Gadna

Gadna - a week long simulation of basic training - is supposed to be our first introduction into what it truly means to be an Israeli soldier, to don the uniform of a defender of Israel. But there's something oddly unsentimental about wearing a uniform that is a few sizes too big and is missing upwards of 75% of its buttons and has no doubt been worn by countless sweaty people before me (even though somehow, despite the flaws in the uniform, virtually everyone manages to look good in it). And doing the things that soldiers really do during basic training could be much more powerful to a group of soldiers-to-be, if only our commander didn't look like a 12-year-old and his voice didn't crack as in puberty when he ordered us to do push-ups.

That being said, gadna is also really fun. We do it as a Garin, so all the people I've been living with for the past 2 weeks are the people in my "platoon." You never really get to know people better than when you're sweaty and gross and making fun of your prepubescent commander (who, in his defense, is probably one of the chillest, nicest people in the army). Together, we got into more "ח" formations than I can count, we consumed more dust than I can measure, and we slept in conditions that I previously thought would've made it impossible to sleep.

After a day on the gadna base, we went into the "shetach," which is basically just the desert, and roughed it for 24 hours. I don't even know what words to use to describe the shetach, but it was quite an experience. We built overly complicated tents and ate what must have been a bunch of side dishes in between 2 slices of bread (with an extra serving of desert dust). We got yelled at by 20-year-old commanders and learned how to protect ourselves in case of a grenade. Our commander picked up two rocks and told us that it was important that we were able to tell the difference between different types of rocks. After we went in a circle and each pointed out a difference between the rocks, he explained it to us. He held one of them up and said "this rock is just a rock," and threw it over his shoulder. He held up the other and said, "and this rock is--" and threw it in the middle of the circle. "--A GRENADE!!" and we all had 3 seconds to run for cover.

The wilderness, however, was nothing compared to the 5 curtain-less girls' showers on base that were meant for 150 girls. Fighting my way through that crowd to finally scrub off the layer of dirt that made me seem really tan was probably all the army experience I'll ever need.

Overall, it was an incredible week. I got to bond with my Garin, get used to taking orders, shoot an M16, wake up at 5 AM, and train my stomach to digest what I guess passes for food. Obviously it's not the same exact thing as the actual army, but it was good for me to get a taste of what my life will be like in 2 months. Now I just have to stop reciting the count-down to receive the mefaked (commander) in my sleep.

Shabbat Shalom!

The beautiful sunrise of Sde Boker