Teens honored for helping homefront cope with Gaza war

The state ceremony in honor of the 67 Israeli soldiers who died in Operation Protective Edge last summer is scheduled to be held this evening in Jerusalem.

On the homefront, the resolve of the population during the war was bolstered in no small part by the work of young volunteers. In Gan Yavne, where residents had to run for cover several times a day, dozens of teenagers ran day camps for children, took them on excursions during lulls, patrolled the area with local security forces, took care of elderly and immigrant families, and responded to medical emergencies with first responders.

Or Shachar, 18, is the head of the Gan Yavne Teen Council. During the war he volunteered with the security forces and medical emergency teams. He helped local authorities deal with crises, and during the little spare time he had, he helped run activities for children.

"I was traumatized by the sirens, especially when I was alone with my mother and younger siblings, but I tried to reassure them," he said.

"When I did volunteer work, I had to run for cover a lot and to take many children with me with no time to spare. I went out of my way to make sure the sirens would not interrupt the activities we were running. It was important to project this to the little ones in particular. Looking back, I can say that Operation Protective Edge made me more mature; it taught me to keep calm and made me stronger."

Shachar, whose father died of an illness some four years ago, is about to be drafted to the Israel Defense Forces. During the operation, he joined first responders dispatched to an area hit by rockets, where one of the casualties was Netanel Maman, a soldier on leave, who was wounded by shrapnel and died a week later.

"I know what it is like to lose a member of your family; that's why this rocket attack was particularly hard for me," Shachar said. "Here I was helping treat him after he was hit, and a week later I found myself guarding his funeral procession."

A year later, as he prepares to join the army himself, Shachar says Operation Protective Edge gave him inner strength.

"There is this study that claims that those who volunteer and experience such events are less prone to post-traumatic stress disorder," he said. "It's unfortunate that it takes war and bereavement to make us stronger, but we can at least take comfort in the fact that we now value the concept of giving and helping society."

Shachar was awarded a certificate of merit from the local authorities in recognition of his outstanding conduct during Operation Protective Edge.

Yam Pozner, 17, echoed Shachar, saying Operation Protective Edge made her stronger. She helped run a volunteer organization and was a member of Rotary Israel's youth group during the fighting. During the operation she also helped collect food for soldiers and ran activities for children whose families were struggling financially.

"We couldn't hold events where there was no shelter close by, so we held them at the children's homes on a rotating basis, and in some cases we took them on excursions," Posner said. "There were times when sirens blared while we were outside the grocery store or while an activity was being held. I was 16 at the time, and I got nervous, but I realized I had to lead by example and make sure to hide my feelings. I remember that we traveled north to get away from all the fighting, and then, while we were making a stop in Tel Aviv, we heard sirens."

Amit Malul, 17, has just graduated from high school and will spend the next year volunteering with various projects ahead of her army service. During the operation she helped collect donations for Givati Brigade troops. She also helped run day camps for new immigrants. Most of the activities were held in bomb shelters.

"I was also a leader at the local Israel Scouts chapter, but our facilities were not fully protected so we had to relocate to various homes," she said. "This helped create a familiar atmosphere and reduce fear among the children. The sirens were unpleasant but we managed to cope thanks to the activities we ran. I relive this everyday. Another flare-up could erupt any moment. We can't ignore that reality, but we're used to it by now."

Like Shachar, Malul received an award for her conduct.

Last week, the Gan Yavne Council completed fortifications of educational institutions, and now all preschools and kindergartens are prepared for another escalation. Mayor Dror Aharon says the work the local youths did during Operation Protective Edge should be commended.

"We have been blessed by great teenagers, who are engaged in their community and society, who grow up to be active and productive citizens. Their help is now part of our routine. If our future is going to be shaped by this generation, we are going to fare extremely well," he said.

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