Dar Hazan Arnoff ’18

Posted on December 8, 2023

Like many young Israelis, after my army service, I flew off to fulfill my dream of a big trip to the East: a period of searching for meaning, self-discovery, and simply vacation and adventure after a period of intense military service.

The trip took an unexpected about-face when the war erupted. It was clear to me that the right thing for me to do was shorten the trip and return home, to give what I could to the cause, to be there for my many friends who are still serving in the army or in the reserves, to be close to my family, and to feel the pain together with everyone over the horrible things that transpired and continue to transpire.

Indians whom I met while hiking, who inquired as to my welfare, asked in astonishment, “Why are you going home? There’s a war there!” For me and another 300,000 Israelis who returned from the Diaspora since the war began, it was clear—when our land is in upheaval, we want to be there on it, on the battle front or the home front.

I exchanged the vistas of India for the hard reality of war. In the first month of the war, my focus was on children who were evacuated from their homes. We tried to create a pleasant and safe space, in which laughter and play could provide a break from the trauma and the upheavals that they experienced. The resilience of children and their ability to find joy and [use their] imaginations from within distress awakens inspiration and gladdens the heart.

Now, I am prepared to begin a gig as a counselor in a pre-army preparatory program that’s mixed, for secular and religious Israelis, because all of their usual counselors were called up for reserve duty. As a counselor, my role will be to accompany the students along their personal and collective journeys, with all of the challenges that this period presents, in preparation for meaningful army service. And, of course, for their futures as active citizens who contribute to society.

Alongside the feeling of obligation to contribute to my community, a continuous worry [about people at the front] accompanies me. Many of my friends, including my partner, are found at the battle front. Many of them, like me, were on their big post-army trip, enjoying their vacation after meaningful military service, and without hesitation they returned home to contribute to the war effort, with a deep feeling for their mission and sacrifice of their dreams. The camaraderie that we shared a few weeks ago in pursue of adventure and self-discovery changed into a shared responsibility to defend our people, each of us from our own vantage point.

From the vistas of India straight to the heart of the struggle in Israel, this trek had an unexpected nature, from giving and finding comfort with uprooted children to guiding those who are next in line to defend us. Each part tells a story of resilience, obligation, and sacrifice, that echoes the feelings of my generation, who, like so many before us, had to report to duty to defend our wounded country.