Date: July 13, 2016
Author: Oliver Daniel
Theme: Community Week, IDF Day

IDF Day was the second full day of Community Week, and was jam-packed with excitement! First, forty bleary-eyed fellows woke up an hour earlier than yesterday to account for the hour-long bus ride to Ovda Military Base. A base, mind you, which happens to be the home of our very own Naama. Along the way, committee membersexplained the IDF's values and procedures and handed out hand-made goodies like an Eilonto Unit badge and dog-tag (disk), as well as an IDF-style Diller Code of Conduct.  Upon arrival, Naama's welcomed us to the base with a brief video, and the tour began. Our many stops included an up-close view of a fighter jet which could scramble from hangar to air in under five minutes, playing dress-up in fire suits at the fire station, and an air control tower. The tower was especially fascinating: my group got to see a plane land live, and the pilot even agreed to speak to ground control in English for us. Finally, the group visited the base's pluralistic synagogue, which contains both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Torahs. The resident rabbi answered our many questions and helped us understand life on base more intimately.

After a short break in a (thankfully air conditioned) classroom, Yuval G. -or, as her badge read, Captain Yuval - began a small-group discussion activity revolving around donating to or supporting Israel in the Diaspora. Questions like "Why does Toronto have the Walk with Israel? Why not just donate?" were discussed.The discussion culminated with every fellow helping to complete a puzzle that depicted the Israeli flag. This represents the fact that every contribution, big or small, made to Israel helps it become what it is today.

After all the hubbub, Sam S. and I were all too happy to help run a brief meditation exercise to help the fellows relax and focus on the day ahead of them. After whooshing Naama's family, it was time for every Torontonian's favourite part of the day - lunch! Then, it was back on the bus for an hour to a location just outside Eilat. There, it was time for some IDF-style combat training -- err, paintball -- at TOP94! Using their experience, fellows discussed the difficulty of obeying moral code while under pressure.

The final event of the day was a panel with Gad, Idan and Dor's grandfather; Peleg, Suf's sister; and our beloved Richard Summers. In turn, the three veterans spoke about their experiences in the army, each having participated in a different war. Additionally, Richard was able to speak from the perspective of an ole chadash (new immigrant), which gave the Canadians something special to relate to. Afterward, there was time for several questions, all of which elicited interesting discussions.

The closing ma'agal for the day concluded with something special: every fellow wrote down a value close to them and wrote it on their dog tag, so that they can always wear what's important to them and their identity. All in all, IDF Day was a fantastic day, never mind the fact that I assisted in its planning and execution. Everyone on the committee, especially Naama, worked indefatigably and made this day truly unforgettable. The committee, in no particular order and excluding myself: Sam S., Idan I., Naama L., Yuval G., and Shai Z. All of these wonderful people should be commended for their excellent work. I can't wait to see how all the pictures we took turn out!Cheers!Oliver