The Sunday after the Tekes, I started the new course which would be 2 months long. Each week, we covered another weapon that we would eventually be teaching to the soldiers. I honestly did not even know how to say trigger in hebrew, so to say the course was challenging at the beginning is a huge understatement! However, the other girls in the course as well as the commanders were extremely helpful and studied with me for countless hours until I understood every word. I am so thankful to everyone that didn’t lose their patience with me, and when I thanked my friends for helping me a thousand times, they kept saying I was crazy for thanking them and that if they had to do all of this in English, they would run away!
We woke up at 6:30 every day, cleaned, and went to the rising of the Israeli flag. Then classes started. We would be in class from 8 until lunch, then from the end of lunch to dinner, from the end of dinner to 11:45 at night. The material itself (once I started to understand) is so so interesting. We learned about hand grenades, guns that shoot hand grenades, two different types of rockets/ missiles you shoot from the shoulder that blow up houses and armoured vehicles, a weapon that blows open any type of door. Really amazing weapons that have been used in Israel’s wars and will continue to be used to defend our country. Each week, we took multiple tests on the weapon we were learning about - we learned the basic level of the weapon - what the soldier learns- and then the advanced or “instructor” level that we as instructors have to know. Each girl was then assigned two classes to organize and give over to us and the commanders. The commanders would act as annoying or problematic soldiers to see how we would deal with them and to show us that sometimes, we won’t get the easiest group of guys to teach. At the end of each week, the commander would sit with each of us one by one and tell us strong points and weak points about our lesson. After relaying a dozen lessons on material I am going to be teaching, I felt a lot more confident and comfortable with the hebrew and standing in front of the class teaching. 
We also have to know how to shoot the weapons themselves - so once a week we went down to the field, built our targets and learned how to shoot the weapons. Before I came to the army, I wouldn’t have classified myself as the outdoorsy type, but after spending days on days in the field, I have come to really love and appreciate being out there. We also learned how to coach someone in the field while they are shooting because that is half of our job as instructors.
One Sunday, we went to the headquarters in Chaifa of Rafael - an Israeli company that makes a ton of weapons and sells them to the army - including the Iron Dome!! They invented two of the weapons we teach, so we went there and met with the inventors themselves, and they gave us a few hour class. It was so amazing to be in a place with the brains behind such incredible forms of defense - especially that they were all so normal and classic Israelis. Really made me proud to be a part of this country. On the way to Chaifa, the bus stopped at a bus stop, and there was a mom trying to get on the bus with her stroller and baby. Without hesitation, a soldier sitting in front of me got up and ran off the bus to help the mom fold the stroller to put underneath the bus. Instead of letting the soldier help with the stroller, the mom immediately gave the soldier her baby while she proceeded to fold the stroller, put it away, and get on the bus with the soldier and baby following behind her. Only in Israel do you see someone trust a stranger enough to hand him her baby… Only in Israel do you see a 20 something year old guy run off the bus to help a mother and child like that !
We also spent one day of the course volunteering at a school for special needs’ students. We set up stations that each group of students passed through - I ran the painting station with my friend Rebecca, another lone soldier from Australia. We sat them down around a table, handed out paints and paper and told them to paint whatever they want. Before we started, Rebecca and I explained that we came from the army to be with them for the day, etc. and that we are something called lone soldiers, meaning our families live outside of Israel. I didn’t expect them to understand or care when we said that, but I was completely wrong. They all showed, in their own special way, complete respect and awe for what we were doing and shared their own dreams of joining the army. They absolutely loved that we weren’t from Israel and were still in the army, and I hope it inspired them to join as well. Mentally disabled people in Israel get an exception from the army, but many join nonetheless. It was truly an inspiring day to be around people who despite their circumstances are so happy… and even more so, to have had the chance to serve as an example for them in uniform was a privilege!
After two long (and seemingly endless) months, we finished the course. I am very lucky to say that during the weekends, I always had someone in Israel visiting me… My brother and sister and parents came at different times throughout the two months, so I always had something to look forward to during the long weeks.
My garin also had our shabbat garin - a shabbat every four months that everyone in the garin comes home for the weekend. I wasn't able to join everyone Thursday night because we were taking tests, but thankfully I was able to go for Friday & Shabbat. On friday we went to a spring in Jerusalem & on Shabbat, we all spent such quality time together. Seeing all of my garin was truly amazing. Garin Tzabar truly becomes your family in Israel because they are the only ones who truly understand what you're going through as a lone soldier. I love my garin so much & am so lucky to be apart of such an incredible group.
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| Shabbat Garin |
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