Aside from serving in the IDF, Sherut Leumi (National Service) is the other way Israelis can serve their country after high school. Notably, many of those doing Sherut Leumi aren’t Israeli. Rather, they come here as lone B’nei or B’not Sherut, leaving their families behind to serve the State of Israel.
Whether helping out in schools or working in hospitals, the heroic young men and women who take part in Sherut Leumi are essential parts of what makes Israeli society function. Devora Ruderman is one of those heroes. Working at The , Ruderman sees firsthand the many experiences and challenges her fellow B’not Sherut face.
In Jerusalem sat down with Ruderman to hear about these experiences and her personal story. I was born in Jerusalem in September of 2004. At the time, my family lived in Migdal Oz in Gush Etzion, but after a year we moved to Amherst, Massachusetts.
My father is a chaplain in the US Army, so I’ve been moving around every few years. I’ve lived in Boca, Florida; Fort Benning, Georgia; Offenbach, Germany; West Point and Monsey, New York; and Denver, Colorado, where I graduated high school and decided to return to Israel for seminary. I didn’t always feel connected to my homeland.
It started when I moved back to Jerusalem. I went to an art and music seminary called Emunah Ve’Omanut (Faith and Art, also known as EVO). We focused on learning about Judaism, traveling the Land of Israel, and building a connection to it – and music and art lessons inte.
