Tzanchanim

[Another Disclaimer: This Post will not be very insightful. I will not share any incredibly interesting, or groundbreaking observations. It is merely a way for me to update anyone who cares about my day to existence....so Aba and Ima, enjoy]

I finally found some time to update my blog. The last time I posted, I was working the fields, planting tomatoes. That was over a month ago...and I am FAR away from planting tomatoes.
where do I start? I guess, the best place to start is Shushan Purim, in the beginning of march. I was in Jerusalem having a great Purim. There was learning and drinking and singing and drinking, and drinking... At around 8:30 PM, I answered my cell phone as I had one leg out the door to go see a concert in town. It was a man who only identified himself as "Shachar". Shachar asked who he was speaking with, verified some information and then gave me some news.

(Now, with your permission I need to backtrack for a moment. During the past war with Hezbollah, after learning about my friend who was killed in Lebanon, I decided that I needed to serve in the army as a paratrooper. Since that moment, I had been doing everything possible to see that dream realized. I wanted to be a paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Forces, and I wanted to enlist as soon as possible. I spoke to dozens of people in the army and Israeli Government...and had come to the realization that I would not be able to join as a paratrooper in March [the soonest draft date for the paratroopers was the middle of March]. I accepted that reality, and began to think about the next few months until the next draft date for the paratroopers [August]. Perhaps I would even study at a yeshiva, something I had always thought about doing...)

Back to Shachar. Shachar works for the enlistment office of the army. He had received a call from someone else in the army (one of the many people I had been in contact with), and informed me that if I still had interest in joining the paratroopers, I could taker the Gibush (physical test) the following day. If I decided to take the test, and if I passed, my draft date would be the following week, March 15.

I need to remind you, that this news came to me, while I was drunk (the drinking had begun a few days earlier with Purim outside of Jerusalem and continued in Jerusalem for Shushan Purim), and already accepting the fact that I would not be getting into the army until August at the earliest. Shachar recognized that this was a big decision for me, and thus, gave me 20 minutes to think about it, and then call him with an answer. I spoke with my parents and within a few minutes I knew I could not give up the opportunity. I told Shachar I wanted to take the Gibush, and he told me to be at Tel Hashomer (a main army base north of Tel Aviv) at 8:30 AM, (less than 12 hours from then). I luckily had sneakers in the backpack I had on (the rest of my clothing was at my Kibbutz) and I got ready to take the gibush.

The Gibush began the following day, and consisted of two parts. First, a 2K run, and then the second part which began early in the morning the following day. I arrived at the base at 8:15, and waited at the gate to be let in. Almost all of the other Gibush participants had already been in the army for a few months by then, in a mandatory army prep program for new immigrants. So as I was let into the base by a soldier (2 hours later), I immediately noticed that I was one of the only people there in civilian clothes. I was given an olive green uniform and joined the rest of the soldiers. Thus began my introduction to army life: Lines, bureaucracy, formations, cleaning, "start your timers....3 minutes, go!", dirty old blankets, tents, 18 year old kids...

I ran well for the first part of the test. Most of the kids who were ahead of me were Ethiopians, so I knew I was doing fine. After the run, they made us do stupid chores and had us get everything ready for the morning: Stretchers, sand bags, water...we went to sleep around 9:30, knowing that we would be awakened around 3 AM for the hardest part of the Gibush. By then around 20%-25% had already been asked to leave due to their times on the 2K run.

We awoke at around 3 AM and for the next 6 hours, were subjected to some serious physical activity. The first hour and a half was the toughest, and I caught myself second guessing my desire to be there. Up and down, up an down, up and down hills with 15 Kilos on your back. Crawling, sprinting, marching and push ups...Then at around 730 AM the officer in charge of us stopped the test to give all who were interested the opportunity to say the Shema before it got too late. It was at that moment, exhausted and sweaty, that I realized how incredibly fortunate I was. After two thousand years of exile, I have the honor of serving in a Jewish army to protect my homeland. For two thousand years, we were not so fortunate to have an army to protect our lives and our ability to say Shema where ever we were.

I finished the test a little while later, made and while most of the soldiers boarded buses to go back to their bases, I gave back my uniform, changed into my civilian clothes and made my way back home. A few days later, I was invited to join the paratroopers, and on March 15, I began my army service.

I took a longer Gibush a few to days later to be considered for the special units, and I fortunately was accepted. I have been serving in the a special unit in the Tzanchanim for the past month.
I am sitting in Jerusalem right now. I was let off my base this morning. I need to nap. Shabbat Shalom