Border Police
Border PoliceIsrael news photo: Flash 90

In a special ceremony held Tuesday, 400 IDF soldiers who enlisted in the army in August marked the conclusion of their basic training in preparation for their service in the Border Police.

Out of the 400 recruits, one stood out: Shira Kashriel, who was chosen as the outstanding soldier in the group. Kashriel was born in the United States and made aliyah on her own three years ago, leaving behind her academic studies in the U.S., so that she could pursue her dream of living in Israel.

Upon her arrival in Israel, however, she was refused by the IDF for military service due to her age. Not giving up, Kashriel continued to fight for her right to serve in the army, all the while volunteering at Magen David Adom and beginning her studies at Tel Aviv University. When she finally received word that the IDF would indeed allow her to enlist, she once again dropped her studies in order to join the IDF as a Border Police officer.

The Border Police said that “Shira is an exemplary figure in Israeli society and is exemplary of Border Police values: service, determination, persistence, giving, Zionism, sacrifice and love of Israel.”

The Border Police also pointed out that the 400 soldiers who were honored in Tuesday’s ceremony reflect the multiculturalism which characterizes the Border Police: a representation of the general Israeli population and the various sectors of its society.