Out of all our activities, the 'Gadna' Youth Corps week was the one I enjoyed the most. This was a great experience which taught me about the life of a soldier serving in the Israel Defense Forces. It gave me great motivation to make aliyah and fight for this country; after all this is my country.

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Sixteen year old Sophie has a dream. Most youths of the nation to which she belongs have ambitions that pertain to the White House, Hollywood, Broadway, or the local talent competitions- but not the young New Yorker. She has other big dreams. "I promise that in three years you will see me as a soldier in the Armor Corps, shooting from a tank. I know I could do it, and it will happen," she says with great excitement.

260 Jews from across Europe and the United States in the "Tzofim" Israeli scouts youth movement arrived in Israel with Sophie, for five weeks of travels in tourist sites, special lectures about Zionist history and a military experience session. The youths, aging 14 to 18, trained intensely for a whole week; their activities included shooting ranges, military patrols, and field days, as part of the traditional "Hetz VaKeshet" program which reached its conclusion this week.

The program has been held for the past twenty years, with the purpose of intensifying the connection between the State of Israel and Jews in Diaspora and uniting them in one cause, as well as increasing youths' Jewish identity and awareness and their identification with Israel. "We reach our objectives by implementing in these young people values through the physical experience," explains Major (res.) Yaron Gindi, the commander of the project who has been an active member of the "Tzofim" movement for many years. Major (res.) Gindi is not the only reservist active in the project: its senior staff counts five of his close friends, whom he met in the "Tzofim" movement. "This is a huge project both on the logistics level and on the instructional level, which forces us, the reservists to leave our families and jobs for five weeks," he notes. "This is entirely voluntary and we volunteer to serve in this project because we believe it is of great importance to the State of Israel."

At the shooting ranges. Photo from the Tzofim website

"I saw things I didn't know existed in Israel"

Among the dozens of young Americans who landed in Israel I meet Lior Goldstein, a religious 15 year old from Florida, who is imbued with Zionism and love for the State of Israel. "I think this is an amazing program," Lior says.  "It allows you a small peek into what is Israel, and allows you to see the country from different perspectives." Lior's recognition of Israel is not something knew. His mother lived in the country for 16 years before she moved to the United States, and he feels that the Israeli food and culture is embedded deep within his family life. "I was raised as an Israeli, yet on this trip I experienced and saw things that I didn't know existed in Israel. I can say that this program definitely increased my desire to make aliyah."

What do you think about the fact that an 18 year old soldier has the responsibility of being a commander?

"Sometimes the commanders are too stressful and forceful, but I understand that they have been accustomed to harsh discipline and they try to endow that to us. During the program I learned to be extremely discipline and follow specified timelines. Also, I think that those who enlist into the army undergo a process which molds their personality and matures them. One of my commanders is 18 and I have to say that I have never met a girl who is so mature for her age."

"Out of all our activities, the 'Gadna' Youth Corps week was the one I enjoyed the most," says 14 year old Jake Marcus from Philadelphia who already shows signs of motivation and patriotism. "This was a great experience which taught me about the life of a soldier serving in the Israel Defense Forces. It gave me great motivation to make aliyah and fight for this country; after all it is my country."

Like many of her friends in the program, Sophie relates that she had an emotional experience which strengthened her feeling of belonging to Israel. "Because of this project I am one hundred percent certain that I want to immigrate to Israel," she says. When asked about her commander she replies without hesitation: "She knows that I admire and respect her. She is my role model."