"You're in the Army Now!" . V OOX

1960-1962
Hello everyone,

 Before boot camp

 Boot camp

   Unlike my graduation from elementary school, I have no memory's from my high school Formal Graduation,or the party which followed... Most probably because my friends and I were  excited to become "Real Adults'',who couldn't wait to join the army and begin to defend Israel,our small,vulnerable,  beloved and beloved country!

   Boot Camp cooled off some of our enthusiasm... My greatest difficulty was not the strenuous exercises back-breaking walks, repulsive food, or even sleeping in a one long barrack, with twenty women, facing one another... It was the attempt of our commanders to turn us from Me into We! It felt as if 'They' (the officers) were trying to change my Identity, Personality and Break my Will and Spirit, in order to fit me into a Mold... And I didn’t like it at all, nor was I going to let them do so!

 our Uzis- right

Galia & me(left)

   I made a few friends, with whom I created long and lasting friendships... Galy, who’s bed was across from mine and several others whos names I have forgotten... Boot camp was not exactly the place for my 'Inner Rebel'; which was born in High School was  very unhappy now with the Restrictions and Regulations and was pushing me to brake as many of them as I was able to... One was sneaking to the Officers Showers, which had individual stoles,  in order to escape the dreadful experience of showering together with twenty, naked female solders, in one long and crowded room...By doing so, I took the chance of being sent to military jail, but I was willing take it, just because the crowded showers, reminded photos I have seen, of naked bodies, squeezed together in the Nazi's gas chambers, which were made to look like showers... 

Field training

On a break

   Non of my friends, was willing to join me in the officers showers, mortified that I would even dare thinking about it and suggesting, such a thing! So I went by myself, in spite of the chance I may get arrested if coght X... After Basic Training, we were dispersed among several branches of the military... Even though, the girls were well trained in the use of fire arms, we were not expected to be in the Front Lines... The office I worked in was located in the previous 'Palace' of a prominent Arab family, who ran away when Israel was declared to be a Jewish State..... It was situated on top of a hill and had a breath taking view of the Mediterranean Sea... This 'Mini Palace' belonged to a wealthy Arab Pasha, who abundant it during the war in 1946 and fled with his family, to one of the Arab countries... Judging by the number of rooms, this Pasha, must have had at least ten wives and many children... When the war of independence was over, the Israeli military turned the "Palace" into one of the Central Command Posts, where I was doing clerical work, which was not very suitable for my personality, to put it mildly... It was a delightful surprise to find my friend Henia from boot camp! The two of us became "instant" friends with Zippy, who was working in the office across the hall... Zippi had a terrific sense of humor and the two of us would become lifelong 'Best friends'!

   My job was to send notices to the civilian reserved officers, notifying them about the date of their upcoming Yearly Training, which they must participate, in order to stay fit and ready to fight, in case of    a war...Years later, I would joke that if there was a war, while I served in the army, Israel may be loosing  it because of me... I didn’t mean to do it but I made a real blunder with the paper work... My boss, Major Daniel and I, got along very well and became good friends, in spite of the fact he was my commending officer... Danny told me how in his youth, he wanted to be a writer and like I me, was writing poetry and short stories, but it seems fate sent him to another direction The Military! He admired my gift of writing and the poetry wrote, which I often shared with him, during our lunch break... However, he could also be  very frustrated with me, when he asked for a file, which I couldn't find because I misplaced it... he would often  loose    his tamper and have a fit of anger: “What am I going to do with you?!" He would yell in a frustration Xof a  fatherly commander": I am aware that you would rather be some place else, writing poetry, but you must remember that you are in the army now!!!”  He would later apologize for loosing    his temper, though I couldn't blame him for being angry and made an effort to change and become more organized, but  as much as I tried I was  unable to do so; and like a caring father, he forgave me...

   We began our day at 7:00 a.m and ended it at 6:00 p.m, except for staying for 'guard duty', every two weeks and sleep over on folding beds. with a gun by our side...  Solders like me, who lived nearby our Command Post, were allowed to go home after work hours, so besides our uniforms, there was not much  difference, between us and civilians, who worked in an office, except for the fact that we were not payed Each morning we stood at 'Attention' for the Flag Raising Ceremony and late, would march for several blocks through the narrow streets of Jaffa, in order to be reminded, that we were solders! The delighted (and annoying) neighborhood kids, marched behind us yelling: “left, right, left, right, forward march!”  and the shop kippers, would be stand by the doors, smiling and clapping their hands as we passed by...

Henia

Tsipi

 Henia and Tsipi, were among the girls who were serving together with me, in  the "Green Place" (as we named our 'new home'). The three of us developed close friendship, which would last for many years... At one point, I sugested to   create a social group, in order to hang out after our working hours and on the Sabath, our only day off... We decided that each girl would bring one or two "Quality Guys', so we can have a group of friends to socialize with after work hours and on Friday and Saterday nights... Henia who brought Gadi was amoung the first to get married, Jacob and Tzipi would also become  a husband and wife... The rest of our group, which grew larger, as the years past by, would become a close nietX of          people, which would stay together for many years...X"Accept for Shira, who started the group but left for America!" Years later, I will come with my my husband Al and the two of us invited them to come and saty at our home in califirnia, when they come for a visit to the U.S! And several couples did indid...

   The group usually met at Tsipi’s home, since it was centrally located in Tel Aviv. Zipi's mother past away three years before, when Tsipi was only fifteen. Her father was always out, 'looking for a new replacement', which gave us the freedom from parental supervision...  On Friday nights, when our "Nemesis"X,(the religious Jews) went to pray in their synagogues, we gathered at Tsipi’s  place to play cards which we said was "Our Version of Praying”...We intensely disliked the Orthodox Jews, resenting the fact that because of the religious party in the government, public transportation was forbiden ,on the Sabbath, our only day off ! No one in our group owned a car in those day...We created fun events, like Costume Parties for Purim (a "Jewish Halloween")... listened to records by American and British singers and bands, went together to see good movies, ate in inexpensive restaurants (mostly Arabic food in Jaffa) frequented small theaters and took long hiking trips... These days, most of this original group, who’s members are still together, except for the few who divorced and those who have new partners, after the originals one passed away, the group still gets together once a month, except"Shira, who is in America!"

   No one in Israel would ever admit to dislike being in the army... Many like Henia, even stayed in the military after being discharged (this time getting payed)... For me, serving in the army was a Torment...    It felt as if I was spending time in jail! I couldn't wait for the day I'll be free and go on my planned trip to Europe before continuing to a chosen university in the US...  In the meantime, I started to study at a night school, in order to earn my Credentials as a Hebrew school teacher. I was dating, but refused to have a steady boyfriend, afraid to take any chance, of breaking someone's heart, like I did to poor Moti... Besides no one and nothing was going to complicate my life and stop me from accomplishing my dream of going to America! Tsipi became very excited, when she heard about my plan of studying in the US and decided to join me after completing her military service, which would be seven mounts longer then mine...

   In those days most of the young women got married in their early twenties, usually after completing their military service. The social pressure to have a steady boyfriend, was enormous and I was tormented by my parents to do the same... In a previous post (My Roots) I have written about my father’s sisters, the three aunts who ho never got married.  In later years I would realize, that these aunts were the main cause of the pressure my parents inflected on me, to get married... (Especially my mother!) I didn't realize then that my Fear (almost Phobia) of getting married, was connected to these three unmarried aunts and to my parents fears that I may never get married...

With Love and Light,
Shira