I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!

Yom shlishi, 2 Av 5773.

Idit and Ella: Golani sheli!

You know how when you're at home, you can get away with acting a little goofy, and people tolerate it?  Because they know you, and they love you, in spite of (or because of) your goofiness.  You can't get away with that stuff away from home.

So I'm walking around Jerusalem one day last week, and I see that it must be "Golani Soldier Day," because there are Golani soldiers everywhere.

Because Soldier Boy -- my eldest of four soldier sons -- was Golani, I can't help feeling a certain affection for all Golani soldiers.  They're all "my boys."  And as every Golani parent can affirm, whenever I see them, I want to sing a bar or two of their anthem to them.  "Golani sheli, Golani she-leeeeeee!"  There are rules in Judaism about men hearing the intoxicating sound of my amazing voice -- down, boys! -- so I can't do that.  Instead, I just think the song to myself, and send them a proud mother smile.

On this day, however, I had a special treat: two female Golani soldiers walked into a pet store.  Hah!  No rules of kol isha!  Overwhelmed by the goofiness instinct, I followed them in, and said, "Ah, at last, I can do something I always want to do... 'Golani, sheli...'" I sang to them.  And they joined in, and quietly we serenaded each other, followed appropriately by giggles.

We interviewed each other.  They wanted to know where I was from, now and before aliyah.  We spoke about my soldier sons.  I asked them why they chose to serve in Golani.  "Because it is how we felt we could best serve our country," said Ella, and Idit agreed.  Such a logical statement.  But they might have said, "Because we have to." or "Because we were drafted."  I don't meet too many young people in Israel with a negative attitude about their service.  Maybe about their base, or their commander...  but rarely about serving their country.  (They also informed me that Golani is superior to all other branches of the IDF.  First time I've ever heard that from a Golani soldier.  Not.)

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"The Brothers," as they and everyone else call my sons, have always worked at being close friends (when they weren't beating the pasta out of each other, of course.  We raise men here, not saints).

As Soldier Boy and his bride Executive Girl are temporarily detained in the States for an unspecified duration, the Brothers -- Yeshiva Bochur, Stunt Man and Sports Guy -- can sometimes be seen huddling over the computer, chatting with their big brother on Google's Hangout.

I love that being in this country has strengthened their love for one another, and their friendship.  I don't know if the IDF helped with that, or gave them more to argue about.  ("Golani guys go through walls instead of over them."  "Yeah, well that's because Tzanchanim are too chicken to face the wall head on, so they fly over it."  "At least Shirion guys go through the wall in tanks instead of with their heads."  "Hah!  The only people crazier than Golani guys are bus drivers!"  "Oh, yeah?  Well -- your mother wears army boots!  [pause]  Oh, yeah... she did...")

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Got a call from Sports Guy after Shabbat.

"It was a good Shabbat, Ema," he said.  No special excitement.  It wasn't an amazing Shabbat.  It's just Sports Guy's way to be pretty accepting of his situation.  "I had guard duty at Ma'ariv [the evening prayer service]..."

"How was the food?  Any good?" I interrupted.

"Yeah, well, no, actually it was pretty bad.  [He laughed a little here.]  Except at Ma'ariv... but of course, I was on guard duty.

"So I was thinking 'Well, I'll just daven here by myself, then.  That'll be okay... and suddenly I see all these people walking toward me.  I thought 'Okay.  No big deal.'  But as they're coming toward me, I see it's all the dati (religious) guys, and even some chiloni (secular) guys, but they're wearing kipot... and the rabbi is with them...

"And the rabbi says to me, 'If you can't come to the minyan... the minyan will come to you!'

"And all those guys came to the guard shack, and we davened Ma'ariv right there."

"Wow!" I said, truly overwhelmed with love for these soldiers, and this rabbi.  "So it was pretty good after all -- except for missing out on the good food," I said with a wink he couldn't see.

"Oh, no, Ema.  I didn't miss out.  Somebody brought me food, too..."

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  I LOVE THIS COUNTRY!!!

"You make us strong."

Yom shlishi, 26 Sivan 5770.

Three beautiful chayalim greet us with smiles and stories.

They are young and beautiful children.  They are out on the streets at night, in some pretty lousy neighborhoods.  Some of them don't have homes to go to after hours.

Happily, they are not "lost children" or "off the derech kids."

They are the young men and women in uniform, who watch our highways, putting themselves in constant danger so that we can travel and live and sleep safely.

Of course, many of them are from families that have lived in Israel for generations.  ("I'm from Haifa; but my grandfather came from Syria."  "My family is here already seven generations, from Morocco.")

