ammunition outside a proper shooting range. Tzemed means pair and this week was all about learning how to conquer a hill with a partner. I can't say the exact movements, but we learned when to provide cover fire, when to run, what to say, when to throw a grenade, and finally when to make the last move the terrorists will ever see. In reality, two people, or even a whole class would never risk taking a hill, but we learned the basics then. In the future we will start conquering land with more people and with more of a variety of weapons.
Sometime after that week was the week where we did our masa for the Hashba'a or swearing in. It was 7+1 kilometers. The +1 means that that kilometer was done carrying a stretcher. After we finished, the staff lit a huge fire sign of my battalion. We were finally starting to feel a sense of belonging. Especially because we received tags with the Tzanchanim logo to put on our shoulders. On the day of the Hashba'a we had a culture day. This one was special because we retraced the steps of our heroes who fought gloriously through the narrow streets of Jerusalem. And of course it was the Tzanchanim who captured it. We walked through Sha'ar Arayot, the gate of the old city where they broke through the walls until we reached the Kotel where we would be sworn in. Before it began there was a light dinner for lone soldiers which was nice. And do you know the tunnel to the left of the Kotel? Well as we were getting in formation, like every year, each battalion started singing their cheers. But it definitely wasn't singing. It was absolutely deafening that tunnel. But the pride really showed. And of course competition between the battalions. At 8:00 pm sharp we started marching to the square. I saw the ceremony last year but it was totally different participating in it. You just get this feeling of pride that can't be found anywhere besides in Tzahal. Here you are about to embark on a journey that could lead you to fight for the lives of your people. It's a bit frightening but also inspiring. Of course the most exciting part of the ceremony was definitely receiving our Tanachs and guns. From then on, the guns were ours to take with us and protect everywhere we go. Then we swore in, sang Hatikva which still sends chills through my body, and that was it. By the way, thank you to all my friends who came to see it. Your support is appreciated beyond your understanding.
One of the next things we did was a week of shooting. Nothing too crazy but we became a lot more professional in that week. We shot a lot further and better and practiced shooting on moving targets. You might be asking how these targets move. Well at 200 meters there is a 4 meter deep reinforced concrete ditch that runs the width of the range. Half of us were in there with big targets moving back and forth or lifting up the targets. It was a lot of fun.
After that, another week of cleaning and stuff. Fine with me.
This past week was probably one of my favorite weeks but unfortunately it didn't end as quite as I had planned. Aside from our regular guns, most soldiers are given either a new gun or an additional weapon. There is a gun for sharpshooting, a gun with an attachment for shooting grenades, an anti-tank missile, a Matador missile, a light machine gun, and a heavy machine gun. I requested to be a sharpshooter and luckily it was given to me. So this past week I trained with an M4 with a Trijicon scope during the day and a Lior night vision scope at night. I've heard the Lior costs about $10 000 dollars and its believable because what it does is just the opposite. Shooting with the night scope makes you feel exactly like you are in a movie or playing a video game. Same thing with the day scope. So accurate and simple to use. We did a lot of shooting up to a distance of 300 meters, shooting on moving targets, shooting from uncomfortable positions, shooting after physical exertion and of course the famous static position. Each weapon has its own "thing". For example the machine gunners have to crawl with their guns to 300 meters. Sharpshooters have to stay in the kriyah position for over an hour. Kriyah is basically sitting on your heel while the knee of that leg is on the ground. The other leg is at a 90 degree angle facing the target with the foot flat on the ground. In the past we did it for 25 minutes but we knew this was going to take a lot longer. We had 5 bullets loaded and at any time they could say fire and we would have to shoot. So we always had to be in the sights. After about 10 minutes, my foot fell asleep. After 15, I couldn't feel it at all, although we were told that that was supposed to happen and be most comfortable. Its the weirdest feeling not being able to move a body part. After 30 minutes and 2 bullets, I thought it would help to adjust my position. BAD IDEA!!! OH THE PAIN!!! Seriously it killed. And we had another 40 minutes go. Great. When we finished the 5 bullets everyone let out a sigh. But the mefakdim had a little surprise for us. Instead of ending there, they told us to switch magazines. More time? No way. I was dying at this point. Everyone was. Luckily we only shot one bullet from the new magazine. Then we stood up. Or we tried to stand up. But one of my legs just didn't work for a few minutes. So odd.
When I said the week didn't go as planned, it means that in the end I had less hits than the people I was competing against and was not chosen to be a sharpshooter now. However, I am now a certified sharpshooter and will probably get the gun in the future.
There are so many details to fill in but these are the main events. I'll try to write some more in the next couple weeks as I spend 21 days on base, the longest ever for me so far.
3 weeks left of basic training and then my regila, a week break. Can't wait!!
Shabbat Shalom!

