A Profound Moment... of Silence

Today is Israel's national memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror attacks.  As on every Israeli memorial day, there is a 1 minute moment of silence at 11am. 
This is not like any moment of silence I have ever taken part in.  I stand on the street in statue-like reverence, surrounded by others in equally still poses.  A woman's cigarette burns in her hand. 
In my relatively short time in this country I have experienced a deep exposure to the reality of Israeli life.  I have spent 6.5 years here.  Not a lifetime.  Not even half of my young life.  Yet in this chapter of my life here I have felt the sacrifice, I have seen the pain, and I have the faces of lost friends burned onto my conciousness .  My moment of silence is filled with images of my young compatriots who fell defending their homes and the ideals thats stand among them.  All of this is reinforced by the stand-still scene that surrounds me on a busy street in Tel Aviv. 
There is much behind this fervently observed moment of silence.  Seeing the cars come to a stop; their drivers standing alongside in the street, the never-ending stream of city busses sitting in their places, the throngs of pedestrians on the sidewalks, all standing motionless and deep in thought. 
This scene means something.  It means that the sacrifice laid down by the hero soldiers we stop and remember today, was not in vain.  The people here remember.  The loss of a soldier matters.  The nation cares. 

Each soldier that falls in the line of duty here is remembered as a hero, and their deeds will never be forgotten or taken for granted. 
This is why the Israeli Defense Force is the best army in the world.  The whole country stands behind us.  The whole nation cares.

The Passing of a National Hero

This morning I learned of the passing of Zvi Shafir ז"ל, the grandfather of good friends of mine here in Israel. This man was a great representative of a fantastic generation here who pioneered the establishment of the modern Nation of Israel. He was one of the lucky Jewish refugees from a morally tattered Europe who made it to then Palestine and toiled to create this country for the generations to come. Zvi was part of a generation who will hold legendary status in the lengthy annals of Jewish history. It is of my opinion that proper tribute can hardly be paid to Zvi and the many others of his time who created a new future, pride, and a hope of surviving and prospering for the Jewish People. I feel lucky to have known him. His passing simply highlights how my young generation must truly cherish the opportunity to still sit and learn first-hand of the tribulations of those times over 60 years ago.

Please take some time to watch this incredible video interview produced just weeks before his death by his granddaughters:

Zvi's Memories from Gustavo Sales on Vimeo.

A Thanksgiving Feast for the Immigrants

Hi all and happy Thanksgiving.
We had close to 100 people at our Thanksgiving potluck feast / party last night and it was an amazing networking event for all. Introducing the new immigrants here to each other and especially the young people in the army goes a long way in helping those who need it. It is the network of support between us all that is so priceless in Israel. I cooked up two giant birds for the celebration as well. The most important thing is simply connecting everyone.

This brief article that was in The Jerusalem Post today gives a summary and quotes me about the event. In case you don't know, a "Lone Soldier" is some one who came from another country to join the army in Israel and has no immediate family (parents) in the country.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243016253&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Magen David Adom, Tel Aviv

An exposure like no other.

As an active volunteer EMT with MDA Tel Aviv, Israel, I see the inner workings of the city from the streets to people's homes. As a new immigrant in this society, no other experience has so intimately introduced me to the city and the country as a whole. It provides me with a unique cultural exposure by entering peoples homes across all strata of society.















With much of the "clientele" being elderly, this has given me a great opportunity to learn their amazing stories. This is the generation who escaped the persecutions of Europe and elsewhere in the world and established this country.

For example, this last Sunday during my shift on the intensive care ambulance, we took an 87 year old woman to the hospital with chest pain and other irregularities. On the way, I was responsible for monitoring her status as closely as possible. One of the best ways I have learned to do that is just by talking conversationally.
Captivating my imagination, she told me of her journey through British displaced persons camps in Cyprus as a Holocaust refugee from Poland. Glaring at the wrinkled blue tattoo of still legible numbers in the center of her forearm, what she described to me was the long story short. She came through the flames and built this place from scratch.

This incredible generation is, sadly and inevitably, being taken to the hospital by day and night more than I'd like to admit. I am profoundly grateful for my exposure to their lives and stories, and realize that this is an opportunity that will not exist for my children.

The stories and experiences must live on through us.

More on this to be posted soon...