With every passing day, with the loss of every additional precious brave soldier, with every heart-rending letter left behind for the grieving parents from their fallen heroes, the question of how and why our young people are so committed to their country and their duty to protect it becomes more difficult to answer.
The phenomenal 130% response to the call to arms, the full planes of people heading back to Israel to be part of the war effort in whatever way they can, the hordes of volunteers, young and old, performing an enormous range of tasks, from the mundane to the strategically vital, are all a testament to this unique connection. It’s an almost anatomical umbilical cord through which Israelis are tied to their country, even unknowingly at times.
As a non-native Israeli, this unwavering commitment, especially among the young, is something I have marveled at but struggled to explain.
This week I was privileged to gain a small insight into how this fantastic and almost fanatic desire to protect the country comes about.
A close friend of mine is a high school teacher, and he has just returned from what, at first, he described as a “school trip.” I asked, out of mere curiosity, what they had been up to, and I was blown away by the response.
The Education Ministry encourages schools to take 11th graders (aged 16) on a tour, the name of which is loosely translated as, “a journey to Israeli identity.” Each school is responsible for putting together a program suitable for the ethos and philosophy of their school and pupils.
'A journey to Israeli identity'
My friend’s school is a secular high school, and he described the journey he and his fellow teachers took their pupils on.
It consisted of ever-increasing circles of awareness and understanding of themselves and their surroundings.
Day one was about “Me, myself, and I.” The kids were taken on a difficult hike, and they had to figure out how to cope with the hardship. There were lots of talking-around circles – how did they feel about themselves? Were they happy? Sad? What were their aspirations? What were their core values? How comfortably did they sit in their own skin?
Having introduced these 17-year-olds to themselves, day two expanded their thoughts to “Me and the group.” Another hike, this time requiring cooperation between the participants. There were outdoor training activities where success could only be achieved through communication and teamwork.
The questions they were encouraged to consider included: Am I a leader or a follower? Am I a loyal supporter or am I a lone wolf? They were encouraged to understand that the group is only as strong as its weakest link, and that weak link must be protected in order to succeed. This was the beginning of the seeds of responsibility for one another that had begun to show themselves among the pupils.
Day three further widened their horizons and was about “Me and the community.” The kids were taken to volunteer for the day in seniors’ homes, hostels for the vulnerable, and special needs groups.
Here they learned that not everyone is as fortunate as they are; they realized that the world can be a tough place for some people. They began to understand what it is to give to others freely, without ulterior motives.
This led into the highlight day of the trip, “Me and the State.”
The day began at Yad Vashem, seeing and feeling the horrors of the Holocaust from which the State rose, phoenix-like from the ashes. Understanding the background and context into which, and from which, the State of Israel was born, enabled the participants (remember, these are 17-year-olds – still kids – but preparing for the next stage in their lives: army service) to appreciate the next step. They walked through the connecting path, both physically and psychologically, to Mount Herzl and the graves of those heroes who have sacrificed their lives fighting for the State.
Sadly, there were so many fresh graves with so many personal items on them. One of the graves they came across was that of the late Netanel Young, a lone soldier killed in battle on October 7, whose parents recently made aliyah to Netanya, the city of this particular school. At another recently dug grave, they encountered the twin brother of the fallen soldier, who had come to commemorate their joint birthday at his graveside.
This powerful and deeply moving experience was followed by a visit to the Kotel to cement in the psyche the fact that these heroes died fighting a thousands-of-year-old battle for the right to our homeland.
At the end of this day, the overwhelming feeling expressed by the pupils was of wanting to be part of it; many said that they now desperately wanted to be combat soldiers and to have the utmost opportunity to contribute.
The final stage in the “journey” was Shabbat, “Me and Judaism.”
Three tracks were offered on Friday night: a traditional Orthodox service, an alternative non-religious service, and nothing.
Considering that this was a secular school, the teachers were amazed to find that over 50% of the kids chose the traditional service, in a desire to expand their knowledge and experiences. My friend described the atmosphere at the service as incredibly moving.
These 11th graders started on their journey as individuals and returned a week later as very firmly part of something very special indeed.
This begins to explain the phenomenal commitment of our people and the ubiquitous slogan “Together we will win,” which is inculcated in our kids at this early and impressionable age.
Kudos to the Education Ministry and full marks to the fantastic teachers!
The writer is a rabbi who lives in Ramat Poleg, Netanya, and is a co-founder of Techelet – Inspiring Judaism.