Hell week

After a lengthy five day break from the army, I can't say that I was dying to get back to the base. I love serving in the army but there is nothing like the freedom of being at home. But it came time to go back, nonetheless a day later than everyone else because I was told to keep eight days of Pesach.
The week that I came back to was called Abach, or a shortform for atomic, biological, and chemical warfare. It was mostly classes about what happens when wars get unconventional. But the main event of the week was actually putting our gasmasks to use. I had heard about this and seen pictures of it before, so I was half nervous and half excited. Just outside the gate of the base there was a large tent set up. Pumping into this tent was a certain type of gas and each of us were supposed to put on the mask and walk in. So I walked in and was kind of disoriented for a second because it was dark and murky. Then the mefaked inside told me to remove the mask and say my ID number. Its hard to describe the exact feeling but from about your second breath you feel like a vice has tightened about your neck and acid has been poured in your eyes. I managed to quickly say my number but after that I just had to run out because I couldn't breathe. And then after a few long minutes, the burn dies down and things are more or less back to normal.
That Shabbat, my Plugah was on base and my machlacka had kitchen duty. It wasn't so much fun washing dishes but we were allowed to take as much food as we wanted.
And then hell week. Some thought it would start on Saturday night, but preparations took until Sunday evening when we set out. The first difficult thing was what we had to take with us. Each soldier had a partner with whom he would share the load. Except all of our stuff was in one gigantic bag. All in all, with my vest and my gun, it weighed about 40kg (88lb). I weigh about 65kg (143lb). That's about 61% body weight. So you can start to see why this week has its name. People almost fell backwards when putting it on. I remember that after a few  minutes my arm started to lose blood flow.
The first leg of our trip was our walk of a few kilometers outside the base to a camp with tents. By the time we got there, my back felt moments away from snapping and I couldn't wait to put it down. We slept in tents of four that night, but we felt as if this was a bit too comfortable to be our first week in the wilderness even though we were sleeping in full gear. I'd be surprised if I didn't wake up 20 times that night. The next morning after davening and doing some other stuff, we got our first taste of combat meals. Except you can't really taste the food. Basically, we were given a box of food and two loaves of bread to eat for every meal. Okay. Not so bad. First problem: we are 15 people plus our mefaked and this food is meant for 12 people. Second problem: our mefaked gave us 12 minutes to eat. Okay. I can eat fast. But third problem: there always had to be 5 people in a circle lying down guarding us while we ate. So you can see why eating wasn't so simple.

Basically, this week was about showing us what the wilderness, or the shetach, is like. But they made it really hard. For all three days, we walked the hills in the area (not so small), with our vests and these bags. While we were walking as a kitah, we were walking in certain formations based on what we learned in classes. Usually during the noon hours  there was a heat wave and we stopped walking and had classes. Not a lot happened during the 3 days. Just a lot of walking, some crawling on thorns, carrying stretchers and people, and a few war-type games. The crawling on thorns was probably my least favorite part of the week, but its only meant to make us stronger. As Major Eliraz Peretz, a soldier killed in action in Gaza once said, "With the complex of thorns and plants that have entered my body, you can make a pile a meter by a meter. But these are not just thorns, these are the thorns of Eretz Yisrael." 


By the last evening, I had given up hope. I had no energy left in me and if I was given the opportunity to quit, the thought might have risen up. It is impossible to describe to someone who hasn't been through it what it was like. But that night was the contest. Based on everything we had learned and practiced that week, each kitah in the plugah would be tested in a series of "missions" to find the best kitah, who would then go home on Thursday night instead of Friday. This contest only lasted a couple of hours, but boy was it hard with those bags. I thought we did very well even though we did not win.

We got back to the plugah just after 3am on Thursday morning. Arriving back to base was like checking into a five-star hotel. It didn't feel real at all. And then it became all too real. Just as people were starting to start showering, our commanders burst into our rooms and starting yelling at us that we had a minute to get downstairs in a vest with a gasmask on, and a stretcher ready. I couldn't believe it. I've never been more surprised in my life. So we ran a bit with the stretcher but other than that didn't do much. Ultimately, this was just done to show us that "It ain't over till it's over."

And that was what I call Hell Week. We made it through. Barely.

I apologize that I am so behind in my posts. Lately the army has gotten more and more difficult which therefore makes me more and more tired and less likely to sit down and write. Hopefully it will get easier soon because frankly I am having a very difficult time making it through. More on that to come.

