What makes Israel special compared to all other countries? This is a question we have been exploring since our arrival, and I have found the most distinct answer. Havat Hashomer.
Havat Hashomer is a basic training unit in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) located in the Galilee. There young women commanders train male soldiers who come from troubled backgrounds ranging from violence to theft and everything in between. In Israel, it is mandatory for kids not much older than us to serve in the army, and those who are incapable of doing so are generally looked down upon by society. In order to reverse this downward spiral, Havat Hashomer trains the soldiers for the army, and therefore gives them another chance at a better life.
Together we heard a presentation about the structure of Havat Hashomer and then we were divided into groups, each hearing from a different commander. The commander who talked to my group is named Orianne, and she is nineteen and a half years old commanding men ranging from eighteen to twenty years old. Before beginning to talk to us she led us to a point on the army base that is very special to her. At this point we could see the most beautiful view of the mountains and horizon in the Galilee. She continued to tell us that her soldiers asked her if they could all meet there every morning so they could look into the mountains and start their stressful, physically and emotionally intensive days, with a beautiful and relaxing image.
In order to give us a glance into her life as a commander, she shared with us her most difficult experience. This occurred with one of her soldiers named Barack, who did not follow orders and went to his room. Orianne went to Barack’s room to get him, and he began screaming at her while they were the only two in the room. Now you must understand that Orianne is probably between 4′ 6″ and 4′ 8″, so imagine a powerful man screaming over her uncontrollably alone in a room. In this situation along with many others, Orianne stressed the importance of staying calm, listening to them yell while never yelling back, and standing your ground and not taking a step back despite how close they get to you.
To contrast, she also shared her most rewarding experience. In this story, she told her soldier to look for a dream and follow it. He soon told her that his dream is to finish Havat Hashomer, become a fighter in the army, and then return and work as an overseeing commander at Havat Hashomer. Seeing her light up so proudly while talking about the success of her soldiers was incredibly inspiring.
Ending the event, she left us with the message that she tries to convey to the soldiers. She tells them that they should acknowledge their past, but it does not reflect the people they are and that it does not matter. They must believe in themselves to change their paths and embrace their opportunity of having a blank slate to start over. The IDF is the only army I know of that invests money, time, and energy to better the lives of difficult soldiers to socially integrate them into society.