Volunteering During the war in Gaza

Never did I think folding cardboard could be so powerful. Yesterday, myself and 39 other Shalem participants volunteered at the Israeli Defense Force's central food storage warehouse, as a part of Sar El. We spent the day packaging food for soldiers, as part of an assembly line. While this may seem a little tedious, what we were doing came with such a sense of importance. We were volunteering along with a group of French adults, who barely spoke any English or Hebrew, but were there for the same reason we were: to help out their homeland during this important time.

 

Israel is currently fighting a war, where thousands of soldiers are risking their lives daily to defend our homeland. Living in Israel during a time of war is an incredibly unique experience, and displays nationalism like I have never seen before. The entire country bands together to support soldiers and victims of terror--hotels and hostels, including our very own Judaean Youth Hostel, offer free night stays to those who have had to leave their homes for security reasons, rallies and signs supporting the troops can be seen in almost every city, and the list goes on.

In America, hearing about a war 10,000 miles away in the Jewish homeland always seems so much scarier. You see the news and they're trying to scare you and shock you as much as possible, that's how they sell newspapers and get higher television ratings. Here, we are getting to see the war from an Israeli perspective, and feel like there are actually things we can do to help the war effort, and stand in solidarity with Israel during this trying time. While war does unfortunately cause a lot of stress and tragedy, the soldiers and the residents of the South have support nationwide.

Having attended a Jewish Zionist day school for my entire life, Israel has always been something I have learned about and supported in and out of the country. I have taken Israel History classes and gone to rallies to support Israel in Los Angeles, my hometown, but nothing compares to being here, learning about and witnessing Israeli politics and history. I am taking both Zionism and Israeli Political Culture classes, as well as hearing many guest lecturers speak about the current situation, which have all taught me so much about everything that is going on, and have helped keep me informed and knowledgeable.

John F. Kennedy's famous words "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country" are incredibly applicable to Israel's attitude during difficult times such as these. I am so proud to be able to help Israel by living here and supporting the country and its soldiers and residents in numerous ways.