Welcome to the 202nd Airborne Battalion

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I simply don't have a lot of time.
It's difficult to know where to start describing my week because I really don't remember very clearly what happened. Why? Because days feel like weeks and weeks like months. We normally start the day at about 5am after an average of about 6 hours of sleep. Every single morning we line up in front of our Mefaked who then gives us "missions" to complete in limited periods of time. For example, 7 minutes to change from what we slept in to our madei bet, or our work uniform, plus galchatz, which means shaving and shining (shoes). Or 3 minutes to clean the room and make our beds exactly like they ask. In these few minutes, not a second goes by without somebody yelling out the time or instructions. Zmanim ze kodesh (Time is holy) as they say in Hebrew. Even if we as a class don't complete the mission, it is imperative that just before the clock runs out, we're all standing there in a chet or shlashot (parallel lines of three). If we don't, we get punished. Although this past week was shavua slichot, or week of forgiveness, so the real punishments start next week. For some reason though, my class always waits till the very last second to stand in line.
Once again I arrived at the base at about noon on Sunday and then the rest of the day we picked weeds. It kind of sucked to be doing that kind of work again but I knew the next day I would be placed in my unit.
Finally the moment everyone was waiting for: Misdar Dmaot, or ceremony of tears. It is here that soldiers find out if they've made the cut for sayarot (elite units) or if they will serve in the regular battalions. Some people have waited their whole lives to serve in an elite unit. Now the moment of truth. Tension is high. The names are read. Some soldiers celebrate. Some soldiers cry. But everyone is about the embark on a completely unknown chapter in their lives. As the names for Duvdevan (the elite counterterrorism unit) were called, I clapped, but I did temporarily regret not trying the gibush. Back when I decided to join the army, Tzanchanim was my goal. Since being accepted, I played with the thought of trying to get further. But I think regular army will be challenging enough as I found out this week.
I was placed in a religious unit the 202nd Airborne Battalion which is considered better than 890 and 101. The rest of the day we were welcomed into the Plugah (one third of a battalion) by visiting a dozen stations including explanations of weapons, a video, equipment improvement, and interviews with our mefakdim. Mefakdim can either totally ruin or totally improve the army experience. I really lucked out in my Mefaked. He is exactly the type of leader to strengthen us but also he is  slightly forgiving when needed.
On Tuesday we did something extremely exciting. We signed for and received short M16s, the guns we will be using until the end of training, when we will upgrade to the slightly better M4. As soon as we got them, we put them in the armory. Then the rest of the day was spent in a classroom taking notes about the weapon.
On Wednesday, things got physical. After Shacharit but before breakfast we had a Baror, the fitness test in Tzahal. A 100% is 86 continuous situps, 75 continuous pushups, and a 2km run in 6:48. I almost completed the situps, the pushups were a total failure, and let's just say running is not my forte. It's clear that I have a long way to go. Later that day we shot on a fake range with M16s fitted with lasers. It was tough but I did fairly well. I'm not really sure why this happened so early, but we spent a few hours practicing for our Tekes Hashba'a, or swearing in ceremony, which I think will take place on May 19 at the Kotel. You're all invited. I've been to a Tekes Hashba'a for Tzanchanim and practicing the moves really made us start feeling like soldiers. I really enjoyed it and I can't wait until the real thing.
After spending a lovely Shabbat at home with my parents who have come in for Pesach, all too quickly I had to return to the base. When I got there we changed into madei bet but then I was told to change back into madei alef because the Mefaked haplugah wanted to talk to me. It took me totally by surprise and I immediately thought the worst. What did I do wrong? Am I being thrown out of Tzanchanim? Quite the contrary. Turns out that on Sunday, all of the past heads of tzanchanim were coming to the base for some kind of ceremony and each head had a soldier walk with him. I was chosen as a representative (all the other representatives were also chayalim bodedim) in my Plugah to walk alongside Yoram "Ya-Ya" Yair. The current head of tzanchanim came and so did Bogie Yaalon. There was a ceremony, a small band, and then each head planted a tree in the holes that we dug in trom tironut. But then there was a dinner. Wow. Great food, even for non-army standards.
The next four or five days we spent on the shooting range shooting clusters of rounds to zero in our weapons. First using the annoying metal sights and then using the cool sight which makes it a lot easier. We also did some night shooting. But it's impossible to aim! Since the gun is black, you can barely make out the metal sights. Then on Wednesday, another surprise. Ramat Gan has a council that basically gives tzanchanim free stuff. After giving everyone  tzanchanim shirts and shorts for running, they made a lunch for all chayalim bodedim. The food was pretty standard but they gave us some really great stuff like a fleece, a Swiss army type knife, a thermos, and even a watch. Thanks Ramat Gan!
As part of training, every two weeks or so we have a masa, or a hike. This would be our first. But its not just any old hike. We would be wearing vests filled with 174 bullets, our helmet, 1.5 liters of water, a fake grenade, and of course our gun was on us. Plus it is done in a fast pace on big hills. We even painted our faces in green and black. That was my favorite part. And off we went. We left the base. Total darkness. Total silence. Only the sounds of our footsteps. It felt like we were actually going to war. But 35 minutes and a lot of sweating later, we made it back. It was quite difficult but definitely not impossible. One thing about the army is that you are never ever an individual. It is not a race or a contest. Its about teamwork. We walked briskly in two tightly packed lines behind our mefaked and on inclines we pushed the person in front of us by the helmet that was on their back. Its already easy for me to understand the term "brothers in arms". The army really does create close bonds between soldiers.
On Thursday we started doing guard duty around the base. Each shift is 2+2 hours. Let me explain. The first two hours is the active part, which is kind of funny because all activities are strictly forbidden. No sleeping, no sitting, no eating, no reading, and no leaning. Yup. No leaning. But of course this all makes total sense when you are guarding in the middle of the night. It is really boring unless there is someone there to talk to, which is allowed. After the two hours, you enter into the readiness staff, replacing someone who has just finished their readiness staff. In these two hours, you just have to be able to get to the equipment within a minute and a half. You can sleep in your bed, in uniform, knee pads, and boots of course, but you've got to be ready for the jump. Luckily, I never had one, partly because they don't happen on shabbat.
The shabbat after the masa was my first shabbat on the base because my plugah stayed in. I was kind of worried that shabbat in the army wouldn't feel like it should. But the interesting thing is that the mefakdim, even the non-religious ones, make sure everyone, including the non religious soldiers, respect shabbat and those who keep it. For example, attire for Friday night dinner is strictly madei alef, or dress uniforms, plus berets for kiddush, which is recited for everyone by one person. Singing and dancing, at davening and at the meal happen all the time. Cellphones are not allowed at the meals. All of these things together actually made it a very special shabbat, making it something I wouldn't mind the next time it comes around. I had two shifts of shmirah on shabbat but because it is a neccesary job, there is obviously no problem with doing it on shabbat so it didn't bother me. It's actually probably better that a religious soldier who knows the halachot do shmirah because we know how to act according to halacha and violate the very least, if any, laws.
After my first week of the army, which I spent as a gardener, I didn't think I would do it again. But I did. For a full week. My machlacka was sent to a base in the center of Israel to clean up and prepare for two ceremonies where the head of tzanchanim and the heads of some battalions were switched. It was obviously a pretty uneventful week except for one particular instance. At a certain point, I was sweeping the street in front of the building that holds the office to the head of tzanchanim (Machat). He and another high ranking officers were walking around the area checking our progress. As they were passing me, the Rasar told me to pick a weed on the sidewalk. But before I could bend down and get it, the Machat, yes, the head of tzanchanim, who has been in the army for 25 years, bent down and picked it. So I guess no matter what rank you are, you never stop picking weeds. Then he actually asked my name and where I was from, to which I responded that I am from Toronto and doing Machal. In the past, he has made some comments about shortened tracks like hesder and machal. He also spoke to our machlacka which was somewhat of a treat.
The next shabbat I also stayed in but we were let out for Pesach, which is obviously nice, especially since my family is here in Israel visiting me. After the chag I spent about 20 hours on base before I went home for Shabbat and the Chag, and now I am enjoying a very lengthy 5 day break.

