Twice this past week on our visit to Israel, my family and I volunteered with an organization called Pa’amon (“Bell”), which was created in memory of fallen soldier, Major Hagai Bibi. Hagai died defending the western Negev community of Kissufim from a terrorist attack in 2003. To honor their son, Hagai’s parents, Tzvia and Nissim, founded Pa’amon in his memory. For over twenty years, Pa’amon volunteers have gathered to show their support for IDF soldiers and security forces with barbecues, music, and words of appreciation.
We helped prepare and serve a delicious meal and spent time talking to soldiers and members of Mishmar Ha’Gvul or “Magav”, a division of the Israeli police force responsible for securing the nation’s borders.
More than sixty Pa’amon volunteers take turns showing up week after week for the young soldiers and police officers who risk their lives every day to keep Israel’s citizens – Jews and Arabs alike – along with tourists and guests from all over the world of all races, religions, and ethnicities, safe from harm.
In the middle of this terrible, painful war, I was inspired and uplifted by the resilience, courage, good-humor, strength, and decency of the IDF soldiers and Magav personnel. As we spoke to these young people, many just out of high school, we received their words of thanks to which we replied, “Don’t thank us! We’re here to thank you for keeping us safe and sound. The least we can do is provide a nice meal and a chance to relax for a bit.”
One soldier told us that there was a canine unit as well as horse patrol on the base. When we told him how much we love dogs, he asked if we wanted to meet them and we then got to spend a half-hour visiting Bruno, Charley, Tomas, and Chiquito. We also paid our respects at a small memorial that includes the names of Magav dogs who died in the line of duty.
Towards the end of the barbecue, a unit of Magav officers came in directly from the field. They had on all their gear including body armor, helmets, and weapons. They were hot, thirsty, and hungry. We helped pile their plates with kabob, grilled chicken, and steak. With big smiles on their faces they told us, “todah rabbah she’batem–thank you for coming!” Again and again, they thanked us for coming all the way from Los Angeles to help serve them a meal.
The Pa’amon leadership also spent a few minutes telling the story of Major Hagai Bibi’s courage. They want these young people, most of whom were born after Hagai was killed, to know that we as a community remember the sacrifices that others have made that enable us to live in and visit this extraordinary place, a land, as described in this week’s Torah portion, “flowing with milk and honey” where we do not have to live in fear because we have brave soldiers keeping us safe from harm.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoshi