Gimelim

Friends,

I realized that I haven't done any complaining to you about the army! Well then, we have much catching up to do.... The army itself is great, I enjoy my work, I find it challenging and satisfying and it is helping me grow leaps and bounds in hebrew. At first I was planning on signing on additional time to the mandatory two years in order to be an academic officer but after I was placed in my job I realized that it wasn't totally worth it. In the IDF people generally become officers to be moved into better positions, if they aren't just genuinely interested in serving their country in a higher capacity. It's not that I don't want to serve Israel, because in effect I didn't have to go to the army in the first place. However, my job is the same as a someone who has earned a degree in the structure of the army and is serving as an academic officer. Anyway, the people who aren't officers are, generally, on a much different level. While there are nice people, there are an abundance of annoying, bratty, and frustrating soldiers. Every month we have rotations of duties such as kitchen and guard duty. Our good friends love to decide the day before, or even better, the day of to get a doctor's note (Gimelim) exempting them from the days work. Of course that still leaves someone left to fill in for them, which always seems to fall on four or five of the quality people. But, so is life, and I am learning to look out for myself in ways that I have not in the past. I don't like the fact that I feel like it is making me more childish, however, I feel that I must play the game or get royally screwed.

I am coming back to the states in the middle of october for a month, b'h, and I think it will be a much needed break. I look forward to seeing as many as you as I can while I'm back!

Yours,

יחיאל