Wow, what an experience!

My first trip to Israel was not as a tourist, but as a volunteer with Volunteers for Israel (VFI). VFI is an American organization that is part of the Israeli Sar El group. We are an organization that volunteers at Israeli Defense Forces army bases to help the soldiers with their tasks.

I arrived in Israel on Friday afternoon on an El Al flight from JFK and stayed over at a nearby hotel until Sunday morning. We met at the airport arrival area and were assigned to our various bases, boarded buses and arrived at our destination.

We met our English speaking Madricha, who guided us through the rest of our trip. We first got our uniforms and sleeping bags, sheets, etc. and made our way to our bunks. After setting ourselves up in our barracks, we went to dinner in the dining hall with the soldiers.

Monday came early, and we put on our uniforms and went to breakfast with the soldiers. This was followed by the flag-raising. Throughout the weeks we were on the base, we got to take turns raising the flag. It was quite an honor to be with the soldiers and raise the Israeli flag, indicating our support for them and our pride for the State of Israel.

We were assigned a number of tasks. My job was to help refurbish helmets for tankers as well as cleaning communication equipment for refurbishment. The work was not particularly exciting, but it was of great value to the people at the base and indicated our commitment to them.

On Thursday afternoon we changed into our civilian clothes and boarded public transportation for our individual weekend activities. My first weekend was spent in Jerusalem. We stayed in the Old City and of course visited the Kotel. On Friday night at the Kotel, we came upon soldiers who were in the process of completing their officer training and had come to the Western Wall for their celebration. They were singing and dancing and since I knew some of the songs, I started singing with them. Before I knew it, I was in the circle with them, singing and dancing. Even though they were 50 years younger than me, I managed to keep up, probably finding the stamina from the thrill of it all.

After Jerusalem, it was back to the base Sunday afternoon. We took public transportation to our meeting place and were driven to the base by soldiers. Now it was back to work. 

On Tuesday, we were treated to a tour. We visited a Druse village, the Technion and a spice store. Many of the women in our group found the spice store most interesting.

On Thursday afternoon, we left for our own travels. Mine was to Tel Aviv where we toured museums and visited friends.

We left on Sunday.

I had no trouble with Israeli security, especially after they learned I was with Sar El. In fact, the attitude of the security personnel changed for the better.

In the end, it was not the touring or sightseeing that I remember, but rather the interaction with the Israeli soldiers and their gratitude for the interest we showed in them and in the country they defend. While we have it good here in the U.S., Jews in other parts of the world are not so lucky. Anti-Semitism is still very much alive and there is still much opposition around the world to the existence of Israel. Israelis understand this very well, which is why organizations such as VFI are so important. Not only Jews, but many Christians visit Israel via VFI. This is one way Israelis know that they are not alone in the world.

Going to Israel via VFI also gave me the chance to meet and interact one-on-one with Israel’s youth in addition to seeing the country, getting to know the people as well as seeing the sites.

I am looking forward to next year’s VFI visit to Israel.