December, 2007

This was my first time doing the Sar-El program and I loved every minute of it. I'll be back very soon, no doubt, probably next spring. The soldiers were wonderful to us, they treated us so well. I was amazed at their maturity and sparkling spirit and the sense of humor we encountered, particularly in our work managers and our madrichot.

Everyone at our base bent over backwards to look after us and make us feel welcome. The work was fun and it felt like we really achieved something, even on a small scale.

Hopefully we also made a little contribution to the efforts of the IDF and 'our brigade' in particular. I also really appreciated how much effort our madrichot, Yaara and Techiya, put in to plan activities for us. I hadn't expected such an investment in us.

All of the evening activities were fun and educational, some of the talks by soldiers were very touching and the trips were amazing. I learned so much about different aspects of life in Israel and the IDF - it was brilliant! 

For now I wish you a Happy Hanukah and hope to see you again in Israel very soon!

Kat Richberg