Trom Tironut

I would love to say that in my first week of the army I did something really cool. But its quite the opposite.
Despite being Purim on Sunday, we were told to arrive at a base in Baer Sheva where we met up with our unit and mefaked. From there we took a bus for n amount of time to our training base (bach).
I've heard the base was nice but I didn't realize how true it was. Tzanchanim is an American funded unit so they built us a beautiful modern base. Each plugah, or group of about 100 soldiers has their own building, a central courtyard plus a building for the mefakdim. Unlike other bases where soldiers sleep in tents, we sleep in rooms with closets and air conditioners. The other facilities are also new and top of the line. The food is amazing too which is really important.
On Sunday we heard speeches from the Mefaked of the base and other Mefakdim about Tzanchanim and about the main event of the week: the gibushim. The gibushim that took place were for gadsar and maglan and a separate one for duvdevan. Hundreds tried it but I decided not to.
On Monday, everyone, even those not trying the gibush, had to prepare two bags with borrowed equipment from the army, so that of course took all day.
We woke up on Tuesday at about 3 am to organize for the gibush that I wasn't doing. Then we were separated into groups and they left. Those not going cleaned our building for a few minutes but then we went back to bed for an hour or two. And then for the next three days all I did was pick weeds. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. There are just too many of them. It's impossible to get kill them all.
On Thursday, I got to do the coolest thing I had done all week. After picking weeds in the morning, I painted boxes for Maglan and Duvdevan. I'm no Picasso, but I think I did a pretty solid job.
And then on Friday we were sent home.
Our Mefaked was awesome, didn't yell at us and laughed at all the jokes we made. But the week that I am entering will most definitely not be like that. This week things will get serious. And I'm pretty sure we will start shooting. And running. But probably not at the same time.

First Days

If this is what the army is like, then so far I love it.
My Giyus was this past Wednesday which means I went to Bakum again to complete the becoming-a-soldier process. But for some reason, getting a shot, filling in a few papers, eating lunch and changing into a uniform takes about 10 hours.
I got to the lishkat hagiyus at about 10am where there were hundreds of teary eyed parents and soon to be soldiers dancing (mostly the religious ones). Then we signed in and loaded buses to a different part of the base. And we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally we made it to the part where we got all our stuff and uniforms and tried them on. When we were sure that everything fit nicely, we left that area and waited. And waited and waited. While waiting we did a few attention calls. But in the end all the waiting was worth it because unlike Nachal, who also had their Giyus that day, we went home. Fast days in the army are like sick days on base plus the first shabbat is almost always free, so they just let us go. Since then I've just been enjoying walking around Jerusalem, despite the random people on the street who yell "tzair" at me. "Tzair" means young and in the army it is the nickname for new soldiers.
A few words about our uniform: because we are tzanchanim, we get a different uniform. Our boots are red, the pants are the same but our shirts are totally different. They have four pockets on the front and we wear a second belt over the shirt which is not tucked in. One of the things people say to make fun of us tzanchanim is pointing out that we wear "skirts".
On Sunday, I actually start the army when I report to a base in Baer Sheva where there are buses to my base.

Golan Tiyul

This past Thursday, Friday and Shabbat, my class in yeshiva went on a trip to the Golan to have some fun before the army.
A few highlights:
- A high ranking commander spoke to us. Not only did he serve in Shayetet 13 (water-based unit similar to the navy seals), he was also a commander in Egoz (an elite recon unit), Sayeret Golani, and completed the ship captain course. Imagine how many pins he wears on his uniform!
- We visited the site where Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were kidnapped after their Humvees were ambushed. On a nearby hill right across the border we were able to see a Hezbollah base. We were told they were watching us and probably listening to us.
- We went to see an outpost right on the Lebanon border. Very cool place. It looked exactly like a level in a video game. Rav Ashi's grave was right there. Just across the border was a UN base.
- On Friday night we heard from a rabbi who is now doing his miluim in Shaldag, the air force's elite unit. But the most impressive thing was that he served in Hayechida, Sayeret Matkal, which is the best unit in the IDF and possibly in the world. Apparently it runs in the family because he has sons in Shaldag and Duvdevan (the counterterrorism unit).

Less than 10 days left!!


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Why? Part II

The following is based on an essay written by Rabbi Herschel Schachter, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society.

