(From Ima) To my captain, as he leaves the army - by HaDassah Sabo Milner

You have served your army and your country so well – now it is time for you to serve in a different capacity. You will do your reserve army duty, sure, but you will now start living a civilian life that is good and wholesome. I am so excited for your future. With love from your biggest fan, Ima xoxo

HaDassah Sabo Milner..
TOI Blog..
12 July '20..

Twelve years ago, in September of 2008, I stood with you at the Kotel in Jerusalem, your first time there. You turned to me with tears in your 13-year-old eyes and told me that you belonged here, in Israel, and that when you were 18 you would make aliyah and join the army.

Five years later you made aliyah, keeping your promise to yourself, and setting out to live your own life on your own terms. The whole country of Israel saw your aliyah flight on the TV news that night, and watched your mother bawl her eyes out as you took your leave.

Six years, two months and 19 days. That has been the length of your army service. All that time ago when you enlisted, and became a private in the IDF – who would have imagined that you’d be in the army for so long, and end your army career ranked a Captain?

Who knew that you would see two of your younger brothers make aliyah and join the army after you and finish before you? Who knew that all three of you would become experts in blowing things up? All of you became combat engineers…. The Dergel boys, blowing sh!t up legally since 2014…

Soon you will be cutting your choger / army ID card (I will cut mine too. After being a card-carrying army mama for over six years I totally get to do it as well) signifying the end of your service, and the beginning of civilian life. You can be relieved that you no longer have to answer to higher ranks, nor do you have to be responsible for a group of soldiers in your care. Your mama can be relieved that now she can sleep at night, not having to worry about you in the army. (She won’t because she now has other newer worries…. But that’s her deal)

Being a soldier has defined you and your life for the last few years. Civilian life, while so free of certain kinds of responsibility that you are used to, has other responsibilities, ones which I know you will live up to. You learned so much about yourself as a soldier, and then as an officer. You matured, you grew up, you evolved.

I have many memories of your army service — most I cannot share in a public forum and I really do not want to have to get the army censors involved. One thing that sticks out is from when you were a newbie soldier dealing with the way the army was run. “Ima,” you said, “we need you to come out here and organize the army. You could run this so much better.”

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