In July 2003, we spent a volunteer week in Israel working on a project to refurbish gas masks. The trip was arranged through Volunteers for Israel (VFI), the American affiliate of Service to Israel (Sar-El).

The Need

Israel has had millions of gas masks in circulation since before the first Gulf War. All of them needed to be collected, inspected, renovated, and redistributed to the population. It was a daunting, labor-intensive task that required huge amounts of human effort. The Gas Mask Project was discontinued in 2004. Many other new and on-going projects urgently need your help!

The Work

Our work was done at a small IDF (Israel Defense Forces) warehouse facility near Ashkelon, to which we were transported each day from a nearby IDF base where we were housed. The work itself was mostly light... sorting, inspecting, and packing gask mask filter cannisters for redistribution or recycling. Gary took on the more strenuous tasks of packing, sealing, lifting and moving stacks of very large cartons of cannisters and gas masks.

The Volunteers

Our co-volunteers were from the US, France, England, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and Holland. We worked side by side with soldiers from many parts of the world. The volunteers ranged in age from early 20's to late 70's. In many cases, there were no languages in common and translations had to be made through those of us who could speak multiple languages. There was also a wide range of religious orientations and political views, which sometimes led to rather interesting conversations.

Daily Life

We slept in a barracks, four to a room, with gender segregation. For work, we were given fatigue uniforms to wear. Breakfast and supper were taken in the Base mess hall, with box lunches served at the work site.

The Guides

Assigned to the volunteers were three young women soldiers as guides ("madrichot"). These women are officially attached to Sar-El for the duration of their military service. They made sure we were properly oriented regarding schedules, barracks protocols, work responsibilities, etc. They also provided us with daily news updates and accompanied us in our daily commute between the bases. In the evening, our madrichot gathered us together in the club house ("moadon") for cultural events, and a party on our last night. They also, along with another young male soldier from Sar-El, took us on a short tour in Jerusalem.

Rewards!

Our week was absolutely wonderful! Although we've lived in Israel and visited many times, this was a special and unique experience. Every Israeli we met, both within the volunteer program and outside (taxi drivers, store clerks, waiters), expressed their appreciation to us for coming to Israel and letting them know that at these difficult times, Israel is not alone. We both had many tearful moments when we felt the depth of the emotions of the Israelis in response to learning that we came to help. The commanders of the gas mask base commended our group for our exceptional productivity and assured us that what we were doing was critical and truly contributes to the continued security of the country.

You Can Help!

If you wish to be part of this important work, we urge you to contact VFI in Philadelphia to arrange a volunteer trip. Volunteer sessions are 2 or 3 weeks long. Visit the VFI Web Site (www.vfi-usa.org/) or call them in Philadelphia at 215-473-6527. We will also be happy to discuss our trip with you. Email us at rutgers72@comcast.net.