In 1948, all the Arab countries surrounding us promised to push us into the ocean and tried unsucessfully to destroy us. According to many opinions, since they have not renounced their vow, that original war of independance is still ongoing and the quiet periods are mere lulls in the same war. Therefore, it can be concluded that Israel is in a state of war even when there is no fighting (except with Egypt who signed a peace treaty with us, but lately, who knows if that will continue).

Next, is this ongoing war a milchemet reshut or milchemet mitzvah? The main differences are as follows:

A milchemet reshut is a "permissible military venture" which must first be allowed by the Sanhedrin. When getting ready to wage a milchemet reshut, newlyweds, people who have just built a house or planted a vineyard, or who are afraid were sent home. This is based on a pasuk from Devarim (20:8) and a Mishnah in Sotah 44b.

A milchemet mitzvah is a war required by the Torah in which everyone must go out to war (possibly women too), people who would normally be exempt from a milchemet reshut. (My roommate's mefaked got married the night before Operation Cast Lead so he would have been exempt if it was a milchemet reshut. Nonetheless, he had to go lead his troops. Not long into the war, he entered a house that was booby-trapped. He very nearly died, but thank G-d has made a full recovery).

The answer is that it is a milchemet mitzvah because the countries with whom we are at war do not have a court like the Sanhedrin that is moral and spiritual. Therefore, based on a Gemara in Sanhedrin 59a and an interpretation by the Chatam Sofer, any war fought against these enemies is automatically considered milchemet mitzvah, and that status carries over to our defense as well.

It probably can't be proven halachically these days that everyone needs to fight but I just wanted to point out a few things that seemed interesting.

Giyus in 3 weeks from today!!


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Why? Part I

This is the first installment in a series of explanations of why I am joining the army.

When I tell Israelis that I'm going to the army, I usually get one of two reactions. The first usually goes something like "kol hakavod". The second reaction is usually "Really? Why?". It has happened to me a few times where sabras, usually older, start ranting about how much they are fed up with Israel and then tell me never to live here and to stay where it is peaceful. They just don't understand why a kid my age would want to get involved in defending a country that I technically do not belong to. What they apparently don't understand is that this land was given to every single Jew, no matter where they are living now. Therefore, I feel an obligation to protect it, the Jews living in it, and the Jews who still haven't realized that they need to be living in it. Because it isn't just a land. If it had just been about a place to put the Jews, Uganda could have worked. But Israel is the only place where Jews belong because Hashem chose His favorite piece of land for us. It is also the only place in the the world where we can live properly as Jews under our own rule without the fear of persecution.

So since my land is more or less constantly in a state of war, I feel the need to do my part and protect it. An American kid in yeshiva once said to me while we were discussing the army, "But why should I join, they don't need more soldiers, there's no war now". But what he naively doesn't realize is that a soldier is not made overnight, there are months and months of training until he is ready to fight in a war. Who knows what will happen in a year from now. Plus, most of the army is made up of miluim soldiers, and by not going to the army and say, making Aliyah later in life, they would not be able to be called up if the need arises.

Others claim that if all Jews would sit down and learn, Hashem would protect us and the army would be unnecessary. I couldn't believe that people actually think that is true today. First of all, we have to show effort in order for Hashem to help us. Yes, I truly believe that learning Torah will and does help protect us, but Gemaras do not stop bullets (maybe masechet shabbat in oz v'hadar does). Second, it is impossible to get all Jews to learn right now. Many Jews don't even know they are Jewish. If it was possible, maybe it would would be more of a claim. Third, even in the times of David HaMelech and the like, Hashem didn't magically erase their enemies. The people went out with swords and shields and physically fought their foes. Yes, Hashem told them when they would win and performed miracles so that would happen, but miracles happen every day here in Israel too.

In fact, passion for the army and the general advance of Israel for the first few decades after the establishment can be found in the hearts of secular Zionists. Lately, the religious Zionists have replaced them and now make up a large portion of the commanders and special forces as well as being the best regular soldiers. It is the religious that feel responsible to put their lives on the line nowadays, which includes me.

Simply put: I am Jewish. Therefore, Israel is my country. Hence, it is my job to protect it.

That was the moral side of my reason. Next, I'll explain why I think there might be a halachic reason to join the army.


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Tzanchanim!!

Finally, the moment I was waiting for. I made it into Tzanchanim!!
Soon I'll be jumping out of planes and wearing the famed red beret.
Luckily, both my English speaking friends made it as well. More to
follow...

Aaron Taylor

Chiyul

I can finally say that I am a chayal. I now carry with me an ID card from the army that identifies me as one. I got this card this past Thursday when I went through the process of the chiyul. Basically, there are two steps to becoming a chayal: chiyul and giyus. Most chayalim do both these things on the same day. For hesder guys though, the chiyul happens 8 months before the giyus (but only 2 for me) and continues after active service. During the time between the chiyul and the giyus, we are considered chayalim on the shalat card, or sheirut l'lo tashlum. Shalat means service without payment. With this ID, we ride trains for free, pay a maximum of about 10.70₪ for buses, and skip security checks, but we are not allowed to tremp (hitchhike) for fear of being kidnapped.

