Last week, South Africa and the Hague sought to teach us Israelis about the "rules of war." In reality, Israel found itself fighting a "war of rules."
I am not going to write about that. After all, as originally stated, my blog is about Josh’s war, not the war.
So this blog is dedicated to "Josh’s rules of war."
Rule #1 “Slow and Steady”
I love off-road cycling. Rough terrain, technical trails, single tracks, and yes, I love uphill.
Right outside my home, I ride to the top of the adjacent mountain. An ascent of 750 feet over a 2-mile distance (%7+ average gradient, with parts being %25+!! ... For the the non-techies, that's really steep!). My younger and less experienced partners usually conk out on the way to the top.
How do I manage to stay in the saddle?
Something I learned from my long-distance running of my long-distant past; from the Nepalese Sherpas; and from Aesop’s fables.
Slow and steady... Slow and steady.
During the war’s first week, enlistment numbers were staggering - at %150. This means that even not-called-up soldiers came, registered, were absorbed and got to work.
My response was “Yay,” but also “Gulp!”
For a war along the lines of the Six-day War, this would be fantastic. The problem is that most wars are drawn out. Recall, the 1967 war was named only on the seventh day. No one thought on Sunday, June 4, “Hey, let’s go start a war tomorrow and have it finished by, oh, I don’t know… let’s say by Shabbat. We’ll be just in time for the chicken soup.”
We typically know when and how wars start, but not when and how they will finish.
So what was my personal concern with the exaggerated enlistment? Saving our reserves (and reservists) for the long haul.
Many people are currently concerned that Israel is losing its momentum by releasing thousands of reservists. This is not true. As long as there is a mission, we have the energies. But part of long term planning is saving those reserves, and reservists, for what may, or will, come next.
Over the past two weeks, I have increasingly felt my war-role as a reservist protecting my city diminishing in comparison to my potential educational role as a tour-educator working with solidarity missions.
And so, today, Sunday January 28th, after 75 days of reserve duty, I went with a few fellow reservists to our army base to demobilize.
Now I transition from military missions to solidarity missions.
But no, Josh’s War is not over.
For one thing, my mission with these missions is hasbara (Israel advocacy), diplomacy and education. A crucial part of this war.
And the other thing, of course only in Israel, as I’m returning my gear to the city’s security office, I bump into Oleg. Oleg is my officer in the Border Police (technically a police unit, but feels like army). He reminds me that I have been approved for the 10-man volunteer emergency response team and that I will be receiving my weapon this week…
Gulp!
As Julie Andrews/Maria von Trapp would say “God doesn’t decommission a tank somewhere without handing you a rifle somewhere else.” (Or did I misquote that?…)
As a rule, wars are drudgery during the event, and glorious in the hazy memory of retired soldiers.
But through my personal experience during this war, even during the long and hard hours, I continually felt truly privileged that I could once again don an olive-green uniform, hold a weapon in my hands, and take part, in whatever small way, in protecting my family, my community, my country and my people.
Rule #2 “The Szenes - Greenfield Rule”
“A voice called and I went
I went because the voice called…”
These words open a poem by Hannah Szenes, the famous Zionist heroine of WWII.
Fellow, tour educator/author Yossi Katz composed a book “A Voice Called” about Jewish-Zionist heroes of the past century. In his introduction he writes “The true test of a hero is not only in hearing the voice.. but in answering the call.”
The book highlights Jewish war heroes and cultural heroes. Heroes in sports and politics. I often recommend this as a good-read for young adults, but it will be appreciated by all.
The book is published by Gefen Publishing House. Gefen was founded in 1981 by my oldest friend (not my oldest friend… my oldest friend) Murray Greenfield (today 97 y.o.). (You can read more about Murray online, or in the chapter dedicated to him in the above book.)
Murray has addressed dozens of my groups (not to mention many hundreds of groups throughout the world) over the past many years.
For me, Murray is a true hero. When the voice called, he heard it, answered it, and he went.
My favorite part of his 90-minute lecture is the end. He very humbly says: “I don’t know if I’ve made much of a difference. But when my turn came, when the @#% hit the fan, (Murray was a sailor and still speaks like one…) I got off of my sorry ass and did something.” Murray would then challenge my young participants. “I’m old, and I don’t understand the world any more. But I see it is a mess. So you people, it’s up to you.” Here he points a bony finger of a yet still very strong hand. “Stop complaining! Get off of your asses and DO something!”
Szenes and Murray have been my long-time inspirations.
I made their challenge mine. Their words challenge me daily.
I challenge myself – how can I continue to make their challenge mine?
I challenge you - how can you continue to make their challenge your challenge too?
My dear readers, whether you appreciate the poetically lofty Szenes or Murray’s sailor-speak… with their words, I am signing off.
“I went because the voice called!”
“Get off your ass and DO something!”
How can we continue to make their challenge ours…?
Love and Blessings,
pJosh