Update

I know its been a long time since I've posted, but I have been QUITE busy in the past few weeks, and I am looking at a rough schedule for the next three months! I'll post as frequently as as I can though!

New Shoes for the New Year?!?

After a particularly difficult week in the army we were finally given vouchers which we were meant to get almost two months ago, which partially cover the cost of running shoes. How partially you ask? Well like most things in the army, things are not that simple. Here's how it works: You discount the first 280 Shekels of the army price. Then you take 47.2% off the remaining total. Exactly 47.2%.That's right. Why 47.2? Because.

The army gives you everything that you need (except for winter coats, gloves, hats, hydration gear, shoe polish, and can openers), but not a bit more. For example they give you two undershirts and nine pairs of socks, because they believe that the minimum a person needs to survive on for three years is exactly that. So some office worker (only combat soldiers get this voucher) probably came up with some algorithm resulting in his conclusion that I can afford to pay 52.8% of the cost of a pair of sneakers over 280 Shekels on the 350 shekel monthly salary. I think they spent a little to much effort thinking that through, and instead could have given me 45%. 

Regardless of that, the main question is whether I get my regular army discount before the voucher discount or after, and that can make a difference in the price. We'll see...

Why don't I know already? Well you see, in the army's vast efficiency they informed us that our details have been entered into the computer system as of last week. So I took the hour trip to the Malcha mall. I stepped through the threshold of the store and one of the clerks made a sad face and uttered the word, "Voucher?" At this point I had already accepted my fate. I nodded yes, and held my breath. The she erased whatever semblance of hope remained in my body after this long difficult week. "Your names are not entered in the computer system yet. I'm soooo sorry."

I can only hope this is a punishment for my sins in this world on Erev Yom Kippur. Meanwhile the blisters on my feet won't be getting any smaller over the next two weeks I'll be spending on base, because I'll still be running in my old shoes.

The Special Misdar

This morning we woke up at 4:35 for the extra-long Erev Rosh Hashana Slichot. The base was buzzing with excited soldiers, getting ready to spend the holiday with their families. People were running back and forth through the quad moving stuff into the storage areas to prepare the base for our 3-day weekend, and they were working faster than ever. The officers kept shouting, the faster you finish your work the faster you go home. A few officers even joined us in our work, because after all they wanted to get home soon to be with their families too.

We finished the worked and were called to a Misdar (line-up.) But this was not a normal Misdar. Normal Misdarim are with your unit, and important Misdarim are with your division. This Misdar was with our entire platoon. That was not the only strange detail. As we stood in formation facing the Israeli Flag and the edge of the quad, the officers came out with plates of sliced apples and jars of honey. There were a few giggles which were promptly silenced by the officers who reminded us that like every other Misdar, we must stand still and silent.

As the Platoon commander arrived we gave him  a salute, and followed his instructions. Each soldier took a slice of apple and dipped it in honey. We stood still as statues as he spoke to us about the meaning of Rosh Hashana. At the end he gave the order and each soldier ate his honey-dipped apple.

Herein is the greatest difference between the Israeli army and most other westernized armies. In Israel, the church and state and one in the same. Judaism is our culture, and our culture is Judaism. We are fighting for a united cause, and a cause in which we all believe in., a peaceful Jewish state in our biblical homeland. Israeli soldiers go to sleep dreaming of peace in the State of Israel. American soldiers don't go to bed dreaming of a free Afghanistan. The fact that we value the cause which we are fighting for more than our own lives is what makes us the greatest army in the world. That's why we can stand up to countries who are seemingly much stronger than us and defeat them in 6 days. May the coming year be a year of peace! Shana Tova!

Thanks for Your Support

This is to the Whitebook family for their donation of water coolers to my army base. As much as it is sunny and hot in Miami, it's nothing compared to Tel Arad, where we have been averaging 113 degrees for the past 3 weeks. I only went through one week of training without the new water coolers, and you cannot imagine the difference.

We wear dark colored long sleeved-shirts and long pants with heavy tactical vests all day during rigorous exercises, lose a lot of water. Therefore we end up drinking about 15 liters of water a day, and it's no fun drinking the hot sediment filled tap water. With the new cooler/filtration system we don't have to. On an  more serious note, the Whitebook family has without a doubt saved a few soldiers trips to the hospital, by preventing dehydration and heat stroke. Your support means the world to us! Keep up the great work!

Mah Tovu Ohalecha Jacob

So yeah, we sleep in tents. And yeah, it's sweltering. And yeah, we don't get enough sleep. No, there isn't anything keeping the bugs out. Electricity? In your dreams (If you drear at all, that's a good sign, it means you're sleeping.) Personal space? Haha, good one!So after three weeks in a tent, getting back home on the weekend is like a dream come true. Those Vietnam-era U.S. army surplus, olive green structures don't provide much protection from anything.
But the great part about it is waking up in a room full of people whom I've never met before, yet they are my greatest friends. To hear 15 guys learning at the end of an 18-hour day during their half-hour of free time. The tins of homemade cookies that get passed around every night from a different guy don't replace the fact that I don't have parents in Israel, bt they help brdige the gap. Knowing that if there's anything I need, 5 other guys who have that item will jump on me to try to give it to me. Life in a tent is great in that aspect. And it's just not the same in the dorms on the weekends, where you have to fend for yourself.
It's only in the Hesder unit where guys fight over who get's to schlep my dirty socks home for the weekend, to give them back to me washed. Hesder is the only place where our commander gives us an official order to say a D'var Torah at every meal. If I need a place for Shabbat, I have 34 standing invitations from the 34 guys in our 3 tents. They aren't tents, they are incubators. We came in from 8 diffenent Yeshivot, from Yerucham to Carmiel, and were turned over three weeks in a family of 35 brothers. Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov!