But many of them are olim, just like we are.  They are from Canada and Ukraine and Kazakhstan.  Some of them are here without their families -- and perhaps Standing Together is even more important to them.

According to its mission statement, Standing Together is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Israeli soldiers on active duty, and is funded totally by donations from concerned Jews throughout the world. It is a voluntary organization with no offices, almost no employees and no expense accounts.

The Dearly Beloved and I had the privilege of joining a small band of volunteers, lead by the founder of Standing Together, David Landau.  When we should have been heading off to sleep (and when many of the soldiers' contemporaries might just be starting up the night's entertainment), we drove out to some of the area machsomim (checkpoints) to visit our heroes.

Their families live not far from each other.  "Did you know each other before the army?"  "No -- we met here.  But we feel like we knew each other since we were born.  We are brothers.  The army makes you feel that way."

We gave them stickers with "love notes" on them.  "Give me more stickers!  The more, the better!"

The sticker says: "Dear Soldier!  Jews all over the world value and appreciate the holy service that you and your comrades do on behalf of the Nation of Israel.  All of us "stand together"!!  We will be happy to hear from you..."

We gave them ice cream and Elite candy bars from David's special refrigerator truck.  (In the winter, he and his volunteers make warm pizza and hot coffee available, among other delights.)  They gave us back the most beautiful smiles.

I have had the pleasure of going out on a couple of these missions since we have been in Israel.  Each time, my heart is moved by the beauty of these kids, their sweetness, their devotion, and their gratitude.  Every time we would thank them, they would thank us ten times more.  "You make us strong," one soldier said.

It's enough to make a mama weep.

My new friend (and also a neighbor!), Chaya Mandelcorn, writes for Makor Rishon newspaper.  She also couldn't stop smiling, and told stories of her mother.  "She would walk around hugging every one of them if she were here!" she said.  "It would catch them off-guard -- but they would love it!"

www.stogether.org

If you live here, give yourself the treat of spending a few minutes with a holy Israeli soldier.  As you expect, you will go with the intention of strengthening the soldiers.  As you also know, you will walk away strengthened by them.  This is especially good therapy if you worry that you're not doing enough, or if you're a little depressed, and want someone to lift your spirits.

If you still live abroad, think about arranging a mission with David and Standing Together when you are in Israel.  Nothing makes you feel more like part of the Jewish story than being permitted to participate, rather than just being a tourist.

Join Standing Together to Thank Our Soldiers!

Yom shishi, 22 Sivan 5770.

The Twelve Spies by Oleg Trabish (Thank you, Nechama.)

I want to tell you more about this amazing week -- but just for the moment I want to share with my fellow Neve Daniel citizens some news.

Standing Together will be heading out to thank our holy chayalim on Sunday night (yom sheni).  We will meet at the main gate of Neve Daniel at 22:00 (10 PM).  Chaya Mandelcorn of Makor Rishon newspaper will be there to hear what we have to say about what motivates us to go out in support of our boys and girls in uniform.  (If anyone needs a ride, please email info@stogether.org and they will see what they can arrange.)

This week's parsha, Shelach Lecha, has my favorite pasuk in the whole Torah.  I wonder if you can guess which one it is.

Shabbat shalom u'mevorach!

www.stogether.org/idfsailors

Get the right map!

Yom chamishi, 22 Iyar 5770.

One of the cool things about being in ulpan is that I get to meet really interesting new Jews every eight weeks.  One of my classmates is Fern Reiss; and when she and her husband found some spare time before Pesach, they decided to create a really wonderful map of Jerusalem.  (I would like to learn to use so-called spare time this productively.)

Here is the Maps Jerusalem video to whet your appetite for a really great map, with all of the truly important features.  (If for some reason you cannot see this video, it's worth spending the four minutes to chase it down at http://www.mapsjerusalem.com/.)  Can you say "CHAMOOD ME'OD"?)



It shows you where the truly important locations are.  Like shuls.  Like restaurants.  Like bathrooms.  (Duh.)  And you can even order it online, before you need it.  It's well-made, and affordable!  ORDER HERE!

Looking forward to seeing you when you visit...  and you can be sure that if you live here already, it's still a must-have item.

By the way, today is "Reserve Soldiers Appreciation Day."  Hug a soldier on milueim.  (Okay -- only if he's yours...)

Glossary:
CHAMOOD ME'OD: very cute
Milueim: Duty for reserve soldiers in the IDF

Free for Soldiers

Yom shishi, 16 Cheshvan 5769.


I love living in a country that treats its soldiers this way.

Just seeing the sign makes me smile.

(The sign offers free internet surfing to the soldiers at the internet cafe in the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem.)

They don't seem to mind it, either.






Shabbat shalom u'mevorach!