A returning reservist's journey to family and employment

Since his return from Gaza, combat reservist Michael has been faced with the daunting task of adjusting to civilian life as readers of this column know. 

Slipping back into the role of loving husband and father to his young family has not been without hardships. At times, those mundane, everyday jobs that are second nature for most people, have presented this returning hero with a few difficulties.

And now, just as things are gradually getting back on an even keel, his life has been turned on its head once again, but this time by a joyous occasion – the birth of his second daughter. While, of course, this didn’t come as a surprise, the disruption that goes hand in hand with having a newborn is no less of a challenge.

With two young daughters to care for, Michael and his wife have certainly got their hands full.

For Michael, adjusting to this new, wonderful reality right now hasn’t been without setbacks, he told the Magazine recently.

With his job as a political adviser hanging in the balance since his return from the front lines, his main concern is providing for his family. 

Michael confirmed regretfully that “in two weeks, I will be officially unemployed.” With his wife also not working because of her pregnancy and his extended time away from home in Gaza, the prospect of their both being unemployed is not one that he relishes. 

Michael’s sunny outlook won the day

Nevertheless, despite this unwelcome setback, Michael’s sunny outlook won the day. “On the positive side,” he enthused, “at least I’ll be home with [my girls] for the first few months.”

His pragmatic approach has also helped him to recognize another benefit of being unemployed – the opportunity to “work on” his ongoing health problems, which include back, groin, and hamstring trouble that developed during his army service. With time on his hands, Michael plans to start a much-needed course of physical therapy so he can enjoy playing with his children. 

“Physical rehabilitation is important because picking up the girls is a strain on the body, and I’m not as active as I’d like to be.”

Another problem that has significantly improved is the forgetfulness that plagued him when he first returned from the war. 

NEVERTHELESS, like all reservists, Michael cannot fully relax while the war is ongoing. Knowing that he could be called up at a moment’s notice is a “constant worry” for him and his family. The “existential dread that hangs over reservists” is something that he and his comrades have to live with, he said.

During a recent work meeting, Michael was forced to relive some of the horrific moments that he experienced in Gaza. “Talking about what I went through brought everything back,” he lamented. 

“All of the horrors of the war; dead soldiers, Kfar Aza… makes me emotional,” he said as his voice trailed off.

Reliving those moments has become more prevalent in his daily life, too. Triggers, such as music, can set him off at any time. When a song came on the radio by Raviv Kaner – who went into Gaza to do a private performance for Michael’s unit in the house where they were sheltering – Michael felt that he was right back in that time and place. 

With the war never far from his mind, and antisemitism out of control, particularly in the US, where he lived before making aliyah, Michael is still using social media to set the record straight. “I’m still going hard on hasbara [public diplomacy],” he stated. “I feel that at least people are seeing things they wouldn’t otherwise see [through my posts].”

Although this has caused some tension at home, as he’s never without his phone, Michael is determined to “keep going with that.”

Despite all the hardships, “plowing on” and building a bright future for himself and his family are more important now than ever before. “All things considered, I feel blessed,” he said, adding that it was important to keep things in perspective. 

“I’m not worried about putting food on the table. We have a roof over our heads when so many are displaced, and my injuries could be a lot worse,” he concluded, in the now familiar upbeat manner that makes this seemingly ordinary fellow so extraordinary. ■