War is terrible. I know from personal experience how terrible it can be. The war I fought in was tiny by the standards of most conflicts in the 20th century. Landmines and roadside ambushes instead of bombing blitzes and artillery barrages. Rifle and rocket attacks on farmhouses and vehicles, short fleeting exchanges with the terrorists. No trench warfare or major campaigns. But just as deadly for those caught up in it. My mother was seriously injured in an ambush, my father was murdered in a second one. I have written about my experiences in many posts, here is one.
So I have a great deal of sympathy and respect for the men and women of Israel who have been pulled out of their civilian lives to defend their country against the latest attempts to destroy their country.
On October 2023, on The Yakking Show Harmony Channel, we published episode 276, an interview with Dr. Bimyamin Klempner, a psychologist from Israel. Dr. Klempner has developed a method of healing trauma with sounds that stimulate the Vagus nerve.
After the atrocious attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists on October 7th, Dr. Klempner began visiting Israeli soldiers on the front lines. He writes a weekly update of his visits and discussions with these soldiers.
These updates reminded me how 50 years ago, I and my fellow Rhodesian soldiers treasured small acts of kindness by civilians when we were living in tough conditions deep in the bush hundreds of miles from home. Because of the nature of our war, the distances from cities and the sparse population, we did not get visits from well-meaning people. However, we enjoyed the “goodie” parcels sent from home, the donations of beer, biscuits, condensed milk and sweets that found their way through Army quartermaster stores and supply convoys to us in the bush. When we had radio reception, we would listen to a special Saturday afternoon “Forces Requests” programme. Sally Donaldson, the presenter with a lovely voice would read messages from our wives, girlfriends, or parents. Small things in themselves, but they made a huge improvement in morale.
That’s why I asked Dr. Klempner if I could share his updates with my audience.
He has given me permission, here is his update from December 12th, 2023. If you have never fought for your country, his words will give you a better idea of what it is like than any Hollywood movie.
“Dear Friends,
Those who believe war is only about killing, death, carnage, and destruction are mistaken. All of those things happen in war, but war, on the plane of the individual, soldier, or civilian, is about the hero’s journey. War presents an opportunity for creative heroism to shine. An unparalleled opportunity for self-discovery and self-actualization. An opportunity for the tree of latent potential to bear fruit. We know the many reasons to loathe war, but there are perhaps equally as many reasons to appreciate, maybe even to applaud war. Heros are made within crisis and chaos, and there is no greater crisis and chaos than the crisis and chaos of war. Last week, I went to visit an outpost somewhere in the North.
In my, albeit limited travel experience, one of the most beautiful places in the world. I brought freshly ground coffee, a drip that goes over the cup, several thermoses of hot water, and freshly baked cakes. My thinking going into the evening with coffee rather than pizza was to create an opportunity to spend time with each soldier individually by making individual cups of coffee, putting it into the soldier’s hand, and, in so doing, creating a few minutes to speak with each soldier one-on-one. This is opposed to handing off 50 pizzas to one or two guys and having only limited conversations with most of the soldiers.
The plan worked beautifully. After having made a cup of coffee for one of the soldiers, we sat down and ended up discussing all the deep, philosophical, existential topics you would expect to hear from college students attempting to figure out their lives, except for the fact that the soldier and I are both in our late forties. He’s employed in, what used to be, Israel’s booming HighTech industry. Now soldiering as an MP. Away from his family. Hadn’t spoken to a civilian, let alone a contemporary, in weeks. We must have spoken for well over two hours. Time fading. Sitting at a picnic table across from each other talking about topics of depth. Kirkegard, Kant, Sarte. Gunfire and rockets explode in the near distance. Like the line in Apocolypse Now, “If I say it’s safe to surf this beach, it’s safe to surf this beach!,” but instead, “If I say it’s safe to talk philosophy around this picnic table; it’s safe to talk philosophy around this picnic table!”
Then, having to go check up on his men (actually, at eighteen, only boys), he suggested I walk up the hill behind us to enjoy the view of the Mediterranean and the sound of the crashing waves. A few minutes later, I walk into a large hideout announcing my arrival with, “I can make you guys a coffee?!” Telling rather than asking. “How’d you find us? How’d you get here? Yes! We’d like some coffee!” I replied, “If you guys didn’t see me coming, I’m not telling you how I got here. But I’m making you guys coffee.” We had a blast.
The negatively charged ion smell of the ocean. Waves crashing. Good guys putting their lives on hold to fight a war. I half-jokingly told the guys the scene was too relaxing to leave it. With some empty cots on the floor, I told them I might have to call my wife and let her know I’d decided to stay and fight. They jokingly suggested that they would teach me how to use the big machine gun. The life. Fighting a war with a Mediteranean Sea view and a Mediteranean Sea breeze. But a soldier whose Master’s program in Software Engineering was put on hold, lamented that despite the positives, nobody benefits from war. At that moment neither of us had an interest in exploring the philosophical truths of his comment. Every soldier is on his own Hero’s Journey. The main thing is that we all had a great time together. Great coffee. Great conversation.
Several days earlier I had the privilege of bringing several Rabbinical School students to visit a base in the Kiryat Shmona area. This was wonderful. The Rabbinical students experienced the normalcy and the humanity of the soldiers, while the soldiers were able to experience the normalcy and humanity of the Rabbinical students. It was a wonderful coming together of the People of Israel. And the soldiers let the Rabbinical students hold their weapons and look through their night vision goggles. These Rabbinical Students had an experience that couldn’t be beat.
The war continues. The needs continue. The greatest need the soldiers have is the need to be seen, heard, and appreciated by civilians. Some soldiers have specific needs like tactical flashlights. But most just need a few slices of pizza, a coffee, a hug, and of course, someone to unburden themselves to. With the end of the fiscal year fast approaching, now is the time to donate. At the beginning of this war many civilians were supporting the soldiers, now I am one of the few. If you’ve already donated, Thank You and please increase your generosity by donating again. If you haven’t yet given, please take a moment and do so now.
Checks can be made out to The Unity Farm Foundation and mailed to The Unity Farm Foundation; 46 Grand Cove Way, Edgewater, NJ, 07020.
Or donations can be made online at 
https://thechesedfund.com/
Wishing you much safety,
Sincerely,
Binyamin Klempner”
Please support Dr. Klempner if you are able. Israel needs our support in a battle that is threatening to destroy Western culture.