The REAL Commanders

So another week has flown by and oh so quickly! This week we met our permanent officers. They yelled and screamed at us all week long. We got almost no rest and worked 18-hour days in 110 degree heat. Whatever we did was not good enough to satisfy them. You'd think these people had no souls, until you break them down that is!

Our Class Commander is religious. Other than his first name, we really don't know anything about him, and we won't be finding anything else out about him for the next four months. He made special arrangements that we get out early on Fridays so that we could do our laundry which is hard for lone soldiers. Our division commander is not religious, but none the less as much as he is a disciplinarian by profession, he confessed to me in my interview with him, that as a Chayal Boded, he has great respect for my needs, and I can address him directly without going through the ranks if I have any urgent needs. And our platoon commander is also religious. When I was in his office, instead of a two-minute conversation to make sure I was alright, he made sure that at my apartment (dorm room) I have everything I need, and that I have places to go for Shabbat, and that my paycheck is deposited on time, and that if I have financial issues, the army can give me interest free loans. So you get the feeling that the commanders are there to help you. I bet you it's not that way in the American army.

Right @ Home

So after my first full week in the army there is a lot to say. On Sunday, the Friends of the IDF Panama dedicated the new Shul on our base, along with three new Sifrei Torah. The Rishon L'Tzion Rav Shlomo Amar made it out to our base, and all in all it was a wonderful event. 
We spent a lot of time doing menial tasks to work on discipline and to get accustomed to the army way of life. After 8 days in the army I weigh 7 pounds less that when I came in! So yeah, you get the point. It's about 110 degrees midday where my base is, and there is no shortage of sweat. I am the only guy who puts on sunblock, but I am still turning crisp. Tough? Yeah. Fun? Oh Yeah. And I am in a Hesder unit with some of the greatest guys in the world. I wake up every morning in a room full of people whom I've never met before, yet the are my best friends.

But to more pressing issues: Every night before bedtime, the army gives out a bit of food called the Prisah. This Monday night we got some tuna and bread, but not just any tuna. Kudos to the IDF for making me feel at home!

Infiltrating Settlements and Minds

For my final Shabbat before I start basic training, I chose to relax in the Gush Etzion town of Neve Daniel. Neve Daniel is your average Gush settlement, with 400 families in the main Yishuv, and another few caravans in the satellite outpost. After lunch on Shabbat, I took my host, and two other guests on a tour of Derech Ha'Avot, an ancient route from Chevron to Yerushalayim. That trail is most likely the route Avraham travelled with Yitzchak to the Akeidah, and there is archaeological evidence that the Olei Regel traveled on that road during the first and second Beit Hamikdash eras.We took the scenic road to Elazar, and leisurely strolled back towards Neve Daniel with enough time to rest before Mincha.

After we got through the gate at the entrance to Neve Daniel, and passed the giant flowers of the main Kikar, I noticed two girls photographing us. I pointed them out to the guys, and it struck us as particularly odd considering the fact that Neve Daniel is almost completely Orthodox. The girls in their mid-20's gave off the telltale look of left-wing "peace" activists. Yup, after closer inspection, they came from the direction of the half-built homes, so they were most like going to photograph some violations of the building freeze. Note: These homes were started before the freeze, so they are completely legal.

So with the permission of my host, I approached to pair and invited them for some refreshments in a settlement home. They were dumbfouned that we were offering our hospitality, but accepted our offer. On the way to his home, I found out that Charlotte from London working as a fundraising coordinator for Maan, a Palestinian news agency based in Bethlehem, and Rosy, also from London, was working with the disabled in Beit Sachour. 

Once we arrived at my host's home, we had a bit to eat and drink, and I immediately engaged them in a political debate. I extensively questioned their views for about 2 1/2 hours. They struggled with many of the questions. They really did not have a legitimate answer why the West Bank wouldn't turn into another Gaza if we would give it away. They didn't explain how why they expect us to remove checkpoints, when every time we remove them, people are killed like Rav Meir Chai and Yeshoshua Sofer. Anyways, without being too harsh,  we made them rethink their positions. But as with most peace activists, their political views are governed by their emotions and not their intellect.

But it was close to Mincha, and the conversation was dying out, so we escorted back to the Yishuv gate. So did we waste our time with these girls? There is no clear answer, but one thing is definite. On their first visit to a settlement, where they expected to be greeted with radical gun-totting religious extremists who breed hatred for Palestinians, they found out that were are just normal middle-class people trying to lead normal lives in which our buses don't explode and our cafes are not targets.

The GREAT Shabbat Meal

So I've been pretty busy for thee past week learning the ins and outs of of hi-tec irrigation, studying water consumption efficiency in agriculture, and planting around 175 olive trees. But I'll get to that in a later post. I want to write about the monthly lone soldiers dinner in the Great Synagogue. Pretty much, once I went to Bakum, earlier last week, I officially became a soldier, thereby being entitled to any benefits offered to us, even though my training has yet to start.

B'Kitzur I got to the Gigantic Synagogue about 20 minutes late and found that it was just beginning, right on (Jewish) time. I was a bit apprehensive about going to this dinner alone, but when I arrived, I immediately recognized a few of the attendees. I use the word attendees because about 25% of the people were former soldiers, 20% were randomers interested in a fun dinner, 10% older people running the event and donors, 15% guys who were interested in joining the army some time in the distant future, 15% were active-duty lone soldiers, and 15% were girls wanting to meet their superhot awesome young strapping Beshert.

