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Volunteering to work In Israel, on a Israeli Army Supply Base |
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Volunteering to work In Israel, on a Israeli Army Supply Base |
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Fast Connections Only |
My Sar El Adventure began on May 20, 2005, when I flew to Israel, from the USA, for the 4th time. All of my previous trips to Israel had been on organized tours, which are really a great way to be introduced to this wonderful country, but this time, I wanted to contribute something to help the nation and people of Israel; my labor and sweat. I am not Jewish, but I hold a reverent interest, a fascination really, in Israel, because Israel is the backdrop of Torah, and other scriptures. Without those faithful scribes stubbornly and accurately copying the scriptures, I would not know anything about the wonderful stories of the faithful, like, King David, Joshua, Abraham and Moses. Or about the God, that is revealed in the Torah. To visit the locations told about in the scriptures, is an amazing thing. Anybody can read about the Dead Sea Scrolls, but think about actually seeing the place that they were discovered, or actually look at the rolled out scroll of Isaiah, that is over 2,000 years old, fantastic! I worked on two different bases, one a general supply base in the north, and another, which was a small medical supply base not far from Tel Aviv. I was fortunate enough to be on my Sar El tour during Israeli Independence day, and time was taken at the base to commemorate the event with a traditional toast to the fallen soldiers of Israel. In addition, we had an “eternal flame” at the base for a couple of days that was guarded around the clock. The volunteers were allowed to participate in the guarding of the flame, along with the regular soldiers. I considered guarding the flame to be a special honor for sure, and one that I will not forget. The work was exactly as advertised, menial, but while menial, there was a good variety of different tasks to accomplish, and, because there were many helping hands, we accomplished a lot. Because we felt that we were accomplishing something, we knew that our efforts were valuable. The regular soldiers made us feel welcome, and seemed at times, to be somewhat amazed that folks from all over the world would come to help them; they oftentimes showed their appreciation. Each evening, we had a lecture by our Madrichot or sometimes, by a special guest speaker. The lectures or demonstrations were usually interesting, and most often fun. I went on about 3 Sar El field trips. We had a special guide that went with us as we toured different places in Israel such as, Jerusalem, Safad, and Zikhron Ya’aqov. One weekend, I went on one of the special tours arranged by Pam, the Sar El coordinator. I had such a wonderful time on this extra tour meeting people from other Sar El bases, and seeing several places in Israel that I had never been to before. The “extra tour” was definitely worth the additional money. One the weekends, a bus or shared cab, would take us to either Haifa Rail station, or the Tel Aviv bus station. From there it was really no problem in getting around. The Madrichot are especially good at helping with transportation, and the booking of accommodations. It is not that they are holding your hand during the weekends, but they make arrangements, and are usually available if you need to call them. Oftentimes, people team up with fellow volunteers to explore during the weekends. The train system is a great way to get around, but sometimes on the weekends, they are crowded with soldiers who are either going home or back to duty. One time on the train, I was standing, surrounded by soldiers, in the area between cars. A young soldier named, Mia, spoke good English, and I enjoyed talking to her, she helped me figure out where I needed to go. We eventually found some seats toward the front of the train, and continued our conversation. I stayed at the Sar El Hostel, Bet Odet, a few times and while it is certainly not plush, it is kept clean, and it is located in a wonderful location, if one is on foot. What was going to happen to me during the weekends, was probably the thing that I was concerned about the most before the trip. It was kind of a gray area to me. Sure, there were times when I needed to ask for help, but, for the most part, weekends were more of an adventure than a problem. I could go on and on an on, particularly about my weekend activities, but, I think you probably get the idea. I would put my Sar El experience as one of the very best adventures I have experienced, and I have had a few. I plan on serving Israel through Sar El again sometime in the future.
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Information and applications: |
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For US Residents
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More Information: Sar El, Israel site: |
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