At Last, An Army Draftee: The Tzav Rishon

During the last month, I finally completed my long awaited Tzav Rishon. To summarize what it is before I delve into more detail, the Tzav Rishon literally translates to the “first draft.” For Israelis, this day takes place during the junior year of high school and is designed to determine which units the draftee is fit for. Being that we're with Garin Tzabar, our Tzav Rishon took place a mere two months before our draft dates, as most everything is expedited for us.

The Tzav Rishon consists of a few different tests to measure your mental and physical health, as well as your intelligence and motivation.

Upon arriving in the morning, I was directed to the Hebrew testing station. For months, this station was my most feared, as the results determine whether or not I need to attend Michve Alon (a three-month army ulpan in the beginning of the service). The first component of the test was a bit of general conversation, designed to gauge spoken level. Following the oral test came the reading portion, in which I was given lines to read and translate. Of course, after feeling slightly confident about the spoken bit, the lines appeared to be gibberish to me. Thankfully, that section was short. Finally, the written component consisted of reading a few words in a sentence and completing it as I wished. Overall, I felt that the written was my strongest portion.

I can't say I felt confident as I left the Hebrew test. At this point, my biggest obstacle to conquering the Hebrew language is a lack of confidence when I speak, something I feel easily shines through in an examination. I was told a few days later that I wasn't given a high enough score to get out of Michve Alon. A few days later, however, the mashakiot (army social workers) informed me that my score was borderline, meaning I'd have another chance to test out of Michve Alon in the beginning of November before the draft. Whatever result I get at that point sits fine with me. I'm happy to draft into the army ulpan if I need it, though I'd much prefer to draft straight into a combat unit this November.

Moving on...

Directly after the Hebrew test came the health examination. This consisted of a urine sample, eye exam, and a general check-up with the doctor. He checked for the usual issues and specific problems that might hold someone back in a unit designed for fighting and physically strenuous work. A health profile is given at the end of the exam and is a major factor in determine which units one is eligible for, especially men.

A 97 health profile is the highest a soldier can receive and means he's eligible for any unit. An 82 is given for specific small issues (very flat feet, strong seasonal allergies, etc.) and limits a soldier to regular combat units. A 72 is the next profile, given for more serious health issues, and limits a soldier to very specific combat units (tanks, artillery, field intelligence). Anything below a 72 eliminates a soldier from combat contention.

Thankfully, I was given a 97 and proceeded on to the next test.

After the intelligence test, a series of shape patterns and analogies (thankfully given to me in English), I sat through a short interview to determine my lone soldier status. I completed the day far sooner than expected and left the Lishkat Giyus (draft office), satisfied with a productive day under my belt.

About four days later, I received the results of my Tzav Rishon. Three scores are given to each draftee: the physical profile, the intelligence score, and the Kaba. The Kaba is the overall score the army gives a draftee and represents their evaluation of the future soldier as a whole. The highest possible score is a 56. The score helps determine eligible jobs for the draftee and possible entrance to officer school in the future, as well as opening up doors such as Yom Sayerot (special forces tryouts), something I'll explain a little bit in the next post.

Thankfully, I received good scores in each of the sections and now patiently wait to find out where I'll be heading as a soldier.

Signing off for my first time as property of the Israel Defense Forces!

-Brett

Gadna and the Garin

Since beginning the Garin Tzabar program in the middle of August, my life and experience as an Israeli have come a long way.

From the first moments of excitement upon driving into the gates of our gorgeous Kibbutz Malkiya for the first time, to developing deep and meaningful friendships with members of the Garin I hadn't yet met, it's been a period of thrilling change and adjustment.

With twenty-nine of us, it may seem a bit difficult to build a cohesive group, but it's been the complete opposite (something I'll delve into a bit later on). The group-building games and exercise the program are well known for always seem to work in the end!

After the first week came to an end, we participated in a program called Gadna. To summarize, Gadna is a pre-military program for Israeli youth as well an army simulation program for tourists. We arrived at the Gadna base in Sde Boker, deep in the heart of the Negev. Unfortunately, due to the size of our Garin, we were not all put in the same tzevet (team).

The first day consisted of mostly logistical tasks, meeting our mefaked (commander) and learning the base and procedures we'd need to follow for the remainder of the week. As the day was actually too hot to legally have us perform serious physical activity, running and push-ups were at a minimum (though it wouldn't stay like that for the rest of the week!). We received our uniforms (well-worn and ill-fitted) which we were instructed to wear for the rest of the week. Although Gadna is not officially a part of the army, but rather a simulation, it felt fulfilling to be putting on the uniform of the Israel Defense Forces for the very first time in my life.

