Vol.41, No. 7
Tamuz-Av 5779
August 2019
Highlights of My Recent Israeli Visit - Part 2
By Cantor Elias Roochvarg
Cousin Hillel took me to Sde
Boker, the home of David Ben
Gurion after he retired from be
ing (Israel’s first) Prime Minister.
Nearby is a campus of the Uni
versity of Beersheva, now called
Ben Gurion University, at which
one of their areas of study is Des
ert Studies. Makes sense! We are
surrounded by Midbar Tzin, the
Wilderness of Tzin, where the
Children of Israel wandered on
their way to the Promised Land.
Ben Gurion went in the opposite
direction: He lived most of his life
in the Promised. Land, but retired
to the Wilderness - by choice; he
was fascinated by the desert and
the challenges it posed.
One of the most recognizable
things about him was his hair (not
unlike Larry of the Three Stoog
es), so below is a photo of him
getting it “trimmed” ... by the
same guy (the caption tells us)
who shears the sheep.
There is also an iconic photo
of him standing on his head at the
beach. I did not see that photo,
but saw an interesting variation;
he is standing on his head at the
beach, but with a cell phone in his
hand. And his trunks say Speedo.
Two great anachronisms.
Each of the four walls of his
study is lined, almost floor to
ceiling, with books. They used to
say of him that some politicians
take bribes, other accept expen
sive gifts of travel, etc. You want
to please Ben Gurion? Give him a
good book.
A few miles away from his hut
Ben Gurion's famous haircut by the
sheep-shearer.
is his and his wife’s final resting
place, in the middle of a plateau
in the desert with a magnificent
view all around. Hillel says B-G
had excellent taste in choosing
that spot, for its natural beauty.
Back to the Army Base
After our first weekend, we
had been told to meet in front of
the Tel Aviv station at 8:45. We
were all there by 8:50, and the
bus left promptly ... at 9:40. Wel
come to Israel!
On Monday, April 8, at flag
raising there were several onlook
ers whom I had not seen before.
Maybe they were just joining us.
It was explained to us that there
is an Israeli organization which
finds people with special needs
to volunteer on army bases. It
was also explained that the Israeli
army has been gradually includ
ing adults on the Autism spec
trum, not as volunteers, but actu
ally as soldiers. As the father of
a special needs adult that makes
me very proud. Our Madricha
said that in so many places spe
cial needs folks are ignored and
excluded, but no longer in Israel.
Way to go, Israel!
One day I was given a differ
ent task than usual: painting some
of the industrial shelving. Not
having done this sort of paint
ing since summer camp, I forgot
that industrial paint is not water
soluble, so when we finished, I
walked back to the barracks, and
discovered that soap - even when
applied vigorously - removes al
most none of the paint. Oh well,
it’s been a learning experience ...
and not just about Israel
That night’s evening activity,
in preparation for a trip we will
be making to Remembrance Hall
on Mt. Herzl, was a talk about
love and loss: the sacrifices so
many families here have made
An iconic photo "turned on its head. ”
and continue to make for the
state. We were taught about one
of the thousands of young Israe
li victims, a 23-year old soldier
(the same age as two of my own
children) on guard duty named
Hadas Malka, an instructor in the
training program, who was fatally
stabbed two years ago while fend
ing off a terrorist. She was from
an observant family and was slain
on a Friday afternoon. A knock
on her parents’ door the next day
forever shattered their Sabbath
peace. A friend of the victim
composed a song in her memo
ry, which our Madricha played a
recording of There wasn’t a dry
eye in the room.
We were taught about Yom
HaZaikaron, the day before Israel
Independence Day, when a siren
sounds, at which, if you are driv
ing - even on the highway - you
get out of your car and remain at
silent attention till the siren stops.
And of course whatever you are
doing, you stop and contemplate
the sacrifices this country has
made to survive. I already knew
about Yom HaZikaron because
I have participated in its obser
vance in Charlotte. I think that
among the thousands of graves in
the military cemetery, the average
age is 18 or 19. A whole genera
tion lost!
Ben Gurion's office.
The resting place of David Ben-Gurion and his wife.
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