A Garin is Born

Garin Tzabar prides itself on its ability to bring together young adults who are compelled to make aliyah and serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. In order for the organization to achieve the goal of successfully providing a framework of success in Israel through a unique group environment, each Garin (usually representative of a specific region or state, like Florida or the Midwest) has to develop and grow as a close-knit “family.” The idea is that the people in your Garin become your brothers and sisters, those people who share your good times, and pull you through the hard. Now that we have completed our seminars (having attended the final one this weekend), it's all starting to come together!

It should first be said that the nature of the seminars allows for people to “come and go” along the way, meaning that someone who attended the first seminar may find that the program doesn't suit him/her or that someone may only discover the program after the process has already started, joining a little bit “late.” Although there has been a core around from the beginning, the Garin now has more than twenty members, with roughly half from the United States and half from Canada (the two sides only meeting this past week!) We are even rumored to be having a few European additions once we arrive in Israel.

Even with the diversity of backgrounds, our Garin has already started to show its potential for fulfilling the “family” environment it is supposed to.

Every family has its jokes. Ours has plenty. There is Frank (not his real name), the janitor of the hotel where we held our seminars, who became as much a part of the group as anyone else. There are the many interesting games that we came up with in our free time (in other words, when we had a minute to breathe), like playing Bocce Ball with glass bowls on a conference room table. There are the fake and outrageous combinations of injuries and ailments we invented for one of our Garinim when he met with an army representative, which have somehow stuck and found their way into every second conversation. We never miss an opportunity to advertise his many “allergies!”

Every family has its roles. Ours has plenty! In fact, individual “family members” often take up many roles. We have the loud and the quiet; the very outgoing and the reserved; the “ideas” people and the “plans” people...we have all types. Although just about everyone is still only finding his/her position in the dynamic group of ours', it's always possible to see who brings what to the table.

Every family has goals. Ours has one big one and many, many smaller ones. It's always fascinating to hear the conversations between different members of the Garin, sharing hopes, fears, and advice about the decisions they are making and this journey the group is embarking on. A family is there for this exact kind of support and encouragement.

Sitting in our circles and our group activities this weekend, or enjoying any of the above and more, it became apparent that this young family formed far from Israel will be the best foundation for our success and happiness there. It may, yet, grow or shrink a small amount, but our Garin, the family we are taking to Israel has been given the start its life and its identity.  

         - Darren