Hi Dale,
What can I tell you? Let’s see…
1) This was actually my 3rd trip not my fourth. Next year will be my
fourth.
2) I was at [base name removed]* again — the Sar-El Hilton. This has been the only base I have served on. After listening to other people, I may request that this be the only base I be sent to.
3) A lot of people complained about the food. I didn’t, as I loved the food.
4) Accommodations were great. I found the cots extremely comfortable and slept really well. Also, I found the showers (a real necessity after doing physical work all day) to be great.
5) The madrichot were, as usual, excellent. The group we had were very entertaining.
6) I worked for the same supervisor that I had last year. She is very efficient and a joy to work for. There was a lot of work; the days went by very fast; and I enjoyed it all.
7) Airport arrival was a problem as there was no Sar-El reps available when I arrived. I ended up wandering around a lot (along with a number of other Sar-El-niks) trying to find someone, but eventually they arrived. It would be better if there could be a sign or something to let us know where to congregate.
8) This year we had 2 outings. There was a special 1-day trip to an archeological dig. It was fascinating. But I did feel a little guilty in abandoning my workplace supervisor for the day. I think it would be good to let the supervisors know well in advance when the volunteers will not be there.
9) On the negative side, we had 3 nights of special speakers. Too many in my opinion. But that’s just me.
10) Overall, I had a great time. For me, this is a vacation!
Take care,
Marvin
*Editor’s note.. as requested by the IDF, we don’t publish the names of bases. We also don’t publish the full name of the volunteer to protect their privacy.