Not since the days before the War of Independence – when David Ben-Gurion and
Menachem Begin scoured the globe seeking members of the Diaspora to fight in the
War of Independence – has an organization proactively recruited non-Israelis to
serve in the nation’s military.
Aish Machal decided to fill this void by
establishing a full-enlistment army volunteer program for non-Israeli
citizens.
This month, the first 20 participants began a six-week program
of rigorous physical activity, ulpan, classes and excursions focused on Jewish
history, Jewish identity and Zionism in order to prepare for IDF
service.
“With the creation of JoinTheIDF.com we have the first-ever
pro-active recruitment effort for the IDF,” said Jay M. Shultz, executive
chairman of Aish Machal. “It’s amazing that no one has actively recruited for
something this important before.”
By connecting with other
Diaspora-recruiting organizations, like Birthright, and Jewish organizations on
college campuses, like Hillel, Aish Machal plans on reaching tens of thousands
of young Jews per year to connect with with their homeland. A lone soldier
center that will include dorms in Tel Aviv is also in the works.
Although
the program currently comprises only boys, Aish Machal says it plans on hosting
girl groups in the near future. The organization not only focuses on bringing
young Jews to Israel for military duty, but also encourages other types of
national civil service, like Sherut Leumi.
And Aish Machal has just made
history again – by having the first-ever male from the Diaspora to sign up for
Sherut Leumi.
“It’s not about trying to get them to just serve in the
army,” Shultz said. “It’s about substantively serving Israel and connecting to
our identity as a people.”
Most 18-year-olds graduating from high school
are not ready for college, Shultz says. By spending a year serving the Israeli
community – whether through the IDF or Sherut Leumi – young Jews not only gain a
sense of belonging to their homeland, but also the greater maturity they need
for college.
“Israel is no longer a welfare state,” says Shultz. “We are
at a time in history where the Jews of the Diaspora need Israel more than Israel
needs them.
This program can do a tremendous amount of good in building
up our next generation internationally, both as Jews and as contributing members
of society – regardless of whether they stay in Israel after service, or
not.
“Serving Israel should not just be seen as a responsibility; it
should be seen as a noble honor.”
The key problem for many young Jews has
not been their willingness to serve Israel, but rather an inability to cut
through the Israeli government’s bureaucracy.
Steve Rieber, a 24-year-old
from Los Angeles, had been trying to enter the August draft for the past
two-and-half months before he finally found Aish Machal.
“I had been
looking around, office to office, to sign up for the army,” Rieber said. “They
sent me here and they sent me there, and it got so ridiculous. I eventually ran
into a buddy of mine who was joining [Aish Machal] and he told me to
join.
I was able to cut through all the bureaucracy.”
Entering the
program, however, seems to be the only part of it that is easy. Aish
Machal
recruits wake at 5:30 a.m. every morning and are immediately forced to
do
physical exercise.
If they are caught not speaking Hebrew, they must do
more push-ups. The recruits, however, do not seem to mind. On the
contrary; they
have been waiting – some of them for their whole lives – to serve.
“Since
I was a little kid, I was fascinated by the Israeli soldiers,” said
Yakov Kroll,
a 20-year-old American who studies at community college in L.A. “I never
thought
twice about it, I always knew I would do this. And, honestly, I could
not be
happier right now.” Motivated by their love of Israel and a sense of
duty, these
young men came to Israel already feeling an attachment toward the
country. Asked
why he decided join the IDF, as opposed to the US army, Rieber pointed
to his
Jewish heritage.
“I’m an American, but at the same time, I’m also a Jew,”
he said. “So if I’m going to take a bullet for somebody, when you get
down to
it, I’m going to take it for a place I’m more connected to.”
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