The day of the chiyul was our first day of the army so it was run like a well oiled machine. Each person was told to arrive at his enlistment office where buses were provided to Tel Hashomer. My enlistment office happens to be at Tel Hashomer anyway. I got there at around 10am and was happy to see that I would be going through the chiyul with a friend from Toronto. From the enlistment office, we board a bus which takes us to another part of the base. Soon thereafter, we gather outside, wait for our names to be called, and are given stickers with bar codes on them to be given in at the upcoming stations. The next thing we do is sit down in a theatre-type place and listen to the head of the beinishim speak. He tells us about the hesder track and the rules of the shalat period. Then we signed a document. I think it was an agreement to serve the machal track. Honestly, it would have taken me and a dictionary the whole day to read the thing, so I just quickly scanned it and signed. We were also given a questionnaire, similar to the one on the gibush, and an information booklet about our hesder track. Then the process started. The stations went as follows:

Teeth Pictures: This was funny. I enter the room and this chayelet tells me to hold my mouth open and she shoves a mirror in my mouth and snaps a picture. Okay. Then she says something else really really fast and I have no idea what she's saying. I ask her what she said and she says it again. Still didn't understand. Then she starts to yell at me, kind of like, what's the matter with you, don't you understand Hebrew. Well no, I don't. But I made it through. A friend of mine from yeshiva who did the chiyul last year tells me the same exact thing happened to him.

ID Pictures: One regular photo and one jail-style side view photo. Some kid with a huge kippah tried to argue with the chayelet so that he wouldn't have to take it off for the shot. Not a good idea. These chayalot are tough.

Fingerprints: This was probably the coolest part. They have these awesome machines about the size of an ATM with a glass pad on them, and a chayal or chayelet places your hand, palm, and then each individual finger on the pad to get the print.

X-Ray: This was exactly like the machines at dentist offices. Just an X-Ray of the teeth. This chayelet was even nice enough to speak English to me.

Bone Marrow: Totally optional but I'm already on a list to donate so no need to do it again.

DNA: This was kind of funny. It's a prick in the finger and then they use your blood to paint in two circles. I wonder if it's fun for the chayalot to do it.

Shots: I'm not really sure what they were for but there were two of them in the shoulder.

Signatures: There are a few documents to sign. Again, I'm not exactly sure what they said, but something about a pledge of allegiance to the State of Israel and another about not releasing army secrets. I guess I better read the rules of the secrets before I write too much here on the blog and end up in prison. Also, the chayelet wanted my bank account information, but I don't have one. Sometime in the next two months I need to open one. I hear it's difficult for a non-Israeli. I'll definitely write a post about it.

And then the moment I had been waiting for...

I got my ID Card!!

They give you:
1. the ID card in a little green case
2. a paper card with your information on it and Geneva Convention rules for kidnapped soldiers (kind of chilling)
3. Two dogtags and a chain, for boots and around the neck

Then we went to eat lunch, very similar to gibush food, and again very good. After davening mincha, we filled in a few medical forms, spoke with mashakiot tash, and then after checking that everything had been taken care of, we were released. On the way out, we walked through the area where in two months we will be given everything we need for the army and the place where we will first put on our uniforms before loading buses to the bases. I can't wait!!

On a separate note, I heard that results for tzanchanim are coming in about a week. Fingers crossed!!


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Gibush Tzanchanim

About a week ago I participated in what is called Gibush Tzanchanim. A gibush is like a tryout - this particular one for Paratroopers. All the actual elite units have gibushim. For some reason, Tzanchanim does as well, even though it is no more elite than the regular infantry units. However, the conditions of Tzanchanim are slightly better than those of the soldiers in other units. Plus Tzanchanim get to jump (more like get pushed) out of a plane, five times. For these reasons, about 2 500 people do the gibush every time there is an enlistment.
My gibush was a beinish gibush, meaning most of the guys there were hesder yeshiva students. There were also some non-religious Israelis there. In total, there were probably about 200 there. Normally it is bigger, but a lot of the hesder guys dropped out because of the public statement that the head of Tzanchanim made about the people who serve shorter services.

Like everything in Israel except for the army, the gibush didn't start on time. It takes place at Tel Hashomer base in Tel Aviv. We were told to be there by 8am, but people trickled in until past 9. So just a lot of waiting around. Once everyone was there, they asked us to form lines in front of some chayalim to show our ID and receive a lengthy questionnaire. There were a few announcements from mefakdim about the gibush like the schedule and the medical check from some while we were answering the questionnaire. After some time, they started calling names and we were placed in groups of 30, the group being called a tzevet. In addition, each person was given a number that was written on our hands. Every so often, to make sure everyone was there, we were told to call out our numbers in order. This was the first of many many number callouts. My tzevet seemed to have a lot of English speakers in it, some of whom I knew from Yeshiva or elsewhere.

The next place we walked to was the doctor's station. Here our temperatures and heartbeats were taken and doctors notes checked. We were told beforehand to bring doctors checkups in order to be allowed into the gibush: very important. So after waiting about an hour and a half until everyone was done, we were led to where we would be spending the next 24 hours. In this area there were about 30 tents, bathrooms and showers, a place where everyone can gather and some trailers. Our mefaked told us to go over to the trailers, hand in our IDs and get our uniforms. The uniforms consisted of pants, a shirt, a belt, a hat, and a canteen. We put our uniforms on the beds we had chosen earlier but wore our hats and brought our canteens back to the mefaked.
Once we were all back we were told to set our watches for 1 minute and we all raced to the bathrooms to fill our canteens. By the way, EVERYTHING is timed. And if the time is not respected, we are given a punishment. So after showing the mefaked our canteens, we stood back in a chet. Then he asked us who could drink it the fastest (750mL). One kid said 40 seconds , but then someone else drained it in 11 seconds, apparently a record. Luckily, we only had to drink them in 1 minute, but even that can be fairly difficult. To make sure we were finished, standard procedure is to lift the canteens over our heads and flip them over. After filling them up again, and putting them in our bags, we were sent to lunch.

