6 July 25 • 2019
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U

pon landing at Ben-Gurion 
Airport last month, I see the 
blue and white graced with the 
Magen David (Star of David) that blan-
kets a nearby hangar as my plane rolls 
by. These two beautifully overlaid equi-
lateral triangles that form the six-pointed 
star are representative of the only free 
democracy in the Middle East. Though 
not Jewish, I felt the level of excitement 
and inner peace and the feeling of happi-
ness no different than that of a Jew in the 
diaspora making aliyah. It was euphoric 
and a feeling unlike any other I had ever 
experienced in my world travels. 
So, what brought me to Israel? I was in 
Brazil last November for the travel blog I 
started on Instagram @eyesofthepeople, 
about traveling to nations and seeing 
them through the #eyesofthepeople 
who live there. As part of my travels, I 
also team up with a special charity in 
the country I visit to make a positive 
impact. While in Brazil I contacted a 
friend, retired Lt. Col. Tiran Attia, who 
served almost 30 years in the IDF and 
co-founded Special in Uniform (SIU) 
along with Ariel Almog. It resulted in 
my traveling to Israel from June 10-24 
and partnering with SIU and the IDF 
to highlight this special group, which 
helps fully integrate people with disabil-
ities into the IDF. I wanted to share this 

amazing program with the world.
SIU has helped many Israelis with 
special needs achieve their dreams. They 
wanted to give back to their nation by 
serving in uniform but were excluded 
from military service. Tiran and Ariel, 
with assistance from the Jewish National 
Fund, changed all that. They knew that 
to maintain one of the strongest mili-
taries in the world, everyone had to be 
included. And they are! 
It was truly a dream come true not 
just for these new soldiers of the IDF but 
for me, too, as I was living vicariously 
through their experiences. I was denied 
military service into the U.S. Army and 
the U.S. Navy because of my visual dis-
ability. On June 13, I had the honor of 
placing a beret on the head of a newly 
minted IDF soldier at a ceremony at 
Hatzerim Air Force Base in the Negev. A 
couple of days earlier, I interacted with 
SIU soldiers doing intel work and other 
projects at Palmachim Air Base near 
Rishon LeZion and Tel Aviv. 
And, during this trip, I am proud to 
share that Tiran is working with U.S. 
Ambassador to Israel David Freidman 
and our Department of Defense to 
implement a similar program for provid-
ing opportunities to serve in the military 
for Americans with special needs. 
Aside from my social impact work in 

Israel, I had the opportunity 
through @eyesofthepeople to 
showcase the beauty of this 
amazing and majestic nation. 
The Israel that I witnessed is 
different from what you see on 
the news. I immersed myself 
into the daily life of every-
day Israelis, from Tel Aviv 
to Jerusalem and Haifa and 
beyond. I walked the streets 
in the middle of the night and never 
felt safer in my life. I broke bread and 
shared stories with Iraqi Jews at a shuk 
in Jerusalem’
s Mahane Yehuda Market, 
sharing stories of the common bond 
between Chaldeans, like me, and Jews.
I hiked up Masada to witness an epic 
sunrise, the kind that King Herod wit-
nessed while fending off Roman aggres-
sors. I walked amongst ibex and dipped 
into waterfalls at Ein Gedi. I muddied 
myself and bathed in the mineral-rich 
Dead Sea and was rejuvenated. Haifa 
was also a highlight, as this beautiful 
port city was home to my grandfather 
for five years. He helped in Israel’
s eco-
nomic success prior to its independence 
in 1948, working on an oil pipeline con-
necting Kirkuk, Iraq, to Haifa. 
Writing about my Israel experience 
would cover every page of this issue of 
the Jewish News, something the editor is 

unwilling to allow!
I am eternally grateful to have had an 
opportunity to partner with SIU, the IDF 
and sponsors such as Farmington Hills-
based venture capital firm Lis Ventures 
and the world’
s only empowerment 
platform for peoples with disabilities, Tel 
Aviv-based YooCan. 
I commend the bravery of these fine 
soldiers for overcoming obstacles and 
realizing their full potential. This is truly 
representative of the Israel that I saw, 
preserving Jewish values with the idea of 
showing and extending respect beyond 
families; everyone is unique and special 
and should be loved. 
My love for this place IS-RAEL!

Michigan native Johnny Oram is a social entre-
preneur and is the founder of the travel and 
social impact blog Eyes of the People, found on 
Instagram at @eyesofthepeople and on the web 
at eyesofthepeople.com.

guest column
Seeing Israel and Special Needs Soldiers
Through the ‘Eyes of the People’

Johnny Oram 

in Israel 

JOHNNY ORAM

