An Interview with Keren Pickholz
Speaking with a former IDF soldier and current Terp on Yom HaZikaron
I recently had the opportunity to speak with former IDF soldier Keren Pickholz, a freshman undecided major with a triple minor in history, philosophy and Israel studies here at the University of Maryland. In this interview Keren talks about why she joined the Israeli Defense Force and what Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s memorial day, means to her.
What motivated you to join the IDF?
My primary motivation for joining the IDF began in 5th grade, on Yom HaZikaron, when I saw a video on fallen lone soldier [a non-Israeli who joins the IDF], Michael Levin, for the first time. I was inspired and affected in a way that I cannot really describe in words other than that I knew I wanted to be exactly like him when I grew up. Over the years, my Zionistic identity developed with Michael at the forefront of my mind, and by the time I reached my senior year of high school and I had to make the decision of what comes next, there really was no decision to be made because I knew that going to Israel and joining the IDF was my path.
What was your position in the army?
I drafted to the IDF into the 277th infantry battalion called G’Dud Bardelas, or Cheetah Battalion. I started out as the sharpshooter for my squad and then after my officers and commanders took notice of my good shot, I was sent to snipers’ course for 7 weeks, which ultimately was my position for the rest of my service.
Reflecting back on your experience, what memory stands out the most?
The memory that I think stands out the most for me during my service would have to be from the weekend I spent on the Syrian/Lebanese junction. We were supposed to go home that weekend but on Friday morning, there was an alert that they needed more manpower at the junction so instead of going home, we drove 3 hours all the way up North to a tiny little base right on Lebanon, basically, to secure the border. I had the 4am guard shift on Friday night (the worst shift) and I was standing there, in the pitch black with nothing but the lights of the small Israeli village behind me, with Lebanon and the Hezbollah flags in front of me, and I remember thinking that these people behind me are sleeping safely right now, at 4am on Shabbat night, because I’m doing what I’m doing. I had never felt so fortunate and proud to be an Israeli soldier as I did in that moment. It was honestly incredible.
What does Yom HaZikaron mean to you?
Yom HaZikaron, for me, is a very bittersweet day. First and foremost, it is the day that I realized my dream and in turn, was the first step in a direction that shaped the rest of my life. It is a day where I think about the unfortunate price we must pay to have a Jewish homeland, but how lucky I am to have been able to be a part of something so much greater than myself. This day reminds me that I fought to make sure that those who fell did not fall for nothing. It’s a day for unity, for reflection, and personally, it’s a day to be eternally grateful for what we have and to those who enable us to wake up each morning with Eretz Yisrael.
Is there someone in particular that you think of during Yom HaZikaron?
Everyone in Israel and everyone who has served in the army has specific people they keep in mind today. However, this year, my first Yom HaZikaron outside of Israel since I released from the army, I will be thinking about my friends and fellow soldiers, still in arms, whom I had the privilege of serving with for 2 years. The people who became my family, my home away from home, the reason I can now sit in UMD 6,000 miles away and get an education because I know I left our country in the best hands. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about them and what they have done for me, but today, I will be thinking about them a little bit more.
