Pitching In

HOW WOULD YOU like to spend a month this summer working for the Israeli army--cleaning and repairing equipment, packing supplies, typing and filing--for no pay, even after forking out the $500 air fare to Israel?

It may sound bizarre, but since its inception in 1982. "Volunteers for Israel" has channelled the work of more than 1500 American and 300 French citizens toward the assistance of Israel. This year the program hopes to send 2000 Americans and 900 Frenchmen to work on Israeli army bases.

The idea for the program arose in the aftermath of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon nearly two years ago. The manpower drain resulting from the lighting was considered to be more threatening than from the relatively brief '67 and '73 wars.

The prospect of prolonged reliance on the reserve manpower pool prompted new thinking in Israel about ways to supplement the labor effort, and "Volunteers for Israel" has been one of the more successful initiatives taken to address the problem.

General Sharon Davidi, a retired Israeli Parachute Corps officer who commanded that elite unit from 1965 to 1970, was one of the original proponents of the program and he now chairs the Tel Aviv- based board of directors. This week he has been touring the Northeast speaking to various Jewish organizations and several major universities.

A constant theme of his information effort, which has been supported by Jewish groups and synagogues, has been the lure of personal betterment. "The satisfaction our volunteers receive may be higher than what those Americans get who go to the King David Hotel," he said in an interview earlier this week. The numbers bear him out; in the first year only 650 Americans participated.

The program initially attempted to employ the volunteers in a variety of settings and occupations, primarily on kibbutzim, but last year the increased number of participants suggested a greater need for central organization and efficiency. Consequently, the volunteers this year will all spend their month at Army reserve bases through out Israel Each volunteer saves the Israeli government about $600, because each visitor frees up a reservist for other work or active duty.

The volunteers live, work, eat and sleep with Israeli soldiers. Duties include the whole range of mundane yet crucial activities upon which the highly mobile Israeli army depends for its very survival. Vehicle maintenance, packing of essential supplies ready for emergency, clerical work in supply and inventory, and the ever-present cleaning painting, and dirt-moving of the military setting are just a few of the varied duties volunteers are asked to do. Volunteers, both men and women, wear fatigues and boots, sleep in barracks, and eat in the mess halls.

Qualification for the program are simple, including (besides enthusiasm) only a medical exam, a personal recommendation from a community leader, a valid passport, and an interview with a program organizer. Groups fly charter for a reduced $500 fare from the U.S. to Tel Aviv, where they are picked up by bus and taken to their military base.

OBVIOUSLY, THE volunteers' reward is largely intangible. Even the program option of spending an extra month after the conclusion of work as tourists--and still enjoying the same low-cost ticket home--doesn't make up for lost work time in the U.S., or even for the original plane ticket itself. Room, board, and some travel costs within Israel are paid by the Israel Defense Forces, but General Davidi frankly admits. "There's no obligation other than the moral one, once you've started. At any time a volunteer can simply say. "That's it,' and leave."

Personal enrichment beyond the sense of moral achievement can result from the communal military setting so different from the lives of most Americans. Groups organized upon departure stay together for the entire month, and the program accepts 141/2-year-olds up to 65-year-olds. Gen. Davidi says he believes "a balanced distribution of ages contributes to the stability and good spirits of the group," and he estimates the average age to be around 30. Couples are welcome but are not guaranteed special accommodations. Younger people are encouraged to go in the summer, but there are no limitations other than the administrative ones listed above.

Many Boston area college students have gone through the program, with Harvard and particularly Brandeis, in Waltham, leading the way. Many volunteers cite plusses ranging from witnessing the Israeli military first-hand, to meeting Israeli families, to establishing enduring friendships with people, both American and Israeli.

The work week consists of a steady eight-hour day, five-days-a-week schedule. If the volunteer has no Isreali relations, he spends the Sabbath with the family of a reservist. A Half-day each week goes to travel, and two stops are absolutely required: the Wailing Wall and the Holocaust Museum. In addition, many groups visit other historic sites and listen to soldiers speak about their war experiences. The army provides the transportation.

THE CLOSE-UP look which the foreign volunteers enjoy of the Israeli army perhaps constitutes the crux of the program's message. Volunteers consistency describe the soldiers and the bases as "informal," even "gentle" in away, to the point where Gen. Davidi can make the claim that "we have a non-militaristic army, one which is designed solely to defend Israel."

A sense of common effort and purpose both consciously and unconsciously forms part of the entire experience. Officers, soldiers, and volunteers freely mingle; all Israeli officers originally came from the enlisted ranks in the first place, Women pitch in, 100-Israeli Jewish women serve alongside the men, albeit in non-combat roles, for two years starting at age 18, Young Jewish men serve three years.

Volunteers are also thanked sincerely for their role in relieving reservists of extra work. The crucial role of the reserve for a tiny country like Israel, in whose army nearly all adult men must participate, is impressed upon the volunteers in no way better than by their very presence.

But the program has its darker side. General Davidi freely acknowledges that these volunteers are badly needed by Israel, not only for immediate practical relief but also as a "bridge" to the future: "The links between Israelis and the Jews of the Diaspora should be strengthened; Israel should serve as a safe haven for all Jews, just in case."

Davidi also looks upon the program as one small step in the overall process of strengthening U.S.-Jewish ties, and even as a means of providing a "safety-valve" if serious anti-semitism ever flares up in the U.S. "Even though things seem perfect in the U.S. for Jewish life, one can never tell. We have a long history and a long memory."

The program may also influence emigration decisions. Of the approximately 1850 French and Americans who have completed the program since 1982, about 100 are now in the process of emigrating to Israel. Furthermore, before leaving the U.S., American citizens are required by law to sign a statement declaring "as a Volunteer for Israel I have no intention of serving in joining, or swearing allegiance to the Israel Defense Forces." But the increasingly military nature of the month's work would raise a legal and perhaps moral question in the minds of prospective American participants: just how far may an American citizen go toward aiding the military effort of another country, even Israel? Davidi asserts that "none of the volunteers are encouraged to join the Defense Forces," not only for reasons of nationality but also often because of age or suitability, but the question of how much participation is actually full participation remains open to question.

Another questionable area lies in the issue of indoctrination. Full military discipline is not exercised over the volunteers, but the program makes no bones about impressing upon each individual the "patriotic" good deed he or she is doing for Israel. Further, Davidi says that "our program, while recognizing the plurality of Jewish life, is aimed at achieving, or at least expressing, Jewish unity. We try to give them a Jewish experience."

The membership of the organization's directing board attests to this "pan-Israeli" effort; it includes Knesset members from four different political parties in addition to General Davidi himself. The commitment continues after the program ends; each individual is encouraged to send 10 postcards to potential participants upon returning to the U.S.

All in all, though, these cautions seem not to apply to the vast majority of those who have participated. About 90 percent of the participants have said they were satisfied, and most participants are well-informed about Israeli life even before arriving. The slice of seems to be both realistic and reassuring to them. The personal and emotional benefits for the volunteers seem to far outstrip the costs. If you're an American who wants to help Israel, and you don't mind getting a little dirty, this just might be the best way yet to "pitch in."