Avi Moskowitz lives in Beit Semesh and recently drafted to the IDF to serve in Alog 99.
I've been a part of United Hatzalah's psychotrauma unit for several years, and immediately jumped in to help families from the Gaza Envelope who needed to leave their homes. After that I did shifts at the Hatzalah command center, meeting with EMTs who had been responding to calls during the beginning of the war.
After some time, things went back to normal. I then joined a local security patrol and helped get it established and up and running while also taking patrol shifts myself, but life got busy and again, things went back to normal.
Back in Oct 2024, I learned about a program called shlav bet, which has been around for years, but had a resurgence after Oct 7th. The program was originally meant for charedim who didn't join the army when they were younger, but now was to join. Since Oct 7th the program opened up a bit about who they accepted, and many olim joined, who had not been able to join the army up until now.
I applied and called daily and was told there's a long wait list and to simply wait. Around May time, I went to an info session for a logistics unit that said they want to recruit men and women through shlav bet and integrate them into the unit. I signed up but after a month and a half, the program didn't happen in the end for a couple different reasons (bureaucracy, Iran War, etc). Toward the end of July there were rumorsthat the program was going to happen in August.
August 17th (our wedding anniversary and the same day we made Aliyah) I officially enlisted into basic training. The training was only 2 weeks but involved intensive physical activity, rifle
training, first aid, Israeli war history, religious laws about Jewish war, and learning the ins and out army slang and commands.
Yesterday I started my first day of Miluim (reserve duty) which will last about 2 months and then whenever else they need me after that.
I feel honored to be able to serve my country and hopefully relieve some of the other soldiers who have been working for almost two years.
I am appreciative to all of the people who supported me and offered help throughout the process and I'm excited to see where this new chapter in life takes me.