I took a seat at a table with a  few of they guys I knew. There was a cute letter from some American kid thanking us for protecting Israel. By us I guess he was referring to me in a few weeks, and the one other active soldier at the table, Yisrael. Yisrael happened to be the only soldier who had brought his rifle to dinner with him, and he inconspicuously placed his magazine on the table. The other guys requested that he remove it, since it ruined the feeling of being at a Shabbat table, Yisrael refused, and a spat ensued. The Cantor interrupted the brewing fight for the traditional Friday night blessing of the children, and Kiddush. When he was finished, like good new Israelis, we picked up the fight right where we had left off. Yisrael agreed to cover his bullets with a napkin, which was  a tenable solution for us. We washed Netilat Yadayim and proceeded to the first course.

Then somebody dropped a bomb. I don't know who raised the issue, but Gilad Shalit was the topic, and the opinions on the trade of terrorists for his freedom was the issue. The number of opinions on the matter far surpassed the people at the table. Shmuel from Coppenhagen who sat towards my left, a former Nachal soldier, insisted that he must be freed at all costs to keep morale in the army high. Elan, the Bitish tanker chimed in and posed the question of whether we can endanger other lives to save Gilad. Yedidya, another Brit from Nachal as well gave credence to Elan. I gave my opinion. I personally think we should pull a Regev-Goldwasser ZT"L on Hamas, they set the price, we provide them with that exact number of terrorist-filled caskets. Andrew to my right, who is drafting in November asked why Israel doesn't have a capital punishment for terrorists, but agreed with my plan. The Israeli across the table stated the obvious, "Your plan is unrealistic." 

But this argument was just the appetizer along with the Musaka, eggplant stuffed with meat, provided on the house from the Tremendous Synagogue. Shmuel voiced an opinion on Hareidim which set me off. He spoke words of fire, and I wasn't going to tolerate that. NO WAY! So yes, me Mordechai , was sitting over his main course, letting it get cold, in a shouting match voicing the need to love all Jews. Just to set the record straight, I think the Israeli Hareidi society as a whole has it VERY wrong, but there are enough people in the world who hate Jews, I will not add myself to the list. Quite honestly I have no clue what the stuffed-capon main course tasted like because I was embroiled in a shouting match whilst I ate. The two American tourists sat and talked amongst themselves, marvelling at how we argued the meal away.

I decided to defuse the brewing fight by suggesting that Elan say a D'Var Torah. I knew ahead of time that he had one prepared, because he publishes one weekly on his blog, and he was quick to take me up on my offer. Bam, situation defused. Just like that! Maybe I should be a bomb technician in the army with skills like those, but I digress. I prompted everyone at the table to say a few words on the Parsha, and kept politics out of the talking points. What we say about the Torah is spot on:... דרכיה דרכי נועם the words of Torah kept a fragile peace at our meal.

Yisrael got up for a second, so of course we tipped his magazine off the table, onto Elan's chair. Elan sat on the bullets, and we replaced the bulge in the napkin with Benchers. We concluded our meal and dessert, but then all hell broke loose. Yisrael went around the table one by one accusing us of stealing his ammunition. I informed him that to us it was Muktsah, so we wouldn't touch it. Eventually Elan got up and showed him the now warm bullets. Yisrael put him in a friendly choke hold, and we all git a good laugh. That is until Yisrael got back to his seat.

While he was on his search for the ammunition, Yedidya stole his gun from under his seat. Here we go again...

From the soldier's dinner, we went to a small Oneg in Baka targeted at lone soldiers once again, and well attended by those most eligible bachlorettes. It was just a big social scene, so after half an hour, I took my leave of absence, and made my way back to the Old City, content, and argued out.

More Propaganda

And the same offender, Maan News, reported another unconfirmed story as fact. Here.

"Hebron – Ma'an – A Hebron-area family said their home was attacked by settlers on Sunday evening, when their blind grandfather was at home alone.

Hasan Al-Matour, 65, from Sa’ir village north of Hebron said he heard stones being thrown at his house, and "knew that settlers accompanied by troops were there."

The family said that when they returned home, several window panes were broken."

Honestly? The senile old pally clearly never saw the stone throwers. It's unheard of for Mitnachlim to enter Sa'ir, a 100% Arab village where the IDF rarely operates. 

The Big Day!

So yea, I am now a soldier in the IDF. The guys and I left on Monday to Tel HaShomer, where we went through the transformation from civilian to soldier war criminal. I won't bore you with the gory details of what we went through there, but B'Kitzur it was a bunch of low ranking officers screaming at us, some medical scans to help identify us G-d forbid, and a bit more paperwork. Here were a few things that stood out to me:

• We signed a contract that G-d forbid should one of us get kidnapped, we hold the army liable to make a reasonable effort to secure our freedom, but not to free us at all costs.
• It was not fun getting stabbed with 7 different medical needles for DNA sample collection, vaccinations, bone marrow donor database entry, etc.
• They forgot to inform the women operating the fingerprint scanner that it's hard to relax one's hand when your fingers are getting pulled and twisted all all different directions.
• And finally, getting on the bus home and paying the soldier's fare, and then cutting the line into Tachanah Merkazit without security checks gives you the feeling that you are now a ranking member of the elite!

And to all those drafting in the coming days, find out what the engine volume of your family car is, they wont let you become a soldier without that vital information. Seriously!

Afterschool Activities in Palestine

Here are 10 photos from the Palestinian press of how they educate their kids. Remember they are protesting the right of Jews to build homes in the Jewish homeland.

The Final Countdown! 10... 9... 8...