The food on the base is very good and there is plenty of it! After lunch we davened Mincha and lined up again. Once back in our groups, we were all told to change into running clothes for the baror. The baror is the basic fitness test in the IDF. In order to score a 100, you must run 2km in under 6:50, then very soon after complete 75 pushups and 86 situps in a row. Luckily, this year we only did the run because I can hardly reach 25 in a row. Every year is different. Some years they have it, some years not. So as we are all sitting there waiting to get new numbers for running, some kid obviously in dire need of the bathroom runs up to to the mefaked to ask permission to go. He doesn't let him. Then another kid asks. Finally a chayelet announces that whoever needs to go can go. About 70 people stand up and go. As a matter of fact, everyone was peeing everywhere every 15 minutes during the gibush. So much water!

The running was done in groups of 40, alphabetically. Another number is written on our arms. Some bored mafeked also drew pictures on some arms too. Within a few minutes we are walking to the big field where we will run the 2km. But first, a chayelet instructs us in a warmup. Then we all line up on the starting line and off we go. The track isn't so wide so it is hard to pass people at the beginning (but there was no way I was passing anyone). The terrain is sandy and there are a couple small hills which definitely made it a lot more difficult to run. It is a one kilometer track and there is a chayal at the end of the 1km who marks your arm when you reach him. But it was really disheartening to see people on the way back when I hadn't reached the halfway mark. On my run, there were a few people who were walking. At the end, you shout out your number to some chayelot at the end and it's over. I'm pretty sure I ran it in about 10 minutes as usual, which is lucky, because I heard later that the cutoff was 10:30.

After the run we tried on our uniforms, definitely one of the more enjoyable parts of the gibush. It's a cool feeling the first time you put them on. They're surprisingly comfortable!! They also let us exchange the uniforms if they didn't fit. (As I am looking back on this post after finishing training, it reminds me of a kid who I remember from the gibush. He is probably 6'4 and his pants barely made it to his shins. He serves in my machlacka and is one of my close friends.)  After that, we lined up in uniforms and canteens and proceeded to drink another full one. Then we started to prepare the equipment for the gibush. I will come back to that.

At about 6, we were sent to dinner. As we were eating, there were a few guys in regular clothes saying their goodbyes. Unfortunately for them, they had run in over 10:30 and were sent home. Luckily, myself and all my friends passed (just). After dinner we davened maariv and went back to line up. The mefaked tried his best to teach us how to line up in shloshot (parallel lines of three people) but some people apparently haven't yet learned to count to three. So everyone lines up in their groups and waits while the mefakdim meet and joke amongst themselves. Then they announce that everyone present passed the baror and that we are being put into yet another new tzevet, the one for the gibush. I don't think very many people failed. Each new tzevet consists of about 22 people and a new mefaked. Again we are given new numbers, one for our new tzevet and one for our individual number within the tzevet. By now we all look like kids in kindergarten with all the marker on our hands. Once in our new tzevet, we drink another full canteen (I think someone actually threw up), prepare the equipment again and are told that we have until 3:45am to be back there lined up. The army law requires 6 hours of sleep a night to be given so we end the night at about 8:30.

It took me a while to fall asleep that night because of a monster headache, but I did manage to get a few hours of sleep. Thanks to some good advice, I brought some warm clothes to offset the cold. They do provide covers but the Hebrew name for it, scavius, already makes my skin itch. I was also advised that it would be better to sleep in the cold without them than to use the scavius.

A few hours later, in uniform and with full canteens, we line up. We were given sandwiches and tea but as soon as I got my sandwich (I didn't want to drink the tea because I KNEW they were going to make us drink our annoying canteens) my tzevet lined up. I asked my mefaked if I could do netilat yadaim to eat the sandwich. "What's netilat yadaim?" he asked. "You need to do that in order to eat it? No, put it back and line up." Okay. Very army-like.

For the third and final time, we get another mefaked. This one is a miluimnik (reserve) and he will be commanding us in the physical part of the gibush. After explaining a few things to us and warming up, we set off for the fields with our equipment. The equipment consists of two stretchers (one open and one folded on a backpack), two jerry cans on backpacks, five empty backpacks, and a sandbag for each person. This is where the gibush really starts. We are about to embark on probably the hardest physical exercises of our lives, until the army really starts of course. So we walk about 10 minutes into the field to a dirt hill about 7-8 meters high and 18-20 meters in length in the dark night with ruts in it. The perfect place for sprinting!! And that is exactly what we did for the next 30 minutes or so. Well, we may have walked a few near the end from sheer exhaustion. Also, in between some of the sprints, we were told to stand in shloshot with sandbags raised over our heads and with our eyes closed. Time has never in my life gone as slowly as it then did. After a few minutes, my shoulders simply gave out and I had to rest it on my head. We repeated this process a bunch of times, to the point that it became too difficult for some people and they quit. My number must have been recorded a dozen times. In the first hour, out of 22 people, about 5-6 quit. I was told clearly before the gibush that no matter how hard it gets, even if you can't physically do it, just show effort. They are not looking for trained soldiers, but people with motivation that can be trained to become soldiers. The first hour is always the hardest and each activity isn't longer than about 30 minutes. I don't think that at this point they can even just tell you to leave. You have to leave on your own. But apparently the physical exertion and the mental tests were too much for those 5-6. The mefaked would yell at us and say things like " You're females! You are all terrible! You are the worst gibush I have ever seen!" But of course he only says these things to see who can't handle the pressure. And it worked.