The next few days consisted of mostly physical work. We sprinted from location to location, considering the obscenely short amount of time our commander would give us to cover a large distance, and every small offense resulted in push-ups. Apart from the tedium of doing sprints and push-ups just for the sake of doing them, we were often rewarded with fascinating classes and tips for our upcoming lives as soldiers.

I've become well-versed on a few particular topics, one being about the neshek (weapon), after several classes with detailed instructions about the M16, one of the most commonly used rifles in the IDF. It all culminated in a day firing the rifle at the range. While firing didn't feel particularly special, the idea that this would most likely be the first of many shots I fire at the shooting range donning the uniform certainly resonated with me.

I've been educated about army procedure and pieces of information which may prove useful to me in the army. While many overseas groups participate in Gadna on a weekly basis, this particular session was designed slightly differently, as every participant was a future soldier. With that considered, the classes were far more in-depth than they usually are, and therefore far more interesting.

The big highlight of the week, however, was going out into the shetach (the field). A combat soldier trains for weeks in the shetach, which could be anywhere from the hot, endless deserts of the south to the snowy mountains of the north. We completed a one night simulation of life in the desert as soldiers, sleeping in small tents, eating combat rations, and learning about stealth. Despite waking up with sand-caked eyes and thorns in my clothes, the experience proved to be a positive one I won't soon forget.

I became significantly closer with the members of my Garin who were in my tzevet, understandable considering we lived together for five days and spent every waking moment together as a group. Throughout the week, I came to miss each of the other Garin members in the second tzevet. Obviously, I came to realize that the games and tasks our program staff constantly have us do are vital to us. We aren't merely a group of twenty-nine soon-to-be soldiers living together for a few months. We have become a family. We have grown to love and support each other, each of us understanding that to succeed as a group, we need each other. The strength of the bond that's been built is difficult to explain, though clear for anyone to see.

As the program came to an end, I returned home to Malkiya for a quiet weekend. I took advantage of the usual breathtaking views and perfect weather while getting ready for my Tzav Rishon (the first draft), which I'll discuss in depth in the next post. It's been a meaningful few weeks here so far with a few more like them to follow.

-Brett

Gadna: The Sequel

In my last semester of my senior year of high school, during my trip with Alexander Muss High School in Israel, I had the distinct privilege of participating in a week-long simulation of "tironut," or basic training, of the Israeli Defense Forces. At the time, I had already made the decision to go to university and earn my degree before enlisting, and the experience was accordingly mostly unrelated, in my mind, to any real military service. Myself and my friends from Donna Klein and another Jewish school from Arizona had a fun week of many jokes. It was a relatively easy glimpse into the world of early army life. However, at its completion, I was thankful that the next time I would have to run around forming lines and Hebrew letters all day, I would be wearing a real uniform, with the guys in my actual unit, in a "slightly" more serious manner. Garin Tzabar eventually responded to this with, "Ha!!!" In only our second week as a Garin, the boys and girls from Kibbutz Malkiya would be going back to S'de Boker for… sigh with me… Gadna, the week-long simulation of "tirunot," or basic training, of the Israeli Defense Forces.

I should disclose that I knew this was a Garin Tzabar tradition ever since beginning to research my options in serving in the IDF, but pretended it would be canceled by the time I had my turn. Nope. However, despite my sandy memories of punishment push-ups and rusty long M16s, I did feel a tinge of excitement pulling through the gates of the base for my Gadna homecoming. Very quickly, it was also explained to us that this week would be very different for the Garin Tzabarniks. The soldiers at Gadna had planned and worked to make sure that this was going to be a much more challenging, much more accurate depiction of the army than would usually occur. This was, naturally, greeted with a skeptical roll of both of my eyes (funny image), but, as karma would have it,  I can now confirm that this was not your run-of-the-mill, 11th-grade Israel tour Gadna.  Obligatory elaboration to follow. 

