This is a story that can only happen in Israel. Our dear friends Amir and Nicole Bem recently visited their son Ariel at his IDF army base. Here are the proud father’s impressions of the day…
“We attended a ‘parents day’ at our son Ariel’s IDF base yesterday where families are allowed to visit and walk around the base.
“There were some speeches and soldiers who had performed above and beyond were called up for a special citation.
“But what we were not expecting was when they called Ariel to the stage to award him his new rank of ‘Segen’ ( Lieutenant First Class), they also called me and Nicole to the front as well!
“What other army asks the soldier’s mother to come up and remove the old insignia from her son’s uniform and put on the new one? A very special army that’s for sure. The battalion commander made a little speech about Ariel and how he was such an exemplary officer.
“Afterward, I spoke with the commander of the base, Ariel’s direct boss. He’s been in the army for 15 years. The base commander is married with four children and the nature of his work means that he is away from his family for one Shabbat out of three and usually one or two nights a week as well. He said that he could not imagine a more fulfilling job. Every day he gets up knowing that he is protecting the Jewish people. He said that this was something we could not do in the Holocaust and that he feels humbled to merit having the incredible opportunity to do so now.
“As we drove home the sun was setting into the Mediterranean and the hills around us were illuminated in a golden glow. The awesome view outside matched what I was feeling inside.”
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