Passed to me from Zoe Kahn and written up by Henry Michalski:

I really did not know what to expect when we greeted the bus load of bereaved Israeli soldiers at Domaine Carneros on Monday morning, a cold cloudless December day in the Napa Valley.  I guess I half-way expected to meet sad and bitter Israeli soldiers, each victimized by the terrible loss of a family member and  hardened by the stark reality of their mission…protecting a tiny nation surrounded by angry forces threatening their very existence.  What we quickly found, as they descended the charter bus which brought them in from San Francisco, was 29 youthful bright-eyed young men and women barely out of their teens.  Tears came to my eyes and I could barely speak when one after another shook my hand, smiled and said how happy they were to be here.

Led by Zoe Kahn of the Jewish Historical Society of Napa Valley and her able-handed “Knesset” of comrades; Louise Packard, Donna Mendelsohn and Lynn Michalski, the core group worked very hard organizing the day of rest and relaxation in the Napa Valley for the Israeli soldiers.  It was a four day whirlwind of activities which took them to San Francisco, Napa, Los Angeles, and eventually back to Israel to their duties with the IDF, Israeli Defense Forces.  At the tender age of 18, Israeli high school seniors must begin their three-year service of compulsory military duty.  While their peers in America are free to worry about college and career, IDF soldiers are required to put their own futures on hold and risk their lives protecting their tiny Jewish homeland.

Defending the narrow sliver of land surrounded by hostile neighbor’s means that there is no margin for error…and failure is not an option.  As a result, the stress on these young IDF combat soldiers is intense.  At Dona Kopol Bonick’s photography studio in the Carneros area following the winery tour, the soldiers were treated to a delicious catered kosher meal.  Nineteen year old Natalie of Jerusalem whose father was abducted and killed by terrorists when she was four years old, explained why so many of the young defenders smoke.  “You cannot believe the stress created by the tension of living in a land where our neighbors threaten to wipe us out.”

That’s where the FIDF (Friends of the IDF) comes in…to make life a little more bearable by showing much-needed appreciation, concern and love. Amit Tesler the Executive Director of the Bay Area chapter of the FIDF said, “While yearning and praying for peace, these young men and women must shoulder the onerous burden of protecting the State of Israel from those who have sworn to destroy her.”

Napa’s premiere photographer Dona Bonick ascended a step ladder and took a beautiful photograph of the group which was later presented to each soldier at an emotional parting at the end of the day.  As the bus departed the Bonick’s studio, Dona, a mother of two grown boys, reflected, “They are so young, just like our US soldiers with so much responsibility.  They are amazing and brave young adults.  It was an honor to have them here.”

The next stop for the soldiers, most of whom are too young to drink wine legally in California, was to Ernie Weir’s Hagafen Winery on the Silverado Trail.  Ernie and his Israeli wife, Irit and their three children were there to greet the soldiers.  Ernie briefly explained the wine making process in a perfect Hebrew.  His award winning kosher wine is served in the White House when visiting dignitaries arrive from Israel.   Alon is a skinny 21 year old who serves with the elite Golani Special Forces.  He marveled, “we were all so thrilled to come to America, but at an AIPAC luncheon yesterday everyone said how excited they were to see us.  They were more excited than us!”  Sadly he told me, “My brother served in the Orev anti-tank battalion of the paratroopers and was killed during a mission in 2003…my parents did not want me to serve in the Golani, but they finally agreed to let me serve in a combat position.  I have a job to do.”

The final destination for the youths was a guest house, courtesy of David Freed, in the vineyards of South Napa.  While the boys naturally took to the hot tub on a deck overlooking rolling golden vineyards with a quickly reddening sky as a back-drop, an area which reminded some of the boys of the Golan Heights, the girls took turns getting facials and make-up lessons by Suzanne Shiff, while others got chair massages from three professional masseuses.  By the time dinner was served, all the soldiers had a chance to experience the hot tub, massage, jazzercise and amazing feats of magic preformed by Howard Kahn.   Judd Finklestein brought his ukulele and Gordon Lustig his guitar, and within minutes the Israelis joined in on a few Beatles and Eagles songs, one of the soldiers accompanying the musicians on a nearby banjo.  Huddled near the warm fireplace, the pop songs inevitably gave way to Israeli folk songs and hymns familiar to all.  Towards the end of the evening, all the Israelis, joined by their new American friends, stood and sang Jerusalem of Gold, a semi-national anthem popular after the 1967 Six-day War.  This was followed by Ha Tikvah (Hope), the national anthem of the State of Israel, some of the swaying soldiers waving small American and Israeli flags.

Jesse Barush of Napa High and Sivan Orr of New Tech joined in the singing with their new friends.  Jesse who visited Israel as a Bar Mitzvah said, “This inspires me to relearn Hebrew.”  Irit Weir of Hagafen Cellars who brought her high school daughter Maya along said, “I think somehow it was us who received so much in return, their joy and energy of life.  It was a great reminder of the reality of many areas of war…I was choking with tears as I saw them dance and sing being so young, but not innocent any more, all this loss, here and everywhere.  Why?”

As the soldiers prepared to board their bus back to San Francisco, we formed a line presenting each soldier with a “goodie bag” and a giant hug of friendship as if we had known these kids all of our lives.  Joseph, whose family was air-lifted to Israel from Ethiopia many years ago, smiled broadly, gave me a big hug and knuckle-bump, and told me he loved me, and my heart stopped.   He said, “We feel good in Israel to have so many friends in America.  Todah rabah, thank you very much for everything you do…Come to Israel and I’ll show you how to break dance.”   As the bus departed into the night, Zoe reflected, “I was honored to spend the entire day with these young, grieving soldiers.  I felt they were mishpachat (family) and it seemed like we had all been on a journey together.  I did not want this perfect day to end.  I wished I could tell them they left something behind…a special place in my heart.”

It was a day we will not forget.

Henry Michalski
Napa, CA