I have only 10 days left of freedom until I join the IDF on July 5th. My feelings are mainly those of excitement, mixed with sporadic nervousness, and a dab of overwhelming pride. I am elated to have the privilege to fight in the army of G-d defending his people's right to dwell in their land.

Anyways, my posts regarding the army are most likely to be more infrequent and less specific in the coming months for obvious reasons. I'll still keep you updated about how everything goes, but it goes without saying that operational confidentially outweighs having an interesting blog :)

Grilling on the Gazan Border

So today after my brief visit to the Lishkat Hagius, where I wasn't helped due to the fact that Limor was not in, I took a trip down to the Gazan border with a few administrators from Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh to make a barbecue for our four soldiers serving near Kissufim. On the way down, I got a call from the Lishkah informing me that I have to go there tomorrow anyways for a Machal interview. I guess I'll try to kill two birds with one stone and sort out the Michve Alon fiasco while I'm there anyways.

After a nice drive we arrived at the Givati base near Kissufim, and barbecued outside for a good 3 hours with the soldiers of the Rotem '09 brigade. The Yeshiva sponsored a barbecue for ~50 guys in the unit. After Mincha followed by sunset over Gaza, we relaxed with the guys from the brigade. It was a nice relief for them from the constant stress on the border, and it was satisfying for us knowing that we helped out the guys who give up years of their lives to keep the inhabitants of Israel safe. Kol Hakavod Rotem '09!

Michve Alon(e)?

So this morning my phone rings and its one of the girls in the Lishkat Hagius on the other end. I was told my draft date-finally! But I was also told that prior to my service I am required to attend a 3-week training at Michve Alon, a base near Tzfat. Michve Alon is a base that educated new immigrants before their compulsory army service and includes an intensive Ulpan. The vast majority of people who pass through there are Russian or Ethiopian immigrants fresh off the boats. I also happen to know that I scored an 8 (of 10) on the army Hebrew test, which by relative standards paces me among the average Israel high-schooler in Hebrew proficiency. Not bad at all!

So after speaking with a few friends, one who had served three months in Michve Alon I realized pretty quickly that it's most definitely not the place for me. With my hebrew proficiency the Ulpan is simply unnecesary, but what's the harm in going? Well, from a religious prespective Minyanim are hard to arrange there, and not just because you can't find 10 people who know how to Daven, but because it's difficult to find ten people there who know that they are actually Halachikly Jewish. And if I don't Daven with a Minyan because it's out out of my control, that's not the end of the world, but the lack of a Minyan isn't the worst part. My friend Michoel had swastikas drawn on his bed while he was there.

So after calling a Katzin (high officer) in Machal (the foreigner's army program) he told me that there is absolutely no reason for me to go to Michve Alon. Besides for the fact that I am fluent in Hebrew, after two years of immersion in the Israeli society, I am completely familiar with even the slightest nuances of Israeli society.

So for those who are counting, I am going to make my third trip down to Lishakt Hagius in the coming days to take care of this issue. I am not frustrated only because of my familiarity with Israeli society. Of all the mistakes (Fashlaot) that could have happened, this one isn't that bad.

America VS. Israel-Choosing a University

So my parents have been bothering me lately about my plans for life after the army. They are making the case for me to come back to the states. I want to go to college in a religious environment, and pursue a degree in mathematics. So here is your head-on comparison of Yeshiva University VS. Bar Ilan University

Yeshiva University Bar Ilan University
Location Washington Heights Givat Shmuel
Tuition $34,540 NIS 12,500 or $3,247.18
Ranking 42nd in United States 43rd in Asia
Student Body 6,513 (incl. Post-Grads) 26,800
President's Salary $834,000 Undisclosed

Well, with the difference in price, at Bar Ilan, I could fly home and visit my parents for every weekend of the academic year! Also, If I make Aliyah, my tuition in Bar Ilan is free. The choice is clear to me.

Ehud Barak Nails it!

"There are 1.5 million people living in Gaza and only one of them really needs humanitarian aid. Only one of them is locked in a tiny room and never sees the light of day, only one of them is not allowed visits and is in uncertain health - his name is Gilad Shalit, and this month four years will have passed since he was kidnapped.”

--Ehud Barak in a speech to the Knesset. I am not one to compliment left-wing MK's. but he got it right this time. Well put.

Erdogan and his Selective Memory

Maan News is quoted Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan in his following statement: "I'll say to you in your own language. I say in Hebrew 'Lo Tirtzakh'," or, "Thou shalt not kill. I am speaking to them in their own language. The sixth commandment says 'Thou shalt not kill.' Did you not understand?"

Seems that Erdogan is forgetting Turkey's massacring of over 1 Million Armenians in the past century. The only possible fault I could find with Israel in this instance is the fact that they supplied the Turkish murderers with 170 tanks.

Americans for Peace Now VS. Friends of the IDF

Debra DeLee of Americans for Peace Now makes $249,621.00, or over 12% of the charity's budget. Yitzhak Gershon of the Friends of the IDF takes home a mere $111,649, or less than 0.3% of the Friends of the IDF budget. That's a part of the reason why Charity Navigator gave the the Americans for Peace Now the lowest one-star rating, and the Friends of the IDF the highest rating, four stars.

My goal here is only to present the facts, I'll leave you to decide where to write your check out to. Shabbat Shalom!

The Truth About the "Freedom Flotilla"

When I was ten years old, I remember walking into my parents bedroom one morning, and instead of being greeted with a hearty good morning, I was received with a gloomy nod. At the start of the second intifada, two middle aged reservist Israeli soldiers took a wrong turn and ended up in Ramallah. A mob of angry terrorists took the two young fathers, beat them to death with clubs, tied their bodies to cars, and dragged them through the city. They then took them to the second floor of a structure, dismembered their bodies, and threw each organ and limb out the second-story window individually. When they finished, they raised their bloody hands triumphantly in front of a cheering mob. I vividly remember the pictures on the front cover of the New York Times the next morning. I was ten years old at the time, but my eyes still well up when I am reminded of that atrocity.

