In May 2018, Daniel Rechter received an order that would change his life. Daniel, a commander in the Ephraim Territorial Brigade’s driver unit, was told to drive a fuel truck to a Palestinian village in Samaria and rescue a military vehicle that had broken down during routine operations. When Daniel reached his destination, a crowd of Palestinians blocked his way. “I was sitting there in the driver’s cab and had no way out,” he recalls. “They started by throwing stones and blocks at me, tried to tear off the windshield protection, and finally tried to set the truck on fire. Really not a great situation. I could already feel the heat rising around me.”
How did you get out of there?
The first people to help me were Palestinian firefighters, who started to put out the fire. That’s when I realized how complicated it all was – there were Palestinians trying to kill me, and other Palestinians trying to save me. Then Israeli firefighters showed up. Finally, a military tow truck came to pull the truck out and I was evacuated in an ambulance. I was pretty shocked and it took me a while to recover. The Brigade gave me leave from my job and that’s when I started seriously thinking about conversion.”
Why did that come to mind?
“After everything I went through, I felt the need to be even more connected to Israel. Yes, I was born here, went to school here, grew up here, enlisted in the IDF, and risked my life for the country, but there was still something missing. Then I realized what it was. The truth is, I’d wanted to start the Nativ program before, but the Brigade would always ask me to wait because it was difficult to get a replacement for me, and I didn’t push them hard enough. I probably wasn’t fully committed. But this time I decided I wouldn’t be deterred.”
How was your program experience?
“It was fascinating. I discovered a whole new world. I used to think that all religious people were Ultra-Orthodox, so I had no idea what being religious really meant. I grew up in a family of immigrants – my dad is Jewish and my mom’s Ukrainian. They came here from Ukraine, from Lviv, a few years before I was born, and neither of them is really connected to any kind of tradition. Even though we’d have a kiddush on Friday nights at my grandmother’s house, it was kind of a ‘Russian kiddush’ – we’d light candles and sit down to eat. I went to a regular school in Petah Tikva, with Israeli kids from secular families. By the way, I encountered discrimination at that time – they’d make fun of me because I was blond with green eyes. It wasn’t until high school, when we were older, that it stopped. It turned out that being blond was better than being a bully.”
Daniel learned a lot about Judaism during the Nativ program.
“I discovered that true faith isn’t necessarily about what you wear or other external things,” he says. “I learned important values that are the pillars of the religion. I understood how diverse and flexible Judaism can be. I learned what it means to keep Shabbat. I never thought this could actually be enjoyable, but everything turned upside down after we spent Shabbat on a kibbutz with a host family. It was such a special atmosphere. Free from all the activities of a normal day, free from screens and phones. I felt an immense calmness. I was really starting to recover from what I’d been through.”
Why did you hesitate?
“Because it’s not an easy decision. It’s one thing to learn and another thing to put it into practice. But I felt like this is what I really want to do. That’s how I see my life.”
What do you plan to do after the army?
“Well, at the moment I’ve signed a four-month contract in the IDF so we’ll see what happens next. I like my job. I was happy to get back to it after my break. It’s a lot of responsibility. The Brigade has around 80 drivers and they have to get permission from me before going out on a mission. I check their alertness and the technical condition of the vehicles. All of this is crucial because drivers often go out into the field to catch a terrorist or for other operational activities. I brief them on how to dodge stones and what to do if, for example, someone chucks a fridge at you from the 3rd floor. Every vehicle has to be in optimal condition and properly equipped. I really like cars. It was a hobby of mine before the army. I even built my own race car.”
How did you do that?
“My dad’s a car dealer. He’s always tinkering with cars and I learned a lot from him. One time he bought an old Ford Focus 4×4. I read how you can transform it into a race car and my dad also explained a few things to me. At first it seemed pretty tricky, but I did it. I even took part in some races with my Ford. Maybe after the army I’ll get back to it.”
