A., an IDF soldier cared for by Chasdei Naomi, sends an open letter to the Knesset and wonders what is preferable: to spend the holiday with his family or to stay in the army base so that there will be more food for his siblings and his mother who are in a difficult financial situation.
“I hope that the Knesset and the next government will be able to make a change, that they will change our situation, however slightly.
“I get up every day together with the sun and brush my teeth. I put on my uniform and get a bus to my army base. I don’t have any amazing position, but I do my part for the country. I do the maximum that I can do in my daily job, and I go home. Usually I go home to help my mother, sometimes I sit with my friends a bit. If I’m lucky, sometimes I find myself random work.
“I’m what’s called a former ‘deprived child,’ one of those who hangs around the neighborhood, fools around. One of those who could easily find himself in jail but I suppose I got lucky and came to my senses. Some of my friends work during the day because they weren’t built for a military system. Actually, the army didn’t want most of them and, honestly, rightly so. I wouldn’t want kids who are not built for the system to just be there and not do anything. Better that they should work and pay taxes. They’re better than the other half of my friends, who don’t do anything with themselves, who sit on the railings in the neighborhood.
“The army gave me a framework, gave me stability. It helped me to distinguish between what’s important and what isn’t, it made me calmer and helped me put things into proportion, and I’m grateful to it for that. Who knows, maybe I’ll even study something one day. But until then, I need to think about what’s happening with me, what will happen with me. What my life will look like.
“I’m the son of a divorced mother, I’m not in touch with my father, and I have three siblings, one of whom suffers from emotional problems. My mother devotes most of her time to my brother, rightly so, and I don’t envy her. He needs this attention and when I come home I try to help her with him and his tantrums, and I also spend some time with him. But because of his problems, my mother doesn’t have time to work, she needs to keep an eye on things and look after my brother, which leaves the family in a very difficult financial state.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking for help. But as a soldier I would expect a bit more understanding from the state, from the army. They expect me to bring them dozens of forms and just the process of presenting them kills me mentally, throws your situation in your face. Everything involves bureaucracy and every process requires loads of permits. The truth is, sometimes I think that maybe I should just give up asking the IDF for more help. I don’t know if it’s worth the effort.
“This Pesach we will receive a food package. This package is supposed to help us spend the holiday together and sit around the table, to make everyone feel satisfied, and to help us to feel a bit like a family for a moment. I have to say thank you and I find myself wondering if maybe I should stay in the army base over the holiday so that my mother and siblings will have more food. This possibility has a very obvious advantage, the holiday is fun in the army, with all my friends around the table, lots of food, laughter and so on. The disadvantage of that decision is that when I sit at table, I will be the only one who knows that I am there not because I really want to be, but because I think that maybe this decision is best for my family., and it shouldn’t be like that. I hope that the Knesset and the next government will be able to make a change, that they will change our situation, however slightly.”
**The writer and his family are looked after by Chasdei Naomi, the largest organization in Israel for distributing food. Every year, all year, Chasdei Naomi cares for 10,000 families and we always need more volunteers. This year too. For details: 9723-677-7777
“I’m not asking for help. But as a soldier I would expect a bit more understanding from the state.” A.
