By Leah Sherin
Before our trip to Ammunition Hill, we began the day visiting Har Herzl. Our tour guide, Aviv, usually gives tours of Har Herzl and Ammunition Hill to groups of commanders in the army, a very different kind of tour than most of us received when visiting these sites on any previous Israel trip. When we arrived at Har Herzl, Aviv gave a framing for the day, and he emphasized the idea that commanders in the IDF need to have a deep understanding of their mission and the “why” behind the work they do. Aviv explained that, for any soldier that might ask for a reason why they should be serving their country, a commander should have an answer. Similarly, it is also necessary for leaders in the Jewish community to have strong understandings of their missions in order to engage and support others. With this frame, I understood that the takeaway from the day might be most focused on the importance of mission and the “why” behind one’s work and goals. However, as the day continued, Aviv also provided us with a powerful, deep understanding of his mission and reasons for serving his country.
The tour through Har Herzl was guided with stories of individual fallen soldiers and ideas about why people serve and give their lives for the state of Israel. Through this tour, we were able to honor those who are buried in Har Herzl. Hearing so many moving stories made for an emotional morning, and I was not sure how Aviv would approach the rest of the day in relation to the frame he had set.
Upon our arrival at Ammunition Hill, we watched a short video outlining the history of the Six-Day War and the battle at Ammunition Hill.
Outside, we were met with a maze of trenches covering the hill. Aviv described the history of the location, delving in to why it was such an important spot in 1967. The trenches were originally in the territory of Jordan, and the area was captured by the Israeli army in 1967, becoming the site of one of the toughest battles in the Six-Day War.
Aviv walked us through the trenches and gave us in-depth explanations as to how it must have felt to have been a soldier in these trenches during the war. He told us how much they must have had to carry, how dirty and dark it must have been, and how the soldiers might have felt in this unfamiliar environment with such difficult conditions. “This is not for fun,” he reminded us. Although the trenches could have felt somewhat like a playground on the sunny day we spent walking through them, Aviv always reminded us of the seriousness of the place we were visiting by providing us with details about how these trenches would have felt back in 1967. As we walked through, I could understand what he meant. The trenches were tight, with high walls, changing heights and sizes and we moved through them. I could almost imagine how it must have felt to be there late at night in such a tense, frightening circumstance.
Having the opportunity to see Ammunition Hill through Aviv’s interpretation of how the soldiers might have experienced it was very unique, and provided me with much more than just an understanding of the importance of mission. Aviv’s perspective of Ammunition Hill made his personal mission clear and gave us an understanding of his “why” through a kind of storytelling. Although it did help me see the importance of this “why,” I found our learning about Israeli history and these complicated, emotional, and powerful narratives even more valuable.
