Various Comments
edited by Hadas Baldwin

My three weeks as a Sar-El volunteer in a nursing home in Rison LeTzion was as worthwhile a three-weeks as I have ever spent.
I learned so much. Never again will I gripe about my arthritic ankles after dealing with people who wish for any sensation at all below their waist. I will always be grateful for whatever health I have after seeing people so much worse off and bearing their affliction with grace and dignity. I learned that care giving is hard work, hard physically and even harder emotionally. But the rewards are also great. The smiles on the faces of the nursing home patients when my wife and I entered the room made it all worth while. For they knew that we would treat them with dignity and respect. And we knew that we would feel a little better about ourselves.
In short, we gave a bit of our time, but took away so much more than we gave.
Morton Friedman, Sep 2002

For me as a first timer everything was a wonderful surprise and a major happening (especially the day I joined an Israeli soldier to raise the flag) for the returnees, they spent time comparing this experience to others previously (I think one couple was a 6th time return). I spent many hours dating and packaging atropine (and every day said a prayer that I hope it will never be used) and joined in listening to how the others in our group sterilized surgical field equipment, set up medical trunks and counted and packaged medical supplies. We had many things in common BUT most importantly we were all avid Zionists with incredible love of Israel. Although we also had many differences, they didn't seem to matter, they simply added to the diversity of the experience.
Laura Green, Oct 2002

Though I did not speak language, in Israel I was at home with the family. It just came to me that -- THERE IS A COUNTRY WHERE I CAN STAND IN A CORNER AND YELL: I AM JEWISH
and in response, people will shake their heads "We know that, you nut, but what is it you're trying to say?"
Alex Belenky, Oct 2002

I came to Israel on a whim for ten days with the Birthright Israel program. As well as the Birthright program helped me to realize my deep love for Israel, I knew those ten days were not enough. I signed up for Sar-El, and ended up staying as a volunteer for over four weeks! I had such a great time. I worked every day in a big shop with both Israelis and volunteers from all over the world cleaning, sanding, painting, and greasing tank parts for the Israeli army. I wore a uniform every day, ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with soldiers, and slept in bunks. Every night we had educational speakers or some kind of excursion outside of the base, within Israel. Volunteering with Sar-El allowed me to feel like I was really doing something to help Israel and the IDF, hands-on. During my four weeks with Sar-El, I met great people, learned a lot about Israelis, the army, and myself.
Dana Zemel, Sep 2002