Photograph: Jim Line

                                                Sar-El –A Volunteer’s Perspective 

My husband and I have just returned from our first Sar-El experience and have decided that, aside from marrying each other and having our kids, it is the best thing we have ever done in our whole lives.  The adrenaline is still pumping and even though it was a bittersweet leaving of Israel, we have wonderful memories and many new friends to take home with us.

The  Sar-El experience is not for the fainthearted but it certainly is for those who have strong feelings about doing something concrete to serve Israel and the willingness to “put your money where your mouth is” and come to Israel to help.  One of our volunteers put it this way:  “A lot of people say they are a friend to Israel, but REAL friends SHOW UP!”

Our Sar El base was near Tel Aviv and was a medical resupply base.  We spent our working hours cleaning, fixing, recycling, packing and shipping medical supplies to all the military bases in Israel as well as civilian trauma units. Our Israeli supervisors work hard, and don’t know the word “done” in Hebrew. Just when we thought we had finished a project, more equipment magically appeared. We were constantly thanked and praised for the work we were doing even though it seemed to us a small thing  in light of the sacrifices the Israelis have made for 55 years so that we could have a spiritual homeland. As an American, it was nice to know that at least one country in the world loved and wanted Americans at this particular time in our history.

Our fellow volunteers came from all over the world and were about equally divided between Christians and Jews.  We were all working with Sar El in support of the State of Israel and our religions and national origins were irrelevant to that cause. Our bunk covered ages from the 20’s to age 66.  We became very close with the other volunteers, not only because we lived and worked in close proximity but because we had a common focus:  our love for the Jewish State of Israel. The Spartan living conditions, the military food  and inclement weather ( it was the rainy season) were also irrelevant.  Nobody complained because we knew the reason we were there, and it had nothing to do with Five Star Hotels.

We had time for educational opportunities and relaxation after work and on our days off, and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening programs and our Shabbat trips.  On one of these Shabbat trips we traveled to Jerusalem and on the other we went to Ein Gedi. It was nice to enjoy these places as the Israelis do, and not as a tourist.

We are anxious to go to a Sar El program again next year and hope to do some recruiting among the Jewish communities in our area before long. We also hope we can take some of our family members with us next time.

Carol Line