Since Israel was established as a Jewish state, in 1948, it has been a major target for those who aspire to capture it for their own agenda. Therefore, in order to maintain peace within the state every citizen is required to serve for the Israeli Defensive Forces (IDF) for about two years. At first this was a bizarre concept to me. I did not understand how it was possible for a state to make every single citizen join the forces, and how people just went along with it. Imagine if legislation such as this came up in America; the borders to Canada would be flooded. However, I recently got the opportunity to meet, and hang out, with a group of Israeli soldiers on my Birthright trip and my eyes were very much opened to who the Israeli soldiers actually are.
The way it worked was 7 soldiers (4 boys and 3 girls) joined our group and became participants for about half of the trip. When I first saw that we would be linking up with soldiers on our itinerary the skeptic inside of me was quick to make judgement. I was expecting them to be meat-head like guys that all the girls wanted to hook up with (for the story), accompanied with very strict and cold girls (similar to Christy Carlson Romano's character in "Cadet Kelly"). I honestly do not think I could have been any more wrong.
Despite the fact that they had jobs in the army, the soldiers were exactly like the rest of us. They were all about the same age as we were and cared about the same things we did. I was fortunate enough to get pretty close with the three girls and really enjoyed getting to bond with them in similar ways I bond with my friends at home. For example, we contemplated what outfit would be the hottest thing to wear on New Years Eve. We stayed up late gossiping about boys, sharing the intimate parts of our pasts, and analyzing our futures. We also had dance parties where we put on "Bailando" and pretended we were much sexier than we actually are. It was an extremely humbling experience for me to share those moments with a group of women who are going through so much more than I could ever imagine in my life at this age. The truth is, the difference between me and them is that after this trip I get to go back to school while they have to go back to the army. While I worry about who I'm going to bring to my next date function, they go months without seeing their boyfriends and have to deal with the fear accompanied with them also being in the IDF. Furthermore, while I have not really experienced the loss of a loved one it is almost inevitable for them to know death at this age. I think that as a college student in America it is so easy to get wrapped up in worldly things that truly do not matter. To be honest, the things that I have considered to be my biggest problems have had no major effect on my life in retrospect.
All of this being said, what surprised the most about the Israeli women was their ability to stay positive and enjoy life despite everything they have gone through and experienced. Instead of being quick to judge they were quick to invite. They were so encouraging and they were not exclusive in the slightest. Not only that, but they radiated this positive and organic energy that made everyone around them feel good about themselves. When I go back to school this semester I really hope that I can become this type of person in the life of my peers. Although I will always be nostalgic for my time in Israel, I think that the biggest thing I will hold onto is the memories I shared with the Israeli soldiers. Their humble attitudes and infectious spirits will be something that I will never forget. I am so thankful to have gotten to connect with a group of women who are so inspiring.
