Clarity of Mission; Unity of Purpose - Personal Reflections as a Witness to a Swearing in Ceremony for IDF Soldiers of the Artillery Unit

 Yesterday I was witness to a swearing in ceremony at the Western Wall for incoming soldiers to the Artillery Unit of the IDF. As I struggle to put to words the magnitude of that event I think of a friend who constantly encourages me to use AI for my writing. But how can ChatGTP convey the chills and the emotions of hundreds of young men and women in responding in a thundering Chorus "Ani Nishba, Ani Nishba, Ani Nishba?" Their voices rang out as one as they pledged their lives for the protection of the innocent and fulfillment of a 2000 year old dream. The final speaker addressed the diversity and background of the soldiers and indeed I was surrounded by family members of the recruits from all walks of life: religious and secular, kids who grew up in the city, the suburbs, communes and farms and even a soldier from Ecuador who came to Israel to volunteer and be a part of this sacred cause. 

The spirit of unity to was evident at every turn. As I was chatting with two madrichot, soldiers who teach and train new recruits, we were approached by a "lone soldier" in the recruitment phase. The love and the graciousness of the experienced soldiers was heartwarming as they did not just give her advice but shared their phone number with a total stranger and gave her support and encouragement for her upcoming journey. When I tried to broach a more controversial topic regarding subsets of society who refuse the draft they at first refused to comment, but I did catch a glimpse of her perspective. "We are here for everyone, we are here to protect Israel, we love everyone. I pray, I keep Shabbat, I love everyone". Unfortunately that probing ended the discussion, such is the journalistic risk, testing boundaries of how far people are willing to share. Later, during the ceremony, a sister-in-law of a recruit was a bit - not aggressive, but pushy, in making sure she and her family members had a good vantage point of their loved one, shoving a chair near everyone else so they culd stand on it and have a better vantage point. But then, towards the end of the ceremony when the soldiers were being handed their guns and their Bibles, we heard a Mom complaining: "If only that man would sit down." Someone was blocking her view and her son was about to have his moment, she was missing it and couldn't get a shot.

 "Come on up and take my chair," the young woman said to her. "Are you sure?" she responded. "Definitely - we already got our photo, here let me help you climb up." I was shocked, but on second thought, what was this to what they already shared. What was even more shocking was the smiling faces of all the parents and siblings as they watched the soldiers commit to giving their lives for strangers. Yes this was a moment of joy, a coming of age celebration to see their children grown up and taking on the mantle of adulthood. Pride and gratitude as well, for healthy children who carry a sense of responsibility and patriotism. They were in this together from guns to tanks, from Bibles to chairs. 

The commander who ended the ceremony addressed this as well. Quoting from the Bible he shared that the prophet admonished the soldiers who returned from the battlefield that the war could not be fought with their efforts alone, the toil of the men left behind guarding the vessels was just as critical to the victory efforts and therefore it is incorrect for the spoils, or even just a majority of the spoils, to be split between those who were on the battlefield. No, the rewards should be shared equally with everyone. To me this highlighted the question: who are we fighting for? 

"Tomorrow morning thousands of children across this country are starting school," he reminded us. And though I cannot recall his words he made a clear connection between the new beginnings taking place: the start of the army service for the soldiers standing before him and the start of the school year. This is what it was about. Teaching, loving, thriving and building a future that is noble and beautiful. We do not raise arms against people who wish us harm from a place of hatred or a wish to see death and destruction, god forbid. It is to protect our borders, to protect our country and to allow for our people to grow and prosper; create wonderful things to benefit us and the world. Build a society of mercy and justice so we can live out our sacred biblical values of kindness and truth and be a light onto the world. His words brought home a clarity of mission and a unity of purpose that resonated with me personally and helped me feel that I too had a part in what was happening, though I myself did not enlist when I was a young adult and did not have a family member amongst those who enlisted. I had started a new job that morning as a Speech Therapist in a school for special needs children. I had been out of the profession and the workforce for a while and had never worked with children from that specific population before. Standing there in the crowd I felt part of a mission greater then myself and all the annoyance of the bureaucracy and my fears and trepidation slipped away as I felt encouraged and emboldened by the power of that moment. 

I am honored and grateful to have had the privilege to take part in this ceremony. I applauded the recruits and was moved by the music and the pageantry as they received their guns and their Bibles, prayed with them and their families and felt chills down my spine when they responded to the call and declared their loyalty their fidelity and their life to our country. I am lucky to live in walking distance to the Western Wall and I try to pray there every day. It gives me a reason to wake up every morning and reminds me every day that despite the personal demons I battle, I too have a reason to live. For I know I am part of this greater mission as we all our and their sacrifice emboldens me to play my part, knowing I live not just for me but for a greater purpose. It is not about destroying our enemies it is about conquering evil in the hopes for a future where Gods light will shine on his children and spread to across the globe to all the far flung corners of the earth. Due to my new job, I was unable to go in the morning and went instead for the afternoon prayers, which is how I found myself in the right moment in the right time to be part of this moment in history, the swearing in ceremony of the Artillery Unit for August 2025. I hold back tears as I think about the danger these soldiers face and I prayed then, as I pray now, that their actions bring us safety, security and peace. 

Notes:

October 7th was clear on our minds and was addressed by that same final speaker. It was a time when the IDF failed in his mission and many were sacrificed as a result. The brother of a woman who was murdered on that terrible day was standing among the recruits. That was a poignant moment. 

The biblical connection of the Jewish people was front and center. The first passage of the Book of Joshua was read aloud with the commandments for the Jewish people to settle the land. This is the Jewish trinity, actually the unity of God, the Jewish people and the Torah. In this spirit Bibles were handed to each soldier, a Torah teaching was shared regarding Jewish understanding of the purpose of war and how a jew must prepare for battle and a prayer was recited for Gods protection of these soldiers and all the soldiers with the special "Mi Shebairach" prayer.