Sleeping in Israeli army barracks and doing unpaid manual labor may not sound like a dream vacation. But a number of Bay Area Jews are doing just that — and then going back for more — through Volunteers for Israel.
The New York-based program, now in its 17th year, lets Americans live and work on Israel Defense Force bases or in hospitals, doing tasks normally performed by Israeli soldiers.
“People are going back again,” said Sam Borcover, president and the unpaid director of the regional office in Oakland, who has been on four “tours of duty” himself.
“At one time, they went once. Now, a lot of the interest has picked up. I think people are starting to have quite a bit of concern about Israel, based on what’s going on with the peace process. They just feel they want to be there.”
The three-week program provides room and board for anyone over 18 and willing to work. The sole expense for participants is airfare to Israel, which ranges from $1,000 to $1,200. Volunteers on army, navy or air force bases mix with Israeli soldiers.
Jobs range from tank maintenance to painting fences to separating nuts and bolts.
“It gives people a good feeling that they’ve done something with their hands,” Borcover said.
Weekends and evenings, volunteers are free to travel, usually on their own, though sometimes excursions are organized by the military.
Classes such as rudimentary Hebrew, Israeli history and dancing are offered in the evenings.
Renee Bassell, a Union City resident, is also a four-time veteran of the volunteer program. Ten years ago she made her first trip to the Jewish state, with Volunteers for Israel. The program, she said, offered an opportunity to see Israel in a more intimate way than a traditional tour.
“I could have a chance to interact on a one-to-one level with Israelis of all ages and I could give something back, said Bassell, now in her mid-60s. “Instead of being on the outside looking in, I could participate in the culture.”
Bassell said volunteering opened her heart and mind to the country.
“It was an experience that made me grow, and I got to help Israel. It made my heart grow and my knowledge of the country and people grow. They’re diverse. They weren’t all born in Israel.”
Jay Ostrow, a 67-year-old Tiburon resident, went to Israel for the first time in October, through the volunteer program. Like Bassell, he relished the opportunity to experience Israel while giving something back.
Ostrow was stationed in Safed but worked in the Golan Heights, where he helped construct concrete bunkers used to protect soldiers on the Lebanese and Syrian borders.
“We were taken out to the Syrian frontier and we were in the bunkers with some of these soldiers,” he said. “We could see how the concrete was used and how it could save lives.”
The volunteer program fortifies a spirit of adventure, he said.
“You live in army barracks, sleep on cots — the same conditions as enlisted personnel. You don’t have furniture or elaborate accommodations. You eat in the mess hall. There’s lots of food, but it’s plain food.
“It’s not a luxurious vacation, but on the other hand it’s fascinating. You get to meet Israelis and you get to understand a little bit about the country and why they’re so paranoid about security. You realize it’s a precarious situation for the people who are there.”
By mingling with Israel’s military, Borcover said, volunteers get a more diverse view of Israeli society than most tourists.
“The Israeli army is a cross-section of the state of Israel…You work with them, you take your meals with them. It gives you an insight into them that you don’t get when you go to the Hilton hotel all dressed up.”