IDF Soldier Speaks from the Heart

Sarah Weinberg ('15)

September 19, 2014

 

IDF soldier Yehoshua Konig spoke to students at a September 19th Ma’ayanot assembly about his experience in the army in the recent Protective Edge mission. Konig is an American who has lived an Orthodox Jewish life. He attended a yeshiva, went to a Jewish camp, and spent his gap year in Israel at a Hesder yeshiva, a program that combines Torah learning with army study. Konig then enlisted in the Israeli army and was an active soldier from 2007-2008. When his year was up and he was released from active duty, Konig requested to be part of the reserves (miluim) even though he is not obligated to do so as an American volunteer. This past summer, he was called up to fight in the war. He left his wife, his two children, and his job in order to protect the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

 

Many factors played into Konig’s decision to join the army in 2007. He said that during his life in school and camp, he was told all of the halachic reasons for the importance of the Jewish State of Israel. Though this did instill in him a love of Israel and an appreciation of those fighting for it, it was his grandparents who really influenced him to join the army. As Holocaust survivors, they spoke of the silence and helplessness they felt in Auschwitz; nobody was fighting for them. With the establishment of the State of Israel and the creation of the IDF, Konig knew no Jew would experience the silence his grandparents had experienced, and he was determined to be a part of the army, protecting his people everywhere.   When he had his ceremony for joining the army at the Kotel, his grandparents, who rarely flew to Israel, came and surprised him because their dream was coming true. One of their grandchildren was protecting a Jewish State of Israel by being part of the army. They never could have imagined that would happen.

 

Yehoshua Konig reminded us that the soldiers fighting in Israel are regular people.  They are scared to fight, but they do it because they know they have to. Many have families, and some of those families will be broken because soldiers sometimes fall while defending their country.

 

The Ma’ayanot community felt inspired by the speaker. “He was a really good speaker,” said Kate Weinberg (‘18). “As students of a yeshiva, we all know people who are in the army; but he was a person not doing it for the money, not doing it for the trip to Israel, but doing it because he knows from the bottom of his heart that he belongs to klal yisrael and is ready to protect our home.” Konig’s speech reminded us of our priorities during this introspective time of year. We have to evaluate our lives and decide what is most important. For Konig, this happened to be army service in the State of Israel.

 

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