Before I even knew I wanted to make aliyah, I knew I wanted to spend a year in Israel; its importance to my people, community and family was obvious enough to make me yearn for a journey in the Jewish homeland. Unlike the English- speaking and exclusively Anglo gap-year programs my American peers signed up for, I insisted on being in a Hebrew-speaking program with my Israeli peers, and with some luck I found out about Mechinat Lachish. Doing mechina for a year fulfilled all of my hopes and expectations for this journey and much more!
Nestled in the hills of Lachish, the ideological cornerstone of Mechinat "Meitarim" Lachish is unity within Zionism and Israeli society, and the yearly cohort that begins every summer reflects that ideal. Israelis from secular and religious homes, Ashkenazim and Sfaradim, Ethiopian-Israelis with the odd American, kibbutznikim and urbanites, the children of farmers from the Negev and the kids of high-tech entrepreneurs, settlers and leftists gather together to partake in a year full of exploration, study and discovery to prepare themselves for meanginful contributions in their military service and in civil society.
Some of my fondest memories of mechina include hiking across the makhteshim (craters) of the Negev with renowned historian Aryeh Klein throughout the day, learning about the ancient communities of Qumran, deep discussions about faith and philosophy by campfire at night, and completing our trek at a mountain lookout upon the Dead Sea. As lovely as that was and sounds, the day-to-day life in mechina under the flowering purple buds of the cherub trees, the noise of the kibbutz pre-school playing in the park tickling our ears as we laugh and share our thoughts about the mornings' lectures and study sessions.
My time at mechina was so much more than a gap-year; it was a true gateway to seeing the land of Israel and meeting its people. I began mechina as a Diaspora Jew and I ended it as a member of Israeli society. The stories of the land and the people, their hopes and their struggles, became my story as well. The hills and caves of Lachish that I explored are a part of me just as they are a part of Israel. To be in mechina was a blessing and privilege for me, and I hope that the magic happening behind the doors of the mechina's beit midrash is spread as far and wide as possible!
Gordon Tchelet is an oleh chadash from the United States and a graduate of the 7th Cohort of Mechinat "Meitarim" Lachish (in Beit Guvrin) and its Shanah Bet Course. He is currently an officer in the IDF's Artillery Corps.
