Cohort 1: Day 11 in Israel: War and Peace

Bright and early, we began the day by driving to Gan Habanim, a beautiful park in the middle of Kiryat Gat. There two former IDF soldiers who now specialize in preparing youth for the Israeli army. The day was Army Day,and the Americans and Israelis were in for a physically challenging “training” day. For a warmup, we began with some sprints and pushups, then proceeded to fill up sacks with dirt. This wasn’t a workout – the sacks were loaded onto stretchers and for the next 45 minutes or so we practiced working as a unit to transport the 90 pound “injured soldiers” around the park. This activity seemed like a simple test of physical and mental strength, much like the basic training we hear about in American boot camps. However, we soon learned that there was another layer of meaning to the exercises. Often, the four people who shared the weight of the stretcher would need to stop or speed up very quickly, and the incline of the land would often change unexpectedly. These challenges, combined with the weight of the stretcher, made the activity extremely arduous for the people carrying the stretcher. So when we would stop our march, at first no one would help to support the stretcher. Our instructor eventually pointed this fact out to us and reminded us that as a unit, it is our responsibility to take care of each other. From then on, there was a surplus of people who helped to support the stretcher, to help the carriers up hills, and to take over when someone got too tired. As a result, the first part of Army Day was a great uniting activity for the group.

We continued our day to Moshav Netiv Assarah, which is situated on the border of the Gaza Strip. There, we visited the home of a woman who founded the Path to Peace project. Because of the constant rocket fire experienced near her home, she has dedicated her talents as a ceramics artist to creating a mural on the border wall between Israel and Gaza. We each wrote a wish on a beautifully painted and glazed piece of ceramic and stuck them up on the wall. This is her message – the hope for peace between Israel and the people of the Gaza Strip. 

Afterward, we met back at her house for a truly delicious lunch. As a group, we discussed our experiences as Americans and Israelis alike during the war this summer. We also discussed the similarities and differences between the American and Israeli armies. Just like the army training, Army Day was superficially about the military. On a deeper level, everyone in the group experienced the narrative of war and peace, and how each affects the everyday citizens of Israel.
 

By: Amanda Jackson