Typically, Israeli youth complete their mandatory army service and immediately begin packing their bags for a touring adventure that can take them from the Far East to South America.
Last October, Yifat Ouzan also packed a suitcase, but her goal wasn’t to escape the troubled Jewish state. Rather she set off for a three-month tour with the Jewish National Fund to share her story of terrorism and hope.
Ouzan visited Milwaukee Dec. 19-20 to talk with a group of JNF supporters. She also visited with students at Hillel Academy and the Milwaukee Jewish Day School.
Just ten months ago, Ouzan, a non-commissioned officer of education and geography, had been at an army base in Beer Sheva for a conference. During lunch in a nearby café, terrorists opened fire, spraying the tables with gunfire. According to Ouzan, the attackers were members of Hamas.
Ouzan managed to crawl under the table but was shot in the stomach, the bullet lodging just an inch from her heart. Later, at the hospital, she learned that two of her friends had been killed and two others were seriously wounded.
Four months later, Ouzan was lying in her bed at home in her moshav, Nitzanei Oz, near Netanya, when she decided she’d had enough. “I decided I must get my life back and my life was in the army.”
Though it took some convincing (Ouzan could have returned her uniform and still fulfilled her army duty), five months after the attack, she returned to her base and signed on for an extra five months. “I’m proud of my job and I loved my job,” she explained.
Before the terrorist attack, she had been teaching Hebrew and geography to new immigrants. “I think it’s a gift — to teach them Hebrew and show them our wonderful country,” Ouzan said.
Speaking out
Last June, when Ouzan was convalescing and plotting her return to army service, she met a group of Americans who were visiting Nitzanei Oz as part of their JNF mission.
Rick Krosnick, Midwest zone director, was standing with JNF’s chief executive officer when he spotted Ouzan.
“We saw this pretty IDF soldier, in uniform and we just started chatting. She told us she was convalescing because she was a victim of this terrorist attack and we asked her if she minded sharing her story.
“She told us, ‘yes,’ but she felt it was something she needed to do,” said Krosnick.
Ouzan agreed to talk to the large group of JNF visitors and moshav members, including her family “because it’s important. They need to know what happens in Israel…. I wanted to give them a positive portrait that things will get better.
“Also, I was so happy to see them in Israel,” said Ouzan, referring to the dearth of tourism to Israel.
Ouzan looks like she’d be at home in fashionable Tel Aviv; she’s striking with long brown hair and colorful, delicate jewelry. But this 21-year-old has a very clear vision of Israel’s importance and American Jews’ role in it.
“People here want to know if young Israelis want to leave Israel and I tell them, ‘Young people want to stay in Israel, perhaps because of the army. We fight for this land. We appreciate every moment of our lives. Israel is our home,’” she said.
During her visits to cities across the U.S., Ouzan said she’s telling people, “We really need the American support. If we want to win the war against terrorism, we must be united all over the world. Jews must be united.”
Ouzan said that her visit has deepened her appreciation of JNF and American Jewry. “Before I came here, I really didn’t know what JNF does. It’s not just trees. They build reservoirs and, you know, the next war will be about water,” she said, referring to the disputes with neighboring countries over the sources that feed and access to Lake Kinneret.
“It’s beautiful. It’s amazing,” she said, referring to JNF’s project of supporting the construction of security roads in Israel to ensure safe passage for children going to school and parents on their way to work.
Ouzan said that she’s impressed by the enthusiasm of the American Jews she’s met. “They really want to help,” she said.
And there are many ways to help, Ouzan believes. Buying trees, giving money, representing and defending Israel and visiting. “I think, as a Jew, you have an obligation to show your face,” she said.
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