We were apprehensive when Daniel told us he planned to join the IDF. Was he thinking clearly? After all, he graduated near the top of his class, interned in Washington, D.C., passed the Foreign Service exam, and enjoyed writing cogently about politics and current affairs. We suggested that he explore the opportunities open to him in the safety of the United States.
Daniel did not ask for our advice, and even if he had, there was not much we could give; neither of us knew anything about serving in the IDF, let alone as a lone soldier. Of course, as parents, we knew we had to do what we could to make sure that his decision was, at least, thoughtful. We advised him to consider not only the positives of IDF service, but also the negatives. We don’t know if he ever took our advice to heart.
Although our son would now likely be in harms way, our greatest concern when he left, was that shortly after enlisting, he would regret his decision. Perhaps somewhat oddly, we felt like parents who had sent our child to overnight camp, and were afraid that he might call in the middle of the night wanting to come home. Only the “camp director” in Israel would obviously have the authority to say “no.”
We are very proud of our paratrooper, and upon reflection, not at all surprised that he joined Tzanchanim. As a child, when our family visited amusement and water parks, Daniel was the one who rushed to the tallest rides and the fastest roller coasters. We chose to take pictures of him from ground level.
Daniel’s 1st jump was a bit disconcerting for us. What if he got to the open door and decided it was something he couldn’t do, or what if, having jumped, his parachute failed to open? Daniel told us that if he hesitated, he would be pushed out of the plane; somehow that didn’t reassure us! Again trying to be helpful, we told him to make sure that he knew how to use his backup chute, and to remain calm throughout the jump. We were greatly relieved when he called the next day to say that the jump went fine and that he enjoyed the experience.
Our passion is long distance cycling on our tandem, and often, after being in the saddles all day, and with many miles still left to ride, we draw inspiration from our son, who has endured difficulties in order to pursue his passion.
Daniel’s service ends in June. We very much look forward to having our son home and sharing time together. Daniel left home a young man and he will return a proud soldier. We are very proud of him.
My mother said the same thing when I joined the U.S. Army. She said she thought of it as sending me off to camp. It was much harder on her when I deployed twice to Iraq than it was on me. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I am not even Jewish, but I'm fascinated by the idea of a Western society where, as you say everyone was, is, or will be a soldier. That is vastly different from here where a very small minority of us join the military, and consequently, can feel isolated as veterans of these wars that have barely touched U.S. soil. Israel's sort of a parallel universe to the U.S., and I enjoy reading the stories of the young Americans who take the dive and join the IDF.
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