Why Are We So Special?
Today is unfortunately the last day of our trip. The group's general mood was quite nostalgic at breakfast, as the last ten days of our lives have been filled with amazing experiences that we will remember for the rest of our lives. This chapter in our long lives is now coming to an end and is difficult for all of us to deal with. I feel like today is the last day of summer camp, where everything that has happened in the world outside of Shorashim Bus 410 seems to not matter, and that after today we will return to our normal lives as we knew them prior to the trip. Saying goodbye is one of the most difficult things for me personally to deal with, whether it is death or the end of something that is truly amazing. The past ten days have been mind blowing for me, and has been one of the few truly amazing things that i have experienced in life. The people we have met, the things we learned, the sites we saw, and the things we experienced together as a group have been very special to me, and I will remember it forever. The end of this trip will be hard for most of us to deal with which is why emotions are very strong in the air today.
As some of you that are reading this may not know, Har Herzel (הר הרצל) is the fallen soldiers' memorial cemetery. Being at this cemetery this morning and hearing some of the fallen soldiers' stories escalated most of our emotions and touched every single one of our hearts. As we gathered around some of the graves of fallen soldiers, there was a sad expression on everyone's face which often turned to tears. Listening to the stories of some of the fallen soldiers' lives and how they passed away was very difficult to hear, as many of their stories were told by the Israelis on our trips who knew the soldiers personally. The crisp breeze that blew through the leaves of the trees accentuated the chills that were sent through my entire body as I heard each fallen soldier's story and thought about them. I can only hope that no more soldiers have to be buried at Har Herzel (or any of the military cemetaries) and that all of the soldiers that gave their lies for something much larger than themselves be remembered forever.
What filled my own eyes with tears the most was seeing the ages of the fallen soldiers on the headstones. The gross majority of them were younger than I am right now when they passed away. I am only 26 years old, some soldiers were as young as 16 years old when they passed, and most were between ages 18 and 24.
What do you think most Jewish Americans are typically doing when they are 18 years old? Most likely thinking about college and trying to figure out their plans for the weekend. These soldiers leave their families, mostly at the young age of 18, and begin their commitment to the Israeli military. They do not think about themselves, they dedicate their lives to something that is larger than themselves. This dedication is for several purposes: serving their home country that protects their freedom every single day, the preservation of a Jewish state, protecting the Jewish people around the world, and also allowing people from all over the world to return to Israel to live and learn about it. These fallen soldiers gave their lives for our Birthright, most of which weren't able to experience it for themselves.
So, what makes us so special? This question is twofold: (1) What makes our group so special?; and (2) What makes Jewish Americans so special that the majority of them do not dedicate any of their lives to service in either the US military or the IDF?
What makes our group so special? I don't have a definitive answer to this question and most will not. I do know, however, that every single person on this bus knows that we are a special group. To start off, we are a very diverse group. We are not a group from one single locale in the US, we have people from all across the US, including New York, Washington DC, Vermont, Colorado, California, all over the Midwest, and Florida. Also, we have some from Mexico and Peru. The Israelis on our trip are also from all over Israel and come from several different backgrounds. We are also comprised of people from different religious and cultural backgrounds. That being said, our diversity fostered our commitment to get to know one another and to genuinely become close friends over the past 10 days. I was able to get to know 48 new people that I had not known before and most likely wouldn't have had I not been a part of this Birthright experience. We were 48 individuals just 10 days ago and now we are a family. In just 10 days I can honestly say that I have had the opportunity to genuinely get to know 48 different people, one of which I now consider one of my best friends. It's amazing that someone that was a total stranger to me 10 days ago I now call "Achi", which is Hebrew for "brother", and I mean it. This is what makes Birthright so special, it provides the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone, form new relationships, learn, become a better person, and share everything you experienced with everyone.
What makes Jewish Americans so special that the majority of them do not dedicate any of their lives to service in either the US military or the IDF? My answer here may frustrate or infuriate some readers, but this isn't your opinionated blog post, it's mine. This question has bothered me for several years, and I have developed my opinion for quite some time, but spending this time here in Israel for the past 10 days has solidified this opinion and further rationalized it for me.
Most parents have a "plan" for their children well before they are able to make decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, this plan for many Jewish American parents doesn't include serving in the military, whether it is for the United States, Israel, or another country. This is what frustrates me. So many Americans believe in the preservation of a Jewish state and fighting for Judaism around the world, however they do not even consider having their children serve in the military, it just isn't an option. Many of us live a life where we enjoy being protected by our government and soldiers, we love Israel and our religion. However, we never even think about serving our country. We live in a country where Jews are a minority, but there are US and Israeli soldiers that are fighting for us: our country, our culture, and our religion. What makes these soldiers more qualified thanks to fight? What makes us more qualified than our soldiers to go to college or enter the workforce?
Many of you may be thinking "serving in the military isn't the only way to contribute to your country or Israel." I am well aware of this statement because none of this would be possible without the financial contributions from all of the Jews from around the world. However, I believe that serving in the military is the best way to contribute. Being a soldier builds some of the strongest and best people I have ever met, both physically and mentally. Realizing that there are things that are bigger and more important in this world than yourself, and dedicating yourself to this builds this character. I believe that this character is very important in becoming a functioning member of society and that everyone should strongly consider it for themselves or their children.
I am guilty of this dismissal of military service myself, and I regret it every day. Maybe I wasn't exposed to the right things or given the right guidance as a child. Maybe I was too immature of a person at my younger ages to appreciate this idea. However, in the past few years of my mature life as a man I have come to this realization, and I can only move forward from it.
All I can say is that this Birthright experience has been one of the most unbelievable experiences of my life. It has changed my appreciation for everything I have in life and that we all have in this world. Thank you everyone for really changing my life, stay in touch.
Jason Fisher
Aspen, Colorado