Firstly, the week carried a much more meaningful theme to it - of course, that we would soon be doing this for real. It meant that when our commander would sit us down for the recitation of a, poem, let's say, the piece and its meaning hit us much harder than it ordinarily would have. Coincidental reference? I think not. On the first day, our "mefakedet" (commander) read us two very moving selections about the life of a soldier. One, entitled "L'hiot Chayal" ("To be a Soldier") was particularly impacting, and I, being me, decided to ask for a copy shortly afterward. She (as-of-that-point unfriendly commander) gave a curt yes and sent me back in line. A long day of introductory army discipline later, I was told that I was selected for personal discipline with her for various offenses throughout the day and to meet her in our for of free time. Cue example number two of the increased difficulty of Gadna Reincarnated. After successfully (retrospectively stupidly) acquitting myself of all of the wrongdoings she attributed to me, I was still given my consequence, the extremely possible (sarcasm) 100m in 15 seconds roundtrip sprint. Ah, yes, and the best part… I had to count down… out loud… in Hebrew… while I ran. Half-an-hour of failed attempts later, all sprinted out, hands on my knees, groveling at her boots, I gave her a simple choice. Either she sprints and I count or vice versa, but I refuse to do both. Surprised with my victory (can you guess which she chose?), I soon realized that hearing her at the other end of the long road was as impossible. What's a guy to do? I have to believe that she counted minutes instead of seconds, as I eventually satisfied her demand. When I could breathe enough to face the dilemma of whether or not to drink my water or pour it over my head, she looked me in the eye and told me that I wasn't called to the "onesh" (punishment) because of an unfilled water bottle or an untucked shirt, but rather because she wanted to show me that I could do anything I wanted to, even if it seemed too much, before handing me the copy of the poem I had asked for and instructing me to protect it and keep it in my army ID when I receive it. Noted, mefakedet!

Having a laugh! 

Some highlights of the week included:  a night in the "field," where we set up camp in the desert and slept with the scorpions of Southern Israel; learning some foundational camouflage and ambush techniques; watching "Glory Boy" Jochai impress everyone with anything physical (including a battalion-wide 'capture-the-flag' kind of competition up a hill); and, most of all, bonding with the Garin members from Malkiya who were in my group. As an explanation to this last point, 20 people from our kibbutz were placed in their own team, while nine of us were paired with Garin Tzabarniks from a different kibbutz. It definitely made for a unique aspect of the week and we got the best of both worlds, growing close to one another and getting to know good people from another Garin. Ultimately, the experience, the conversations we had in our group and (yes, I'll admit it) our beloved mefakedet, gave me a whole new appreciation for what we are doing here and made me far more excited for the journey that we are rapidly moving through. Sorry for judging you and bye-bye for good, Gadna! This time I mean it.

     -   Darren 

Life on Kibbutz Malkiya

Kibbutz Malkiya is located in the very, very north of Israel. It sits comfortably on a large mountain on the border with Lebanon and hosts some incredible views (as expected of many parts of this beautiful country). Cats and dogs roam happily and freely, leaving us to wonder if they actually have owners. A  large group of Thai kibbtuzniks play live music virtually every day, amps and percussion sometimes included for our entertainment (or at least theirs'). It's possible to eat pomegranates and other miscellaneous fruits off the trees, as sour as they may be to everyone but Jochai (frequent guest star on Brothers in Israel). On any given night, you could see a UN patrol helicopter in the nearby sky or fireworks off in the relatively close Lebanese distance. Everyone is friendly and the food is delicious. It's quiet until someone ( decide to make [a bit too much] noise.

Doesn't quite do it justice, but a quick and random snapshot from Kibbutz Malkiya.

Where does the Garin fit in? For the most part, we have adapted quite naturally! We live in our own building where pairs of us share more-than-sufficient room accommodations. There is the "moadon," where we have scheduled activities (google: every group bonding game ever conceived and more) and occasionally host very responsible parties. Taking advantage of our access to extraordinary scenery, we often climb what is affectionately known as the "water tower" (possibly because it is, in fact, a water tower), or go sit in what we have lovingly dubbed "the trenches" (no prizes for guessing the origin of the name) for gazing. The weather allows for hot, but pleasant, days and cool nights, so swimming and bonfires are both fair game. Most importantly, we have taken advantage of the soccer goals at our disposal.

Malkiya's finest. 

This doesn't mean we have much free time, though. Our days are packed. After a very early breakfast, those of us who are not native Hebrew speakers spend about five hours in ulpan. Afterward, we feast on the best meal of the day (I will eventually dedicate a full post to kibbutz lunch), before, most of the time, continuing on to scheduled events. These sometimes (often) consist of the aforementioned group dynamics activities, but also include army preparation meetings, sports and physical training, and various randoms. A personal favorite is Friday night, where we have a closing circle for the week, discuss the good old highs-and-lows, and then enjoy a Shabbat dinner together. 

      -   Darren 

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 

A Fitting End

After 186 hours of classwork over six weeks, we've finally concluded our intensive pre-program Ulpan.

There's plenty I can write about, from the incredible teacher I learned from to the conversation groups and activities that contributed to our language skills and the friendships we made. Instead, I'd like to talk about one night, a night that summed up my Aliyah and my experience living here in Israel so far.