In a short while I myself will be in the army. The only son of two wonderful parents, in a struggle where inevitably, the dove I shall send out with an olive branch, will inevitably come back in a coffin.

The lynching in Ramallah bears a stark resemblance to this week’s events. In the past few days, Israel has been suffering through a nightmare. A group of provocateurs set sail on a few ships from Turkey to Gaza. Anticipating an Israeli attempt to peacefully commandeer the vessels like on previous occasions, and after inspections for weapons, transfer the contents of the vessel to Gazans, the provocateurs opted to lynch the paintball gun toting soldiers.

The first soldier to board the ship was met with a beating administered by the attackers which clubs, bats, and metal rods. After a short but brutal beating, he was tossed 30 feet from the first deck, enduring a skull fracture. Then came the second soldiers. Shouts of “Don’t shoot, hold your fire” could be heard from his comrades still on the helicopter. He followed his commands, and in turn had a knife speared into his stomach, as he was being stabbed, a beating was administered by some more of the peace activists. A third soldier slid down the rope from the helicopter onto the top deck. Dragged down by yet another mob of peace loving humanitarian workers, he had his arm broken with a metal rod. One by one soldiers slid down the rope, and one by one they were cruelly pummeled. A soldier was thrown down a flight of stairs and kicked repeatedly while he was down. The passengers threw smoke grenades and Molotov cocktails. Meanwhile, the soldiers had not fired a single round.

And then the situation took a turn for the worse. Two pacifists disarmed two soldiers of their unused emergency pistols and began to fire. The order was then reluctantly passed down, authorizing soldiers to shoot back in self defense. But not before at least two soldiers were shot.

And the world condemned Israel…

SOS: Support our Soldiers!

There will be demonstrations supporting the IDF all over Israel starting at 6 PM today. A partial list is as follows:

Kiryat Shmona: Next to Egged Bus station
Teveriya: Lev HaGalil building
Hadia: Bat-Galim train station
Hadera: "kikar hadera" intersection
Afula: Next to Egged Bus station
Jordan Valley Highway 90: Hakibutzim intersection
Beit Shean: Binyamin Mall
Netanya: Coastal Road Netanya Interchange
Krayot: Tzabar intersection
Nahariya: Next to train station
Raanana: Tzomet Raanana, merkaz.
Bar Ilan University pedestrian bridge over highway 4.
Tel-Aviv'; Azreili Mall
Modi'in; Tzomet Shilat
Beit Shemesh: Tzomet "BIG"
Gush Etzion: Tzomet HaGush in the roundabout
Bat Yam: Next to Abarbanel Hospital
Ashdod: "Ad Halom" bridge
Ashkelon: Tzomet Ashkelon
Ariel: Next to the University
Ramat HaSharon: Kfar HaYarok intersection
Maalot: entrance to town
Jerusalem: Main entrance
Rishon LTzion: Rishon intersection
Sederot: Next to the shuk
Netivot: City Hall
Ofakim: Entrance to city
Kiryat Melachi: Kastina Interchange
Rechovot: Tzomet Bilu
Eilat: Next to shopping center.

Tzav Sheini?

Today I got a call from Shir @ the Lishkat HaGius informing me that I have to appear sometime tomorrwo to take the "Chuliyah," the army intelligence exam. I told her that I had already taken the exam, but she told me that either way I have to show up @ 8:30 AM.

Let's see what tomorrow has in store...

Free Gaza? Free Gilad!

Why don't just take the materials from the Gaza-bound terrorist laden ships and give them to the real victims of the disengagement? The evacuees could sure use the prefabricated homes, and the concrete could be used to reinforce the bomb shelters in Sderot. The electric wheelchairs should go to injured soldiers from Cast Lead, instead of to injured terrorists.

Meanwhile we haven't seen Gilad for 1436 days and counting.

Mosque Attacks!?!

Gunmen armed with grenades attacked two mosques of a minority sect during Friday prayers in eastern Pakistan, seizing control of one mosque and battling with police, officials and witnesses said. At least 70 people were killed, and worshipers were believed held hostage.

More settler violence?

The attacks by suspected Islamist militants in Lahore city targeted the Ahmadi sect, which has experienced years of state-sanctioned discrimination and occasional attacks by radical Sunnis. It has never before been hit on such a large scale or coordinated fashion.

Tzav Rishon

So yesterday afternoon, after countless calls to Ofer, He told me that there's a 90% chance that I would have my Tzav Rishon today at 11 AM, and that he would call me at 9 AM to confirm it was taking place. Well, at 9:30 when the call didn't come through, I called Machal to find out my situation. Apparently nobody could help, and the office staff would try to reach Ofer who didn't show up at the office today. At 10:15 their response was still inconclusive so I decided to set out to the Lishkat Hagius (Recruitment Office) to try my luck. When I arrived outside of the Lishkah, I received call informing me that Ofer had sent out an email authorizing my Tzav Rishon.

So I went in and followed the receptionist's instructions to go to office 5. The people there informed me that my authorization didn't come through, and that I would have to come back another day. As I was leaving the office, getting ready for a shouting match on the phone with the people at Machal, The girl at the desk called me back and said that my email had just come through. From there I was sent to the fourth floor to Amos to receive a temporary ID number.

