Uniformed military personnel from the Israel Defense Force (IDF) were on the campus of Sacred Heart University (SHU) campus on April 27 for a cultural exchange with their American peers, sponsored by the Stamford Jewish Community Center.

Seven members of Israel’s army and air force, ranging in age from 21 to 23, sat in the Pitt Center boardroom for several hours, meeting one-on-one with dozens of Sacred Heart students and professors. Later, they talked about their lives in the military before a group of approximately two dozen people from the SHU community.
The Israelis answered several questions related to their work, daily lives, and the violence they sometimes confront, but they steered clear of politics, declining to answer questions related to President Obama’s Middle East policy and the viability of a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In response to a question about Iran and the possibility that it might develop nuclear capability, Adi (the soldiers’ last names are withheld for security purposes), a 22-year-old IDF infantryman said, “We are worried about Iran getting a nuclear warhead. We do a lot of drills and we will do whatever is necessary to keep our borders safe.”
The soldiers also advised students to look beyond the headlines. There are many people on both sides of the conflict who are willing to come together and work toward peace, they noted, but the media focuses largely on the extremists and the violence.
The students agreed. Noting that news outlets seem to focus solely on aspects of the conflict, Shana Beladino, an SHU political science major, said, “I don’t see a lot of peaceful portrayals of things going on in your country.”
Steve Pawlowski, a 20-year old junior, agreed. “We hear your story from two different extremes – pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli – nothing in the middle. It’s unfair, the way it’s painted in the media.”
Stephanie Messina, of Berlin, a graduate student in the criminal justice program, lightened up the discussion, asking the Israelis about their passions and hobbies. Several expressed an interest in music, but Eden, 23, said she enjoys doing art work. Her work as a drone pilot collecting intelligence and escorting ground troops, she explained, “is like a video game.”
Stamford JCC Associate Director Nancy Schiffman said the JCC brings members of the Israel Defense Force to Connecticut every year, to allow for “a real-life dialogue with people on the front lines. It’s a great exchange of cultures and ideas and learning,” she said.
Prof. Gary Rose, chair of SHU’s Department of Government and Politics appreciated the effort. “I found it fascinating to talk to these people. You realize that they deal with life and death issues every day of their life. It’s something everybody needs to hear about,” he said.

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