When the Ulpan kicked off in the end of June, there were about fifty participants. Now, with class officially ending last Thursday, only about thirty of us remain in Ra'anana. As a special treat, our madrichim (counselors) decided to take us out of the town for a barbecue in Yafo, a welcomed excursion.

We arrived at an open, hilly field above a small cliff overlooking the Mediterranean sea. The timing was perfect, the sun setting just about the time we started to grill the food. After some time relaxing and playing soccer, I walked a few feet away from the edge of the cliff and took a few moments to look around.

Directly in front of me, the sun had finally set behind the last clouds. As I looked to the right, I could see the vividly lit buildings of Tel Aviv in the distance. The water in front of me stretched as far as I could see, the waves crashing quietly on the rocks far below my feet. As I looked around, the one thing I felt was content. The beauty of the view all around me was overwhelming. The entire time, I smiled to myself, feeling more than ever that this is my home now; this breathtaking land is my breathtaking land.

After a short while, I was joined by Chaim and we talked about it for some time. With the strum of the guitar sounding behind us, the chatter and laughter of thirty others muffled by the discussion, it was the highest point of my life here in Israel so far. Those talking and laughing together some distance behind us had become some of my closest friends. While my brother is the one member of my biological family here, I knew that I had already begun putting together the foundations of a different type of family in Israel. Nothing could make me happier.

As our final days here in Ra'anana wind down, I can't help but look back on them with the fondest of memories. The language improvement is not the only thing I'll be leaving here with. I have developed lasting friendships with many who will be living all over the country and it will be difficult to say our temporary goodbyes.

The future has a lot in store for all of us here in Israel. I know that each one of the friends I've met will be successful in the army and I look forward to our relationships long into the future. While we're saying our goodbyes to friends, the town we've become accustomed to, and the routines that have become second nature to us, I'm thrilled to be beginning Garin Tzabar finally this Wednesday. Tonight was the culmination of the spectacular experience here at the Ulpan. Wednesday will be the culmination of a patient two year wait for my turn on Garin Tzabar, joining a Garin on a Kibbutz and getting started with the army process.

I'm looking forward to joining all of the members of my Garin, many of whom I haven't seen since our final seminar. Everything is finally happening!

Lots more to come in the next month!

-Brett

Weekend in Jerusalem

As last weekend was one of our last before beginning the Garin Tzabar program, we decided to spend it in Jerusalem.

I've always felt a certain connection towards the city, as many who have been there will be able to understand, so I thought it would be fitting to have a Shabbat there to experience one of Judaism's most sacred traditions in its holiest city.

My brother and I began the trip with one of our closest Garin friends, Chaim, and our roommate, Avi. After the long bus ride, we finally met up with another one of our close friends from the Garin, Jochai, and indulged in a meal from our favorite falafel joint in Israel. After an evening out on the town, we headed to our temporary home for the weekend, eager to begin the Shabbat experience we were looking for.

The usual problem of finding a place to stay for the weekend wasn't an issue to us, thanks to a hostel called “The Jerusalem House,” a free place to stay for Jewish travelers. Their generosity is unbelievable, evident in everything you could ever need for a weekend out of town being presented to you without even having to ask. One of their main goals is setting up their guests with a local English-speaking family for a home cooked Shabbat meal, something we've missed since living on our own. After a busy afternoon at the Shuk, we headed off to get ready and begin Shabbat at the Kotel.

A Shabbat service at the Kotel is unlike anything else I've ever seen. Jews from all over the world, from ultra-religious to mostly secular, gather at the Wall in hundreds to conduct a service, each in his own way. It's always incredible to witness Jewish people from every portion of the spectrum together, gathered for the same reason. After doing our own short service, we spent a good while simply watching in awe.

When dinner placements rolled around, we ended up going to a family very closely associated with the hostel we were staying at. The food was exquisite and the experience memorable. It was amazing to witness a group of Jews we have never been overly familiar with observe Shabbat with their rituals and traditions. Having never come from a particularly religious background, the experience was enlightening and fascinating to all of us.

Without delving into politics or generally controversial topics, something I'll refrain from doing on this blog, it was certainly new for us to be exposed to and listen to a different side of things at our dinner. While everyones' views may not have been identical to our own, it's important to understand that everyone has their own beliefs, their own narrative on the issues facing our country and facing us as Jewish people. The whole experience served to show me what a diverse religion we have, with every family having different customs, traditions and views. No one group has a more valued say than any other. This unbelievable mix just contributes to the rich cultures that make up our melting pot of a religion.

We're now well into our final weekend in Ra'anana and will keep you updated. Until next time!

-Brett