It was one of the darkest moments of my life, although in retrospect it seems almost trivial. After completing two months of basic infantry training, two months of tank school training followed by … more

This doesn’t look like such a good idea, said Benjy, commander of an elite company in Golani’s Egoz unit, in the summer of 2006. “I know,” responded his commander, … more

We will do our best to hand our enemies a great defeat, by becoming even more united. Three boys. Three worlds. Three families. Three mothers broken. Three empty chairs. So many dreams lost. Forever. There are simply no words to describe the depths of our pain and sense of loss. more

I was recently given a copy of Dr. Hagi ben Artzi’s book on the Six Day War, Megillat Sheshet Hayamim, based on the IDF’s post-war analysis. It contained the following fascinating … more

In the summer of 1935, even after two years, they still didn’t get it. Germany had begun to gear up for the 1936 Olympics and Goebbels, the Nazi minister of propaganda, had made it his mission … more

This week’s parsha, Sh’lach, contains one of the most challenging stories in the entire Torah: the story of the spies. It’s an incredible moment in Jewish history — with … more

One of the great challenges in life, is knowing when to lead and when to follow. In the Israeli army, commanders are trained to lead by example. Many attribute this concept to the battle for Latrun in 1948. more

In 1860, a relatively unknown one-term congressman named Abraham Lincoln stunned the country by prevailing over three prominent rivals — William Seward, Salmon Chase, and Edward Bates … more

I remember it like it was yesterday. While millions of Americans celebrated their nation’s independence, we were all glued to our radios and television sets waiting for news of the fate of the Israeli hostages hijacked on an Air France jet and being held captive in Uganda. more

When the U.S. Army liberated Buchenwald concentration camp and began administering to the survivors, Rabbi Herschel Schachter, then chaplain of the U.S. Eighth army, stayed in the camp to attempt to create a Jewish experience for them. more