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Hey, my name is Magdalena.
I'm 18 and live in East Germany. This year I had my first Sar El experience.
I was on a base near Ashkelon in the area of Julis. It is a base for
repairing tanks and M 16s. I was there for three weeks (unfortunately only
three ) and worked in the kitchen or on the tanks. It was a great time.
There is no better place to get to know Israelis – what they think, how they
feel, what they fear, their worries – than a military base. Very often we
had time for very good and deep conversations. For example, one day a
soldier asked me: "You are a Christian. You are from Germany. Why are you
here? I thought you hated us?" That shocked me very deeply. And we sat
there on the floor, painting a cupboard, we spoke about this. Now he
believes me that I really love Israel with all of my heart.
Sar- El is a very good thing. I think after my studies I will apply again at
Sar- El. It is so important for Israelis. For them it is so important to see
that there are some people who are interested in their situation, who ask
about their feelings, and who spend time with them. I think it is very
important to show the Israeli soldiers that they have friends and supporters
in the world. Not only enemies. Like in the media. And the best way to show
them this is to go there to a base and to share their experiences. Even
today I'm in contact with some of "my" soldiers who thanked me for being
there.
We must encourage them during this hard time! They need it so deep in their
hearts. And I'm so glad that I had the possibility to do that. It was not
my last time, I'm sure!
Shalom, God bless you,
Magdalena Stein |