Introducing: “Living That Bodedah Life”
My name is Avital(Tali), you may know me as Adventures of Avital — my blog where I post about how amazing my experience as a bat sherut bodedah is. I post about that because it truly is an incredible experience, but, as is often complained about on social media you only get to see small snippets of my experience and I’m afraid that I haven’t been as honest as I could have.
I have shown you the high points as well as the low but I haven’t let you see how low my low points truly have been. And in doing that, perhaps I haven’t shown you some of the highest points of all. The kind of experiences that could only come from the lowest points. Like when I was sick and couldn’t get out of bed, and instead of showing sympathy, my roommate moved out of the room and avoided me for the week. She was afraid of getting sick. But that only made me appreciate the friends and family who came to visit me even more. But I wish I had been able to express that on a better forum.
This has always been about educating everyone on what it means to be a bat sherut bodedah, but I can’t help feeling like it hasn’t been enough.
I have been messaged with all kinds of questions on Instagram and Facebook and I am always happy to answer them, but sometimes the questions remind me how little people know. Like the time someone messaged me because he didn’t know what a lone bat sherut was at all. It is at times like that when I remember that I am not doing this for me. This is something I am doing for all of us lone bnot sherut, a group that people forget about so often.
I’ve created this new blog with Nefesh B’Nefesh’s Lone Bnot Sherut Program in the hopes of creating a more open and honest conversation about what it means to be a lone bat sherut.
To shine a spotlight on some of the most hardworking and dedicated volunteers in the country. On girls who manage to get by on 856 shekels a month. On girls who do the work no one else would and get no respect in return.
We may be lone bnot sherut, but we are not in this alone.
If you are interested in writing your story, whether you are finished with your service or currently serving. Reach out to lonebnotsherut@gmail.com. We even have a section for our strong mothers, Mothers of Bodedot! If you detest writing, let us know if you want to be featured in our Spotlight section by sending a small bio about who you are and how to reach you by phone. We would love to hear from you and feature you here.