Amos sent me back down to the receptionist's desk to get a scanable bar-code sticker that would act as my ID card for today. But before the receptionist had a chance to process my bar-code, the 11 AM emergency siren went off as part of a nationwide drill. The entire building crammed into the second-floor lobby for about 15 minutes. By time everybody got back to their respective desks, a half-hour had passed. After waiting another few minutes I was given my temporary ID, and was sent to the third floor.
At the third floor, I scanned my bar-code into the yellow computer and waited until I was called in to give over my contact information, and I was administered a Hebrew language proficiency test. I did relatively well, especially considering I am American, and as I expected was exempt from a pre-army Ulpan. I was then sent back into the third-floor lobby to wait for an interview.

A while after scanning my bar-code into the red computer, I was taken into an interview room, and I we discussed real-life dilemmas that I encountered in the past, and how I resolved them. The woman covered he pad as she wrote down notes on my responses. When we finished, I was sent down to the Second floor.
I scanned my bar-code into the purple computer, and was called in to a lab and given a cup. I was instructed to go up to the third floor bathrooms and to fill the cup. Weird, since there was a bathroom right there in the lab, presumably for this purpose. None the less, I went upstairs and filled the cup. My journey downstairs of course was probably one of the most awkward experiences that I have gone through, carrying around a cup of urine for everyone to see in a packed building. I stared at the floor and got through it. In the lab I was told to test my own urine, which I did, and proceeded to another room where my weight, height, and blood pressure were measured.

From there I was sent to scan in at the blue computer, and waited for a visit with the doctor. Overall, my day had been pretty stressful. As good as my Hebrew is, the people in the offices were under a lot of pressure, dealing with frustrated crowds, and their patience was low. It was relieving when I was handed over to an American doctor who administered a physical (I'll spare you the details, but I have no clue how the procedures were related to my army service.) He explained that although I was clean medically, on the Height-to-Weight chart I was two pounds over, so my score was an 82, the second highest, therefore making me eligible for any combat unit, (Golani please!) I was told that when I lose the weight, I can come in and have my profile adjusted. Meanwhile I can go to anywhere but the air force, so I'm happy with my score.

Back up to the third floor, the turquoise computer. There I was given a computerized intelligence test. Most of the questions involved identifying patters. I finished that and was sent home 7 hours after my arrival.

Overall, a pretty stressful day, but I'm happy to know that my Tzav Gius (When I find out my unit) should be on its way!

More Home Demolitions! UN Site Destroyed.

The latest news in home demolitions is coming from Gaza. 25 Palestinian civilian structures were demolished last week as forces claimed they were built illegally on government land. The occupants were given 10 minutes warning before their violent eviction followed by bulldozers razing the structures. Which cruel government could have ordered the demolition of the civilian homes?

None other than Hamas.

Also, in an unrelated incident military forces destroyed an UNRWA center for summer programs for children in unprivileged areas of Gaza. This site was destroyed by none other than Gazan military forces. The United Nations promised to rebuild the camp speedily in time for summer activities.

Too bad the occupiers left Gaza! The citizens of Gaza were heard saying, "זָכַרְנוּ אֶת־הַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר־נֹאכַל "בְּמִצְרַיִם חִנָּם אֵת הַקִּשֻּׁאִים וְאֵת הָאֲבַטִּחִים וְאֶת־הֶחָצִיר וְאֶת־הַבְּצָלִים וְאֶת־הַשּׁוּמִים׃

Thanks Ofer!

After my wonderful experience in the Misrad HaP'nim, I took all my information and faxed it to Ofer at Machal, so he could file it with the army and get back to me with my Tzav Rishon. For those of you unfamiliar with army lingo, a Tzav Rishon is a command to appear at the army draft offices for a physical, medical, and psychological profiling. Once you get profiled, you are assigned to a unit based on your capabilities. I called Ofer to confirm he recieved the fax, and he told me to wait a week and call back.
So exactly one week later I called back, and the games began. Ofer told me he had not received my details and told me to fax them again. Ok, I faxed them again, and called once again to confirm he received them. I was once again told that in a week I would get my Tzav Rishon.
So I called back today. Ofer told me that I would have to wait yet another week for an unspecified reason. I called back the main office and got Ofer's boss's cell number. When I called him, he happened to be in a meeting at the time with Ofer. He placed Ofer on the line, and Ofer explained to me that the reason for the delay was the fact that I was missing a signed letter stating that I have not been in Israel for more that one year straight. Why couldn't he tell me that when I called him?

More Arab Propoganda and Media Misrepresentation

I'm sure this isn't new to anyone here, but Maan once again took to dishonest route and published an article about alleged Jewish entrance to the al-Aqsa Mosque, but the picture next to the article portrays Chassidim who indeed would never dream of ascending the mount nowadays, during Tashlich which occurred 2 years and 8 months ago as shown by the date under the photo. The photo is taken in Tel-Aviv, not Jerusalem, and is completely unrelated to the alleged incident.

Do People in Israel Work?

No, I'm not talking about Chareidim in this post. As I become more acquainted with Israeli society it seems to me that nobody here works. Here is a small breakdown of

Discount Bank: Closed from 12:00 to 16:00, thus killing any opportunity for lunch break banking.

Misrad HaP'nim: Opened from 8:00-12:00 every day, that's a whopping 4-hour workday!

Machal (Chutznik Army Registration): 10:30-14:30, and even during those hours they are hard to reach. Furthermore, if you do reach them you have a 3 in 41 chance that they can actually help you.

Post Offices: 8:00-12:30, 15:30-16:30. Simply dreadful hours.

It's really surprising how this country gets along. Maybe one day I'll merit a nice job at one of the above offices, and work 4 days a week for 4 hours a day.

