IDF Day!

We may live in different countries, experience different cultures and while going to the army at age 18 is certainly not the norm in Canada as it is in Israel, there is a special something that connects us all.  There is one common language we all speak, it's a web of emotions strewn between us. We all feel sadness, happiness, pain, elation... While we watched a movie on a fallen soldier and Israeli dillers shared personal stories, we were all lying in this very web, experiencing grief and pain all together.
But this intricate web also allows us to enjoy certain emotions together as well.  At the Ramon Airforce Base, we watched in anticipation as three F-16i planes took flight on the runway. This was something completely new to me, and I think to most of the Canadians, as soldiers in uniform and army weaponry are certainly not the norm in Montreal.
However, something common does exist between the two countries: our ability to care for veterans of war. Here in Be'er Sheva, we visited בית הלוחם, a centre for victims of war and terrorism attacks in Israel. There are 3 others like it in the country: in Tel-Aviv, in Jerusalem and in Haifa. Not only do they have regular sports teams but, like the ones we played with, they also have many wheelchair teams. Our dillers found out how hard it is to stay seated while passing, throwing, scoring and dribbling a basketball. This is how some people live their lives and I for one, could not even handle it for 5 minutes. These people are heroes in their own right and so brave for not succumbing to despair. It is truly amazing to see a city giving a second chance to those who devoted their lives and gave up so much for it's protection.
Lastly, I would like to thank the lovely planners of this day who made it all possible. They opened our eyes to many different aspects of the IDF, it's not all guns and uniforms but real people with real stories.
The day ended on a high note, bright like the setting sun that spanned the landscape. WATER FIGHT!

Chelsea Myers-Colet