Garin Tzabar: Opening Ceremony

After concluding our intensive ulpan in Ra'anana with Garin Tzabar, we boarded a bus toward Tel Aviv for the opening ceremony of the program itself. While our ulpan was organized as a preliminary section of Garin Tzabar, this was to be the first time all of the participants would be together in one place, sitting in their own Garinim and, soon thereafter, heading off toward their respective kibbutzim. There was definitely a bit of a sentimental feeling about saying goodbye to the friends we had been living and studying with in Ra'anana and an uncertain excitement about what was to come. 

Members of our Garin began to slowly trickle in at Tel Aviv University, waiting to enter the auditorium for our ceremony. Most had arrived the day before on a much-publiized charter aliyah flight, received at the airport by none other than Bibi Netanyahu.  Many were old friends from the seminars, while a good portion we had never even met as they were added late.  The solution to this interesting situation was found by our new mashakiot, who showed their creative sides by providing island-themed necklaces to identify one another with! For those keeping a dictionary at home, mashakiot are the soldiers who live with our Garin to provide assistance for our draft, in all respects (ours', Amit and Inbal, happen to be wonderful). 

Seemingly seconds later, we were watching a personalized message from Prime Minister Netanyahu, followed by an address from the Chairman of Kadima (the opposition party in Israel), Shaul Mofaz, and speeches by various figures in the Tzofim (Israeli Scouts) and other movements. Although much of the event was conducted in hyper-literate "speechy" Hebrew, it didn't take away from the movement. One man in particular spoke about the meaning of contributing to the Jewish state.  It was a choke-up moment for the Zionists, a passionate veteran welcoming the young generation of soon-to-be soldiers, gushing over the importance of this Jewish country, despite the many associated hardships. He carried various injuries from his own service to the state, and referred to one, declaring that "standing on one leg [he] saluted us."

After the ceremony officially ended, we hopped onto the bus for our long journey to Kibbutz Malkiya. Our roommates from the ulpan, and two great new friends, Avi and Josh, couldn't help but surprise us onboard for a last, much-appreciated, "see-you-later!" Finally, with the entire Garin together, we drove away to our new home. 

      -   Darren