The Former Orthodox Pilot Bridging Two Worlds

Lt. Col. A (47) from Ra'anana enlisted in the army nearly 30 years ago. He joined the Air Force and continued serving until the age of 43. Since then, he spends his days between his family, work, reserve duty (he holds the record for reserve days in Ra'anana, having served 88 days of reserve duty this year), and... studying in the Kollel.

Twenty years ago, Lt. Col. A became religious, and today he leads a fully Orthodox lifestyle alongside his military service.

In an interview with the mynet website, Lt. Col. A shared how he managed to serve in the army over the years despite the complex challenges of maintaining an Orthodox lifestyle in the military. According to him, instead of focusing on conflicts, it's important to focus on the positive aspects, which allows for better and more accurate handling.

A states that while the media feeds the public with claims that the Orthodox community evades military service and that soldiers are not accepted in Orthodox society, the reality is much more diverse. He emphasizes that both the religious and Orthodox communities provide a lot of assistance to society and the community, not only within the Orthodox community itself but also beyond it.

A feels he has a social responsibility as someone who stands at the intersection between two opposing sides. While each side - secular and Orthodox - entrenches itself on the opposite side of the screen, A is in the middle, serving as a bridge. He believes that if both sides were to meet and talk more often, it would lead to a significant and fast rapprochement. Indeed, in his personal life, A strives to bring closer the Orthodox and secular communities.

At the end of the interview, however, A states that the true hero is his wife - who lovingly raises their eight children while also holding a master's degree and working as a ballet teacher. The more things there are to do, says A, the more time you find to do them.