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