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Apr 3, 2016

It Is Not The End, Just A Beginning

Let me be completely honest when I say this, I never thought I would have ended up in Nitzana, Israel again in my life. For anyone in Israel it is quite possibly the end of the earth (or by Egypt). Most Israelis just recall their times in the IDF when training down south in the desert and the shitty Beersheva train station where they used to get home on the weekends. However, for me at this point in my life it is where tell people my family live, my Derech Eretz family.

I just recently came back from a tour of Israel in December to see and get to know the programs our non-profit Fulda Foundation supports from Denver. I initially met Yonatan, one of the Co-Founders of Derech Eretz at a gas station in the Negev. He was literally smiling almost from ear to ear when I came and he instantly told me about Derech Eretz. He told me that I came at a good time because the whole camp from Yeroham (like 30 students) were coming to his house and make pizza.

What Derech Eretz does as an organization is truly magic and I saw it personally. They select teens from all around the country to participate in their pre-army program. There are a lot of these programs all around the country but they try and select the teens with the toughest backgrounds and family history in order to get them into the army but also ready for the special unit tryouts. This is what Israel is about, the second question out of anyone’s mouth is, “What unit were you in?” In a crazy way this is your network of friends and job prospects when you get out of the service and for your entire life.

I know this to be true even for myself as I have left the service six years ago this month. My best friends are mostly still my military friends and its such a great and humbling feeling to have that kind of support network. It seems now as I have witnessed the first class at Derech Eretz we helped support this network is just growing everyday. This my open letter to Derech Eretz graduates of 2016…

Derech Eretz Graduates,

First off, congratulations on completing the Derech Eretz program in the Negev. It is a moment you should feel proud of and no matter what happens in the future nobody can take this away from you. This family we call Derech Eretz only keeps growing every year and Avi as well as Yonatan’s vision is slowly starting to come to life. A lot of times people ask me how have I accomplished all these things in life and I simply tell them, “Von nischt, kommt nischt (from nothing, comes nothing).” Believing in yourself is the first step to achieving your goals. Hopefully you feel the CEOs, the counselors, your parents, even us far away that believed in you have instilled this in your life.

You are about to embark on a journey that most Jews in America and the world can only talk about, serving your country. You may not think it is that big of a deal but it is a very important job not just for Israel but for the world. You are not just protecting the people of the land but also the ideas, values, and love for each other as is written , “Stam Ahavat Yisrael”.

I personally don’t care what job you do in the IDF, the people that have believed in you this far in your life just want you to be the best at what you do. Be the best soldier, the best teammate, the best friend, the best child you can be during this time. It is not easy for any of us that have gotten to know you in these past six months to know that you will be in harms way. However, we know what must be sacrificed in order to keep a place we all love so dearly intact.

As your time in the military comes to an end just know that you have parts of the Derech Eretz family all over the world. I encourage you to explore the world as much as you can and really figure out what makes you happy in life. But until that time actually comes, kick ass, be the best, and never give up on yourself or those around you.

Sincerely, Ben

PS If you ever decide travel to America know that I always have a bed for anyone part of the Derech Eretz family.