When 20-year-old Noa Dori adorned her officer's rank with great pride at the officers' course graduation ceremony in June, the memory of her great-grandfather, Yaakov Dori – the first Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and one of its founders – whose military career served as guidance and inspiration for her, will be with her in spirit. "I have a sense of mission and commitment to myself," she tells Israel Hayom.
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According to Noa, "The vision of my grandfather has accompanied me from childhood. He was also a soldier and reached the rank of brigadier general. I grew up in a Zionist home that is based on the values of love for our homeland and country. I grew up knowing that the ground we stand on is not something to be taken for granted. If we don't look after what they achieved and sacrificed, it will be a disaster. This is our mission. I continue my way through them."
Noa, her parents' second daughter, enlisted in August 2021 as a combat soldier in a unit in which male and female soldiers serve side by side along the border. "This is a very important force," she emphasizes. "We give high-quality performances even though we are girls. It is an interesting service and an experience that one won't have anywhere else. Boys and girls are recruited from trainee camp together, and it's fun to see the blend with the boys. There are no differences. You don't see that in many places.
"As female soldiers, we do not feel any difference or discrimination. The army supports us and believes in us. This is not regular service, but they do not make it easy for us. There are many girls who want to be in combat positions. There is an increase in girls doing combat service. We have to be mentally and physically strong. We make arrests, ambushes and thwart smuggling."
Attribution and responsibility
During her service, Noa underwent an eight-month basic training, an NCO course, and served as a squad commander at the brigade training base, was given an officer's rank.
As the great-granddaughter of the first chief of staff, Noa decided to become a combat soldier, also in order to continue her extensive family legacy: "There is no doubt that this was part of my decision to become an officer," the young officer honestly admits. "I'm currently finishing the course and have been assigned to the corps' training base, to train the next group of recruits. I hope I can give more of myself. I am still considering the option of a military career."
Q: Do you feel a special responsibility due to your family's military connection?
"It is definitely a responsibility, but this is something that I am able to take upon myself. This is the most satisfying feeling there is, to give as much as possible to my country and army. I am serving the citizens of my country. My main incentive is to continue the legacy of my great-grandfather and grandfather. Completing the officers' course is a milestone in my life, and I am sure that if they were here – they would be excited and proud of me. Their memories are always with me."
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