Well, I officially finish basic training on Tuesday. I can’t believe it is over. I have not been updating my journal due to lack of time and that itself should stand as a testament as to how little free time I have.
A few notes and observations.
1 – I learned how to shoot and M-16; rather, I learned that I don’t know how to shoot well. If a terrorist would be standing directly in front of me, there is only a 50-50 chance I would hit him with a bullet. I would probably have better luck using the back of the gun or throwing my canteen.
2 – I did Shmirah (guard duty.) When you learn to do shmirah you are that if you see someone first you yell “ta’atzor” (stop in Hebrew). If he keeps going toward you you say “wakaf anna batuhah” (stop or I’ll shoot in Arabic). If he still goes toward you, shoot two warning shots. Then if he is still going advancing, you shoot.
Forget the Hebrew, certainly forget the Arabic. If there is a suspect, I’m not taking any chances. I’ll yell “stop or I’ll shoot” in ENGLISH and fire. My aim is so bad that it probably won’t hit him and will serve as a warning shot. If it does hit, well, then I guess that is God’s will.
3 – I made a lot of great friends in my short amount of time in the army. I remember when I first got there and had no one to talk to any time and didn’t even care for my breaks. Now I enjoy every break and even time in class. It also made the Shabbas in the base especially special.
4 – The army is very accommodating about religious stuff; although the people in the army are ignorant. They do stupid and insensitive stuff, but if you just tell them, they are more than accommodating.
5 – Shlav bet (tier 2 – the program I am in) prepares people for one of five options in the army. The options are (1) truck driver, (2) auto mechanic (3) handy man (4) driving huge bulldozers, mostly for search and rescue or clearing out mine fields, (5) chem and bio hazard control, used often for clearing off tanks in war or controlling the army in the case of chemical or biological warfare. You can also write in whatever options you want but you need some pull to get into something else. I will know what I will get in a week or two. I chose Handyman and put in a request for Rabbi.
This is the schedule for shalv bet: 5 weeks basic training. Those with a low level of Hebrew (and I mean really really low) do ulpan for 2 months. Those with a satisfactory level are stationed doing something somewhere for 2 months (I’ll tell you when I know later this week.) Then you take a course for one of the things mentioned above for 3 months, and you go home and do regular Meluim (yearly service). I am not sure if during the time in classes you have to do other stuff like shmira (guard duty), I’ll find out when I happens.
6 – The army is not very organized. It can be really frustrating. They teach you to value time dearly and then waste it on nothing. It is also difficult to schedule your life during army service.
7 – This past week we visited
8 – Last week we visited the border by
A word on Har Dov (the
7 comments:
i too have made aliyah at 22 and soon will be drafted. I appreciate your site it is very informative and helpful, especially since no one has ever wrote about what goes on in shlav bet. I wanted to ask you a question, you mentioned that this training trains you for 5 jobs which you listed. I wanted to know of your knowledge what are the possibilities of doing other things in the army, per se intelligence and if it is possible to lengthen ones service in order to serve in one of those units???
Here are a list of other possibilities and how to get them:
1 - Dober Tzahal - speaker for Tzahal. This is interesting. You respond to media etc. You need some connections (all the guys in dober tzahal had to speak with their connection and have an interview beforehand.) Also, all of them except for one had to sign on for an extra six months.
2 - Tzelum Tzahal - Cameraman for Tzahal. I saw someone with with this badge. You probably need connections just like dober tzahal.
3 - Engineer - One guy got to sign on. He already had an engineering degree. He had to sign on for an extra six months, but was told me can easily get out early if he wants (we'll see if that's true in six months)
4 - Working with computers - again, the guy had to sign on for an extra six months and already be familiar with computers. He is working a day job at lishkas giyus.
5 - Lawyer - 2 guys already had a law degree. They had so sign on for 2 years.
6 – Army intelligence – One guy was taken because he was from Morocco, so he already spoke perfect French and Arabic. Another guy is still trying to get in and is awaiting a response. Either way, you’d have to sign on for at least 2 more years
7 – Rabinical Aithority – Stay tuned for my next post.. this is a doozy
I'm 24, married, and will be going into shlav bet soon. I have some protexia with dover tzahal and will have an interview before my giyus... Any word on how the one individual was able to avoid the additional six months?
Only one person avoided the extra six months and that is because he knew had an irregular protexia. Most people knew the head of dober tzahal and interviewed with her; her interviewed with someone completely different. It seems the army will only give you something different if you'll sign on for extra time. The only other job you can get without signing on more time seems to be being in the Rabbinate. I hear that they may now even offer it an one of the options. The jobs are either (1) RaKaz Da'at - assistant Rabbi - which is what I just finished a course to do and (2) Mashgiach kashrut - which means one week on the base and then the next at home.
hmmmmmm.... That's frustrating. My protexia is someone who served 3 years in dover tzahal, and then served for maybe a month or two more during the war in Lebanon, and she's working on getting me the interview, so I guess that's the "normal protexia." I guess it's worth still giving it a shot though and seeing if I can get around the extra six months. What's it like being an assistant rabbi? How much do you have to know to get that gig? What does it entail on a day-to-day basis?
Regularly, being a RaKaz Da'at entails going around and making sure that everything is ok in the beit k'neset and anywhere religious in the base (ie the eiruv.) If anything needs to be fixed or ordered (sefer Torah etc.) you arrange a car and driver and take care of it. Besides that you go around and talk to soldiers about anything and everything religious that is on their mind. Sometimes you learn with the Rav and help him prepare any shiurim.
I am serving in BaHad 11, where I help out with whatever the coodrinator of religious affairs desires. Sometimes it is tedious and annoying, but sometimes it is quite interesting and opens my eyes to things around the army.
If being in the Rabbanate is not one of the options they present at basic training, then just say you want to work in the Rabbinate. They'll send you to BaHad 11 (everyone has to go there to find a course) and your fate will be decided there. Don't sign on for more time, even if they tell you you have to. It is a lie. I and two other people are all working in the Rabbinate and none of us signed up for extra time. The Katzin Meyin tried to trick one guy into signing into two years, but he held his ground and he, like all of us, is going to be done at the end of 6 months.
Hey Degani! It's David Shabbat, what's up?
I've just read your "akaf wan ana batuha" stuff!
"Forget the Hebrew, certainly forget the Arabic. If there is a suspect, I’m not taking any chances. I’ll yell “stop or I’ll shoot” in ENGLISH and fire. My aim is so bad that it probably won’t hit him and will serve as a warning shot. If it does hit, well, then I guess that is God’s will"
I loved it, I suppose I would have done exactly the same, but in FRENCH ;)
I hope everything is going fine for you!
see you!
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