Israeli Soldier Yitzchak “Chico” Ben-mucha stood in front of students at the Hillel Center yesterday, thinking of how he could tell his story.
Speaking by memory to students at Hillel, he talked slowly, painting a vivd picture of his fallen friend Dan Talsinkov, who was killed by a terrorist less then two weeks earlier.
The story fit, since it was Yom Hazikaron — a day set aside to remember fallen soldiers.
Visiting the United States for the first time, Ben-mucha, along with fellow soldier Hagar Nissim, spent the week at the university speaking to people about life in Israel, while reuniting with students they met through Birthright Israel, a university trip where students spend 10 days in Israel.
While traveling, the students were teamed with local soldiers like Nissim and Ben-mucha, to show them what it was like to be a young adult in Israel.
“They are the same age as us, but yet they seem so mature,” said sophomore psychology major Sara Prass.
In Israel, men have to dedicate two years to the Israeli Defense Force, or the Israeli army, after they turn 18. Women have to dedicate one and a half years.
Originally, four more soldiers were scheduled to visit the university, but a few nights before departing Talsinkov was killed in the line of duty. The three other soldiers thought it was too close to Talsinkov’s death for them to travel to America.
To commerate his memory and the rest of the fallen Israeli soldiers, both the soldiers and the students wore stickers that said “Remember” in Hebrew, an Israeli tradition.
For the past week, the soldiers have spent their time enjoying the sights of the city. While on a tour in Georgetown, Nissim said she saw a bus-trolley for the first time.
Students have also taken the visitors to College Park eateries, such as Panda Express and TCBY, as well as local bars, to show what life is like in the city.
“This whole experience has been exciting, everything is surprising,” she said.
Nissim, 19, is in charge of training citizens who will eventually become soldiers.
“My job is frustrating at times,” she said. “Many times the soldiers are older than me and I have to give them orders.”
Ben-mucha, on the other hand, is part of a special paratroop squad that goes out and battles specific terrorism situations.
For decades, Israel has been involved in an ongoing struggle with the Palestinians. Since 1954, the country has been involved in the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
Though Ben-mucha believes that everyday they are one step closer to gaining freedom, he admits it has been challenging.
“From a small age you learn about the reality of things,” he said.
Since arriving last week, both soldiers have spent time visiting the area and exploring both Washington and Baltimore.
Nissim joked about how she received her first henna tattoo, which is not allowed in Israel.
“I forgot you are not allowed to have this,” she laughed.
To help make the soldier’s visit more of an “immersion” experience, students volunteered to house and show them around.
Mikhail Turovskiy, a junior computer engineering major, housed Ben-mucha for two days in his Commons apartment and showed him around College Park.
“He seemed really amazed at how big my place was since places over there are much smaller,” he said.
The soldiers’ visit has also allowed them to reunite with students from the Birthright trip, who hadn’t seen them for months.
Jay Rosen, coordinator of Maryland’s Hillel Birthright trip, said both the soldiers and students clicked from the beginning.
“Between the friendships and the romance, it was a power experience for everyone,” he said.
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