By the way, as part of this physical part of the gibush, the main mefaked brought along 4-5 other mefakdim. They have a few purposes. The first is to write down your number anytime you do something good or bad or finished first or last. But who knows if they are actually writing anything. The second is to annoy you. They wear warm clothes, eat, drink coffee and joke around. The third is to intimidate you. For example, one of the mefakdim stared at me for a while just to see what I would do. Basically, all these things add up to more mental tests.

I can't remember exactly which activity was next but I think it was the hanging. So we take all the equipment over to this big square with pull up bars above. In this activity we were asked to hang on it and yell our numbers when we fall off. The next thing was similar, except it was a group activity, meaning they watch to see how we perform in a group. He told us that everybody had to be hanging except for three, so we had to work out switches. Of course the first few times there was a lot of confusion and we had to run or do situps, but after a while we got the hang of it (no pun intended).

The next activity was crawling. Although we all were probably expert crawlers at some point in our lives, the army style of crawling is extremely different and surprisingly tiring. So we were led to a patch of sand about 10 meters by 10 meters in size. Little did we know though, that just under the thin layer of sand was bedrock. Then we had crawling races to see who would finish fastest and have their numbers recorded. Again, this went on for about 30 minutes until everyone was so tired that the mefaked decided to move on.

The next activity was a combination of sprints and stretcher. A loaded stretcher was placed at the starting line and at a distance of 10-15 meters was a backpack. The goal was to sprint to the backpack, round it, and sprint back and grab the stretcher. If you were one of the first four to grab it, you were rewarded with getting to run it back to the backpack and return. Everyone else had to do the sprints another time. However, if you had grabbed the stretcher, your number was recorded. I have never seen people, especially yeshiva boys, push and cut corners like they did here. But I did manage to get it a few times. We probably did this about 20 times before we moved on.

The next activity was a game, another exercise to see how we worked in a group. Our goal was to get everyone over a wall with a pole, a barrel and a tire. But there was an area in front of the wall that we couldn't enter. As usual, this was also timed and we were given just 3 minutes. We got a few people over the wall, but to get everyone over in such a short amount of time was pretty much impossible. So I guess we failed?

Either way, the next activity was a talking exercise. The mefaked asked us, "Are you for or against the use of solar energy in Israel?" So after being given a few minutes to discuss, two representatives were chosen by us to speak. One of them started saying something that would make him seem smart but was totally unnecessary in answering the question. So the main mefaked stopped him and another mefaked started laughing at him uncontrollably. I even had to try not to laugh.

By now the time was around 7:30 and we knew it was going to be over by 8ish. There was only one thing left: the masa. The masa is a a hike with a strether but with switches. It wasn't very difficult because it was a distance of just 2km but to get a chance to carry the stretcher was almost impossible. After all, it is a competition and people were hogging the strether as much as they could. Not only that, but when the people under the stretcher ask for a switch, people push to get it. I've even heard a story of someone tripping someone under the stretcher to get it from him. Of course the tripper didn't make Tzanchanim and the trippee did. But the masa didn't last very long and wasn't that difficult either. At the end though, the mefaked asked us to decide as a group who we thought were the four strongest people and put them under the stretcher for a final sprint to the finish. And then suddenly it was all over! We made it! Everyone was exhausted, all dirty, but happy to see their friends who had finished. Luckily, all 9 guys from my yeshiva who tried the gibush made it through. After a few well deserved minutes of rest, we gathered in our tzevet with our mefaked. He told us that we all did a good job despite what he yelled at us earlier while we were doing some stretches. Two chayalim came over and asked all of us to show our elbows and knees. But one kid's pants were too tight at the bottom so they wouldn't go past his calves. The only way to show his knees was to drop his pants. That was kind of awkward for the chayelet that was there so she walked away. I thought that was comedic. The reason why they checked our elbows and knees was because of the crawling. Some people were all cut up. But most weren't.

The next things we did were change out of our uniforms, give them back in exchange for our IDs ( we had to make sure to give back everything or we wouldn't pass), shower, daven, and get breakfast. Once again the food was great: rolls, cheese, and shocko. Then we waited to get called for our interviews. It took about an hour but eventually I was called by my number. The interviews took place in nearby tents with either two or three older mefakdim. The interviews are like a second chance to prove ourselves for Tzanchanim. The interviewers have no idea how we did in the physical part so you can totally reinvent yourself. In fact, the interview is probably more important than the physical portion. The interview was quite professional, but they were also nice. I was told by someone before the interviews that they switch up the lengths of the interviews just to mess with you. Mine lasted only about 5 minutes and was basically two questions: "Tell us about yourself" and the more important question "Why to you want to go to Tzanchanim?". I can't say my interview was as strong as I had wanted. I didn't get excited about my answer for the second question. Also, I am serving only 14 months and told them that I probably wouldn't stay in Israel afterwards. But they did compliment me on my Hebrew. Also, a couple of times they stopped me to ask more questions on what I answered and told me to go meet with a mashakitash to become a chayal boded. And then it was over at about 1pm. Results come within the month.






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