My Summer with the International Youth Program

Laura Herron

The Israeli soldiers I met did not really understand the VFI / Sar-El volunteers.  I repeatedly had to explain what I was doing at the air force base I worked on for three weeks.  They just couldn't grasp why an 18-year-old American Jewish girl would want to spend her summer volunteering with the VFI / Sar-El program. As the program went on, it became easier and easier for me to answer those questions.

"Why are you doing this?" they'd ask.
"To help Israel"
"To see what it's like in the Israeli army"
"To meet other Jewish kids from around the world"
"To show my support"
"Just to be here.  I love Israel," I'd answer.

It all started after I came back from Israel the first time last April on a synagogue trip. I knew I needed to get myself back somehow...and soon.  I wanted to do something worthwhile in Israel that wouldn't take a lot of money or time because I still wanted to be home part of the summer before going away to college.

Since I had already done a tourist trip and seen most of the important sites, I felt ready to experience Israel in a different way-I wanted to meet some Israelis and contribute something to the beautiful country that had given me so much on my first trip.  When my rabbi told me about VFI /Sar-El program, it sounded as though it would fit my criteria perfectly.  My expectations were certainly fulfilled. 

We were 20 17 to 26 year olds; 75 percent from around the US and 35 percent from places including France, Germany, Ireland and Canada.  Although we had different backgrounds, we shared a common bond- a love for Israel and willingness to give support in the form of service. 

During the day, we did mostly odd jobs around the base like kitchen work and painting-whatever they needed.  Nights were filled with fun evening activities and constant visits from the soldiers we met at work.  After a while, it became clear that what we were doing on the base meant something to the soldiers.  They were excited about having us around.   Our presence was a break in the sometimes monotonous lifestyle of the army.

At first, it didn't occur to me that the soldiers were my age.  The stage of life that they were experiencing was so different from that of other kids ages 18 to 22 that I knew.  They had an acute sense of responsibility for the fate of their country which caught me off guard in the beginning.

By the time I returned home, something had changed in me too.  I was different from most 18 to 22 year olds that I knew.  I felt the same duty for the future of Israel.  It seemed unfair that the Israeli kids-not really so different from American, French, Canadian kids-should be the only ones expected to protect the country that Jews around the world regard as their homeland.  At this critical time in the young state's life, it is so important that supporters of Israel stand up and do something to show their support.  I was able to do this through VFI / Sar-El International Youth Program.