The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) consists of over one million soldiers, doing a variety of different jobs. Among the four regional commands, seven branches, and six brigades that make up the bulk of Israel’s army are some truly unique groups. There is the prestigious Sayeret Matkal (General Reconnaissance Unit), which goes deep into enemy lines to infiltrate enemies’ ranks and gain valuable intelligence. There’s Yechida Shmoneh-Matayim (Unit 8200), a computer intelligence unit in the Jewish State’s army thought to be responsible for infecting an Iranian nuclear plant last year with the Stuxnet virus, virtually shutting down the facility by making all of its computers play AC/DC music. But up there, among these prestigious units of the IDF, is a completely different group, one whose distinction lies in more than group accomplishments, but also each soldier’s individual ones. This unit is called Gedolim Bemadim, Great in Uniform.
Army service is a source of national pride for most Israelis. From a young age, they begin to pick which units they want to serve in later, and as they grow up, they look forward to the day that they can put on their uniforms, pick up their guns, and begin to defend their country. However, in order to be accepted into the IDF, every draftee must undergo a rigorous physical and intellectual profiling test, to make sure s/he can handle the rigorous army life and to figure out which unit to go to. So, for many special needs Israelis, who are born with the same dream as their peers but are too physically limited to pass the profiling, IDF service has never been an option…until now.
Gedolim Bemadim is a project which allows youths with special needs to be “recruited” into army service by volunteering on army bases to help them feel like “everyone else” and prepare them for independent life afterwards. Great in Uniform draftees serve for three years around the country, doing different jobs like fixing computers, packing gas masks, cooking meals, and helping around the bases. The first few months are spent in “basic training,” where draftees spend time on a training base learning army values and going on hikes. These weeks culminate in the tekes kumta, when the Great in Uniform soldiers receive the symbolic red beret which makes them a fully trained soldier. For the soldiers and parents alike this is quite possibly one of the proudest moments of their lives. “I’ve waited 22 years for this moment, and here we are,” proudly said Gila whose special needs son had just received his kumta (beret).
Gedolim Bemadim has grown greatly since its inception ten years ago, and even the highest authority in the Defense Ministry has expressed his appreciation for the project. “I’m happy to see that we are able to bring in special needs youths to volunteer in the IDF. It’s a worthy cause both in terms of national security, educationally, and socially,” said Moshe Ya’alon, Israel’s Minister of Defense.
At the end of the day, the greatest advantage to the Great in Uniform project is that it sparks bilateral pride. The Israeli government is proud of its special needs soldiers, going beyond the call to help out any way they can. And the soldiers themselves are just as proud, if not more so, that they can wear the uniform and serve their country. These cadets truly fulfill their name, Gedolim Bemadim, Great in Uniform.
To donate to Yad L’yeled Hameyuchad’s Great in Uniform Project, please visit http://www.special.org.il/?CategoryID=221&ArticleID=585. To see the Youtube video about the project which has had over 107,000 views, please search “Great in Uniform” on www.youtube.com.
By Tzvi Silver