Reccomendation: Nefesh B'Nefesh should pitch, "Israel, home of the 16-Hour workweek."

Rabbit Gives Birth to Elephant, Israeli Soldiers Beat Palestinian Children

There is constant rhetoric in the Jewish world regarding the accuracy of the Palestinian press, and consequently the stories picked up by the world press. Here is a shining example, unrelated to the conflict, of what the Palestinian media tries to pass off as factual:

A 19-year-old rabbit raiser in Jenin said he was "shocked and terrified" when his newest animal gave birth to what he described as a tiny baby elephant on Sunday.

“I was concerned when I saw a black baby elephant next to nine white baby rabbits," Alawna told Ma'an, adding that the creature died only five hours after it was born. He said he was baffled as to how the elephant was produced.

The mother rabbit, Alawna explained, is a Dutch breed which he bought six months ago from a farmer in the northern West Bank village of Jaba in Jenin district.

Muhammad Alawna raises rabbits as a hobby on his small farm north of Jenin, and works construction in Israel during the week.

Paying to Join the Army?

After my arrival in Israel a few weeks ago there was a lapse in posts due to the amount of work involved in getting into the IDF.

On Monday I made it out to the Misrad HaP'nim to obtain a visa to allow me to stay in Israel for the duration of my army service. Thankfully the staff of my Yeshiva provided me with the phone number of a contact in the office, and informed me of opening hours of the Misrad, 8 AM- 12PM.

Upon arrival to the run-down excuse for an office from which the Misrad HaP'nim operates, I was directed to room 204. After a bit of difficulty finding the unmarked room, I waited on line only to find out that the employee working in 204 (who happened to be the contact the Yeshiva provided me with) began her vacation today, and that no one else would be able to help me. I went back to the receptionist to find out where to go, and her only response was to the offices in Akko.
After leaving the building calling and few friends on the phone, they told me that only persistence would get me my visa, so I turned around and went back inside the building. This time the receptionist sent me to room 208. After waiting on line again, I was abruptly informed that I had to go to room 205. Thanks! BUT... after waiting in line yet again, the person from 204 who told me I couldn't get my visa until further notice was now sitting at the desk in 205. She told me the same story again, and said the person who I need to talk to would be out for a week or two. After putting up a fight she sent me to room 206, and told me that if the people there are in a good mood, maybe they'd be willing to help me. Right. Off to room 206.
After waiting on line (how may times was that?) I was let into room 206 and spoke to one the the three women sitting at desks in the room. She proceeded to yell at me, and demanded to know who sent me to her room. After my explanation, she told me that I would have to wait until of the the other women in the room was available.
And finally, after another 20 minutes waiting, the woman at desk number 3 in room 206 allowed me to enter. Reluctantly she scoured my papers, and told me that while some of my documentation said Marc, my legal name, others said Mordechai. I was told to get a legal name change and a new passpot, or I could not get a visa. But after 2.5 hours I was not going to take no for an answer, and she finally agreed to provide me with my visa. 165 Shekels late I was on my way. No, was not not a major fiscal setback for me, but the fee combined with the general lack of assistance given at the Misrad HaP'nim is very disappointing.
If you have had a good experience at the Misrad al-Hapanim, tell me, since until now all the people who I have spoken to share stories of similar miserable experiences with me.

Shivat Tzion

I just checked in to my flight to England connecting to an El Al flight to Tel Aviv! I couldn't be more excited upon my return to Tzion!

Crossing the Line

Ma'ariv has crossed the line this time with their fictitious report claiming Rav Ovadiah Yosef is in support of a Jerusalem construction freeze. Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai confirmed that Rav Ovadiah has advised hem not to halt Jerusalem construction over the 1967 Armistice Line. This has always been Rav Ovadiah's position and is unlikely to change. What is most shocking regarding this false report is how the author though it would be tenable to even portray this as Rav Ovadia's opinion after his hard line stance against the disengagement. Ma'ariv has reached a new low with this article, and I no longer regard any of their articles as credible.

Settlers Who Attack Soldiers ARE Scum, But...

Recently Chaim Levinson from Haaretz wrote an article in reference to IDF-Settler violece near Yitzhar. He quoted an unnamed officer from the IDF who called the rock-throwing settlers scum, and I agree. We know from Rashi on Exodus that a Jew who raises his hand to hit another Jew is a Rasha.

But where is this tongue-lashing IDF officer when it comes to the daily rock attacks by Arabs? AN where is Haaretz's coverage of the daily rock attacks on CIVILIANS by Arab children?

Remembering our Heros

Today, Yom HaZikaron, is among the hardest days in the Israeli calendar. In such a small country virtually nobody is more than two steps removed from a fallen soldier. We remember our soldiers for their heroic deeds, giving their lives up to allow us to live safely in our homeland. As we appreciate our soldiers who have died, we must appreciate our soldiers who are still living as well. But not everybody shares that sentiment.

Throughout Operation Cast Lead, Haaretz reported Israel's use of disproportionate force, war crimes, deliberate attacks on civilian targets, along with many accusations. The IDF was portrayed in Haaretz as a racist apartheid force committing ethnic cleansing, and slaughtering Palestinian babies for the sport involved. And today, that all goes away... for a few hours.

Haaretz had the audacity to write an article today about the mother of two murdered war criminals soldiers, mouring the loss of her two children. The emotional article attempts to share with you a bit of Miriam Peretz's pain over the loss or her second son on the Gaza border a few weeks ago. Just yesterday, they published an article against a movement calling for the army to withhold from destroying her son, Major Eliraz Peretz's HY"D home. Such exploitation of the press for political gain on a day like this is painful.

