Hey! Tell us a little about yourself!
I’m originally from South Africa. When I came to Israel, I studied in a Hesder Yeshiva and then drafted to the IDF while living in the yeshiva dorms. As time passed, I realized that it wasn’t the right place for me on various levels but it was difficult to move as I was in the middle of the main officer’s course. I needed a new place to go to, so I contacted Rav Kwalwasser, and he said: “Come on over as soon as you want. Just give us five minutes’ notice before you get here and we’ll make sure your bed is ready!” From that moment, I realized Lev LaChayal was the right place to be; they were so open and warm without even knowing who I was. In my free time, I love learning, drumming, and writing music.
Why did you decide to draft to the IDF?
I decided to draft to the IDF because I want to be a part of the Jewish people in Israel: Both from a more selfish perspective of integrating into Israeli society by going to the army, and the incredible zchut to serve the Jewish people in this way.
What do you do in the army?
My unit is called ‘The Center for Logistical Exercises,’ which is one of the units that make up “The National Center for Ground Forces Exercises.
Essentially, we prepare the logistical teams (called “Palsamim”) of combat units for war. This includes all the logistics, from bringing food and weapons to the frontlines to making sure we know the location and status of every soldier in the unit at all times.
The exercises are run by a group of trainers like me, each one with a different specialty when it comes to the logistics of war. My specialty is the logistics of fallen soldiers on the frontlines. This involves identification of the soldiers and evacuation from the battle as quickly as possible, all while under enemy fire. There are also unfortunately situations in which bodies are not entirely whole after a soldier has died, yet we train the units how to bring as much as possible to “kvurat Yisrael”.
Could you briefly explain the role of a Katzin (officer) in the IDF?
A Katzin (Hebrew for officer) is a soldier who has been chosen and trained to be in positions of authority within the military. It is the basic qualification in payment to rise up the command structure and most jobs of higher authority and responsibility require one to be an officer.
When and why did you decide to become an officer?
For the same two reasons that I decided to join the IDF. To contribute and serve as much as I can, and to better integrate into Israeli society were two guiding reasons that pushed me to join the army and I can do each of those at a much higher level as an officer. Additionally, I was unfortunately not allowed or able to join a combat unit because of my bad asthma. I spend a lot of time in the field running exercises, but I’m not a combat soldier myself. It was tough for me to see all my friends going to combat, and I felt that I could really do more.
What is the officer’s course like? What’s the structure of the course?
There are four parts to the officer’s course. The first is an initial application process in which you have to do many tests and interviews. These occur both within your unit and then, after you pass that stage, an additional application process in payment to be accepted to be an officer in the army. Wherever you’re an officer, you’re representing the IDF as a whole, and acceptance just from your unit is not sufficient.
The second stage is a preparatory course, which is usually about two weeks long. This will train you for many of the challenges you will come across in the main course (Bahad 1). Additionally, it’s the final check to see if you have what it takes to be an officer.
The third stage is the main officer’s course itself. You spend a lot of time learning about and shooting guns, learning the theory of war, building leadership skills, team building, and a lot of personal growth. The people in these courses are the commanders of the future — they need to be ready.
One thing to keep in mind: the main officer’s course is more generic and consists of a mix of everyone in the army. Just in my small group, there were pharmaceutical logistical commanders dealing with millions of shekels worth of medication, sailors from the navy, soldiers in intelligence, and mechanics from the airforce. That’s the beautiful thing about this stage; you really meet so many incredible people and learn about the army from a macro perspective.
The final stage is a specialization course for your specific job. The purpose of this is to make sure that you’ll be able to apply all of the leadership and growth techniques you’ve learned in a practical way.
Did you enjoy the course?
There were some really fun times in the course, and there were some tough times. There’s a huge amount of work. Among other things, we needed to write a lot of essays and complete plenty of projects. We needed to do certain types of planning for things as one would do as an officer in the army. The good times and the hard times were very rewarding. Sure, some things were challenging, but all in all, even if I didn’t enjoy every second, I’m very, very happy that I had this experience.
How has Lev LaChayal helped you throughout your IDF experience?
I’ve only been in Lev LaChayal for a couple of months, but the fact that in a very challenging time, I was able to reach out and the answer that I got was “give me five minutes notice before you come” was the exact words that I needed to hear at that moment. Every second since I just felt the warmth from everyone (Special shout out to Mrs. Schamroth; she is terrific!). Unfortunately, I’ve been stuck in the army a lot, so I haven’t had a chance to meet everyone, but those that I have met have been very friendly and welcoming.
Any parting words?
Even if you don’t go to a combat unit, it doesn’t mean that your service needs to be any less meaningful or important. You will need to push and find places to have significant experience in the army, but you should never feel bad about yourself. Each job in the IDF is an integral piece without which the military couldn’t function.
Even if you don’t have fun in the army, or are just going through a tough time, remember that the experiences that you’re having, especially at this age and this stage of your life, are strengthening and building. In the officer’s course, there were some really difficult moments and I’m so, so happy that they happened because they really helped me become the person that I am at the end of the course.
Finally, just because you’re a lone soldier or a new immigrant doesn’t mean you can’t go places in the army. When I first drafted, my Hebrew was terrible. But I worked at it, and now, thank G-d, I’m an officer.
