So the gibbush started out Monday with approximately 350 people. By the end, we finished with 150 people. Monday was mostly a day of sitting around, making sure we had the correct equipment (about 5 times), doctors checks and signing forms. Right now, as I am 22 years old, I am only legally required to serve for 2 years. If I pass the gibbush I have to sign on for an extra year, and that was one of the forms I had to fill out.
Next, we were taken out to the field next to the Nachal base, where the gibbush took place, and were divided into what we thought were the teams for the gibbush. At this point, no one had their phones and watches, and it was impossible to tell the exact time (we had no idea of the time throughout the four days). Each person was given a hat with a number on it, which was to be their number for the gibbush. For the next few hours we sprinted and crawled through the dusty, rocky sand, each time with a harsh command of "tze" (go) from the commander. After each crawl or sprint we had to quickly line up in the order in which we came. Sometimes we would have time to line up and sometimes he would tell us to go as we were lining up. By this point people were already exhausted and many left and gave up. A couple of times during that night we were given short water breaks. Mentally, you would live for those breaks, however during the crawls you would swallow so much sand that it would clog up your throat. Consequently, most people started throwing up as they drank, and you were not allowed to wash the sand out of your mouth by spitting out any water. Eventually this all ended and we were put to bed in our tents. However, we were told that there were to be two people from each tent guarding at all times, which meant that sleep was little and constantly interrupted by guarding shifts. We had to do this each night.
The next morning we were woken up well before sunrise and continued the sprints and the crawls until breakfast. Each meal was the same; field rations that consisted of bread, tuna, some vegetables, jam, chocolate spread, tinned fruit and tinned beans. Everything without exception went into a sandwich. From breakfast the first day, my memory becomes pretty hazy as to the exact details and sequence of events. I do apologise, and I kept saying to myself that I had to try and remember it all for the blog, but easier said than done. So I do apologise for leaving out any of the details.
That first full day was the hardest I would say, and we were split up into completely different teams from the previous night and told that actually from hereon the gibbush had begun. All that hard work last night suddenly seemed in vain, but I'm sure it wasn't. I'm sure it was some kind of mind game. So we were allocated to different groups and given different numbers. That day was a mixture of running, crawling and stretcher marches. The stretcher had on it sand bags that weighted it down, and the aim was to hold the stretcher for as long as possible during the march. The commanders were constantly walking around and noting down the numbers of those carrying it. I wouldn't let go, despite the searing pain in my shoulder.
Later on that night I think we carried on with more crawling. Because of the excessive amount of water they got us to drink during the days, I needed to wee so badly. Not wanting to stop, and not wanting my needing to wee get in the way of my performance, I decided that I just had to do it as I crawled. Though not pretty, and though embarrassing, and despite my hesitation to publicise my bodily functions, I think it's an important thing to tell. The gibbush was not a pretty sight, and you just have to keep going no matter what. To be absolutely honest, I can't remember all the details of that second day, but we ended up a lot smaller a team than we had started.
I happen to feature on the IDF website!! During one of the many exhausting exercises
A photo of one team during this week's gibbush taken by the army
The next day began again with physical exercises, but the middle of the day was taken up largely by group exercises. During one of them, we were told to dig a hole as a group, big enough to fit everybody in, as well as dig a hole individually, just for ourselves. We were given half an hour for this. At the end of the time we were told to stand in order of where we thought we had come in terms of work put into digging the group hole. Another exercise was where we had to, as a group, get a huge log from one side of a "minefield" to another, with only particular numbers allowed to speak. All these tasks posed a slight problem for my Hebrew, which, not being bad itself, becomes slightly rusty during exhaustion. So I really hope it doesn't cause a problem in the results!
Another one of those smaller tasks was on the monkey bars. At first we had to, as a group, make sure there were 8 people hanging at all times for 6 minutes. We had to work as a group to complete it, but unfortunately we didn't do it. After that, we had to hang individually from the bars as long as we could. (A word of warning; monkey bars give you many many blisters).
Another station was on the sandy hill. We had to put sand bags on our backs and go up and down this hill as many times as we could in a given time, each time shouting our number and the number of turns around the hill. By the third rotation, everybody was walking it and my legs were burning. Still, it wasn't going to last forever, and the important thing was to keep your head above it all.
There were many of these smaller stations, but I can't remember the details of all of them. Some were group orientated and others were more individual. Afterwards came yet more crawling and sprinting, and then we all stopped to gather round to light the first light of Chanukah. It was such a special moment, and though many of the other details might be blurry, this wasn't. It was so special to see all these different people, secular and religious, gather round to light the candles. This is why I am here - the first Jewish army in 2000 years.
Next, they played a trick on us. As we had already dropped to a total of about 150 people, the head of the gibbush announced that it was all over. Suddenly, the commanders were slightly nicer to us, and told us to follow them with all our gear towards the base. I knew it was a trick, it didn't make sense. However, as we were approaching the gates of the base there was the slightest glimmer of hope that in fact this could really be it. It wasn't. Suddenly the commander screams "10 seconds in a Chet", and we were once again off on a march, or a crawl, I can't even remember. I just remember that sinking feeling. That night we were woken up at probably about 3am for a march with the sand bags. Another word of warning about the sand bags; the bags containing the sand bags have shoulder strips that simply dig into the shoulders due to their thinness, and so you can feel it with each step.
The next morning was the final morning, and again we were taken on a march. After that, we had our personal interviews with the commanders and had to evaluate each person in the team, ranking them according to how we thought they each did. After a lot of hanging about, and doughnuts brought by a couple of Chabad families in honour of Chanukkah, we were taken back to the base where we were greeted with cheers by the rest of Nachal and given a little end-of-gibbush ceremony. We sang Hatikvah together, and genuinely all the pain that I felt seemed to disappear. It was all worth it to hear that. It was one of those moments.
So we hear whether we got in next week. Until then, I'm back on kibbutz resting up and catching up on some much needed sleep.
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