But Haaretz showed their true colors in another article published a few hours later for the holiday of Yom Haatzmaut. The article decries that after 62 years "the mystical mode of thinking and the adherence to false beliefs - have, instead of disappearing over time, only gathered steam." So Haaretz took a break today. For a few hours they stopped bashing our soldiers, and targeted Judaism in its entirety. The modern day Erev Rav can't hide its true commitment, to attempt to destroy Judaism, and create a socialist secular environment to cater to the Islamic terrorists who want to occupy the Jewish homeland.

Happy 62nd Birthday to the young State of Israel. May we see the completion of the redemption speedily!

In Defense of Military Aid

When it comes to the seemingly large sum of $3 Billion, it seems like a fortune to give away, and it is. But the United States healthcare bill (H.R. 3962) grants $4 Billion to provide the entire nations of; Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, and Mariana Islands with entirely free healthcare. On page 266 of the 1,990 page bill, $3.7 Billion is granted to Puerto Rico, with the rest going to the other countries, along with a provision that this sum can be increased if necessary.

Although these territories are technically a commonwealths, they are only eligible to receive fundamental constitution rights according to 48 U.S.C. § 737. Therefore unless you consider healthcare a fundamental constitutional right, they are not entitled to it. Also, in 48 U.S.C. § 734, you will find that they are exempt from federal income taxes, thereby granting them privileges of the bill, while not incurring any iota of the cost of the multi-billion dollar bill on these beneficiaries.

On the other hand, the United States grants Israel $3 Billion in annual military aid to maintain a democratic island's qualitative edge in a volatile middle east. While this aid appears to be a transparent bequest to the Israelis, keep in mind that a whopping 74% of this funding never actually leaves the United States, and is pumped straight back into American defense companies through Israeli purchases.

Unlike the healthcare money, which affords no actual benefit to the private American taxpayer, the remaining 26% of this grant goes to fund scores of joint American-Israeli ventures in weapon development. These developments are in the realm of armor development for vehicles in Iraq (The V-hulled APC), development of anti-ballistic missile defenses (The Arrow missile battery, and the Patriot 3), along with multiple classified programs contributing to the mutual defense of democracy around the world.

This grant also fosters a thriving intelligence-sharing program that has assisted the United States in avoiding terrorist threats in America, and against our troops and embassies worldwide. In addition, the most high tech anti-terror training facility in Israel, a full size Arab village, built with this grant money, is often used to train United States marines in anti-terror operations before their deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But as history (and the United Nations) has/have shown us, it's easier to pick on Israel. So let the Puerto Ricans have their healthcare at my expense, but its okay to pick on an ally. Sudanese are being massacred by the thousands (By Muslims. Who would have guessed???) but the U.N. condemns Israel for defending the residents of Sderot from the deluge of terrorist missiles. All too typical.

Letter to Khaled Mashal from Noam Shalit

This letter first appearing in Maan News, is reportedly a letter from Noam Shalit, to the Head of Hamas Khaled Mashal, urging him to accept a prisoner swap. According to Maan, the letter was written in Arabic and delivered to Meshal in Syria. It's shocking how Noam ends the letter with a blessing for the terrorist Meshal, "God is the source of strength, may the peace and mercy of God be upon you." Only a Jew can end a letter to the terrorist kidnapper of his son, who has put him through that much pain with a blessing. Below is the text of the letter copied from Maan News.

Dear Mr Khaled Mash'al

Head of the Hamas movement politburo
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic

May God's peace and mercy be upon you,

On the occasion of Palestinian Prisoners Day, 17 April 2010, and for the sake of hundreds or even thousands of Palestinian prisoners' families and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, I address you, on behalf of myself and my family, as the leader of the Hamas movement and one of the leaders of the Palestinian people.

A few months ago, German mediator Mr J. Conrad, who was selected by the German government and Her Excellency Chancellor Angela Merkel, presented a proposal for a prisoner exchange that would put an end to the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. This offer, approved by the government of Israel, would see the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 450 prisoners demanded by Hamas' leadership, released in exchange for my son, Gilad Shalit.

Additionally, it is clear to everyone that implementing the deal will lift restrictions imposed on the population of the Gaza Strip, and ease the suffering that they have been subjected to in the years since my son Gilad was captured some four years ago.

It should be noted that shutting the door to the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners within this generous deal arranged by the German mediator, in joint cooperation with the Israeli and Hamas-led Palestinian negotiating staff, would amount to an additional punishment for the prisoners and their families, rather than releasing them, considering that the first penalty was the sentence imposed by the Israeli judiciary.

I must remind you, Mr Mash'al, that the detention of Gilad as a bargaining chip, without human rights, and as a prisoner of war as stipulated by the Third Geneva Convention, is a flagrant violation of international law.

I should also note that the Goldstone commission, which you recognized and whose work you encouraged, unequivocally stated the need to release Gilad, or until that time he be afforded his human rights in full. Within this context, the European parliament, in its its session on 11 March 2010, unprecedentedly affirmed the necessity of releasing Gilad and giving him rights afforded under international conventions. I pray that you do not ignore the decision of the European parliament, which represents half a billion Europeans.

Based on the aforementioned, I appeal to you today, on the eve of Palestinian Prisoners Day, to rise above the political considerations of the Hamas movement for the good of the Palestinian prisoners, and in the interests of Palestinians in general, and demonstrate leadership by calling for consensus among Hamas' leaders to approve the German mediator's proposal.

God is the source of strength,
May the peace and mercy of God be upon you,

Noam Shalit
On behalf of the Shalit family