Growing up in Potomac, Maryland, Sagy Amar would often hear stories about the IDF service of his father and grandfather.
“I never thought I could be Israeli without defending my homeland,” says Amar, a second-year undergraduate at University of Haifa who is pursuing his BA in Political Science and Jewish History. “It was very clear to me since I was young that I’d enlist in the IDF.”
Indeed, Amar would eventually move to Israel as a lone soldier. Later, he chose to enroll at University of Haifa because of his interest in the University’s special academic program dedicated to public influence — which caters to students who are seeking to become active in Israeli public life, education, or international relations.
Then on October 7, as was the case for Amar’s fellow student-reservists at University of Haifa and across Israel, life was turned upside down. From his service in the Iron Swords War, to navigating a return to school with reserve duty ongoing, to being separated from his fiancé, Amar shares his wartime journey in the following interview.
Q: Where were you on October 7 and what happened next?
A: “We had a school break at the time. I was on vacation with my wife’s family in Eilat. She was my fiancé at the time. I keep Shabbat, but it became clear after services that something was happening. I immediately called my commander to ask for instructions. I then went down to the hotel lobby and asked if anybody was driving up North. I then hitchhiked to my car and then drove to my base.
“During the whole journey we started seeing the videos that were coming out. We heard of friends who have been killed or were injured. On our way up North, since we knew that terrorists infiltrated Israel, we just kept going even if we saw a police officer or soldier because we heard stories of Hamas disguising themselves as Israelis. That same night, I was on the border with Lebanon with the rest of my battalion.
“Eventually the rest of our unit showed up for duty, we didn’t have to call too many people — they knew what to do. We then got our gear and went on our mission. That’s how I began what became five months of reserve service, and I knew it was far from over.
“I was in the middle of a vacation and then suddenly, I found myself saying goodbye to my fiancé and not knowing if or when I’d see her again. It was a vacation that ended with tears and fear.
“The first few days of service were challenging. We kept hearing the names of people who were kidnapped or killed. Everybody was affected by this on some level and all of Israel were walking around with pictures of their loved ones on social media asking, ‘Have you seen this person?’ My fellow soldiers knew they need to fight and protect their country, but we all felt we were one phone call away of hearing news that would change our lives.”
Q: What was your service like?
A: “When you’re in the army, it’s easier than being a civilian, I think. In the army you have a clear mission. We would hear rockets, yes, but we had a sense of which areas were under threat, so we didn’t panic. If you’re sitting at home watching the news, you think the entire region is under attack.
“For the first few days, I was barely on my phone. I didn’t see the videos of all the civilians being kidnapped from their houses or the horrific pictures on TV very long. We encouraged friends and family to not watch that stuff. It’s good to know what’s happening in the world, but being inundated with horrific images is demoralizing.
“My family was calling all the time to see if I was okay, but I told them to stop. I said I’d text them a couple times a day and then they can relay that I’m fine to everybody else.”
Q: What is it like studying while in reserve duty?
A: “Since this is my second year at the University, it helped that I knew what school would be like. If this war happened during my first year, I don’t know if I’d be able to go back to school. I was only able to come back for the last two lessons of the semester, but I had to take my exams like everyone else.
“At first, I didn’t go home at all. Eventually, I was given occasional leave for 24 hours. Coming back home was like experiencing two Israels. There’s the Israel on the border that’s at war and then there’s the Israel that’s trying to go back to everyday routine. Seeing that was a bit jarring, but I understand that life must go on. It was hard to constantly make that mental shift though — to go home where everybody asks you questions and then go back to the base and snap back to a totally different reality.
“During my service, to be honest, I didn’t really want to talk about school. I wanted to remain focused on my mission. For a while, there was talk that the semester may be postponed entirely, but that didn’t happen, and I understand that decision. You can’t hold back 75% of the student body who are not in a combat unit and want to resume their education. After all, the country needs doctors, engineers, etc. We can’t just pause that.
“It helped, of course, that I was studying a subject where I could learn at my own pace. I wasn’t doing anything that required labs or clinical work where every class is important. This is also something I took into consideration when talking to the officers under me.”
Q: How did University of Haifa help with navigating school while being in reserves?
A: “I must say at University of Haifa my professors were very understanding of the situation. When I came back to school, I had a meeting with the head of my department for an hour and she asked me what they can do to help me. They offered extra time to turn in my work and an option to do take-home exams. This was an option extended not only to me, but to hostage families, families of fallen soldiers and significant others of soldiers in reserves. I also got a scholarship and some school credits that absolved me of taking some classes. They really tried to make sure no student was left behind. I even got a 90 in my final exam.
“That said, this was my personal experience and I know other students who felt differently.”
Q: What other work have you done since October 7 to help protect the country?
A: “I just did a hasbara (public diplomacy) tour of U.S. colleges. I flew to the U.S. and talked about other college students and explained what Israel is going through. I told them that I fight this war, not because I’m an IDF soldier, but because I’m Jewish. I told Jewish students that they need to contribute in whatever way they can. They can volunteer or do public advocacy. Israelis who serve in the IDF have a direction, but these college students don’t know what to do.
“That’s why I felt it was important to complete my reserve duty in the U.S. I felt that sharing my story was important — just as much as serving along the border. This isn’t just a war against the people of Israel, it’s a war against humanity.”
Q: How was your wedding given the circumstances?
A: “My wife is also a reserve soldier, but not in combat, so we had to plan the wedding while we were in reserves. That was a challenge, especially considering most of my family lives abroad.
“We set a date for June, thinking the situation would settle down by then. Some of our friends had weddings in the fall and they had to cancel them. June felt so far away, but it came and went very quickly.
“As the wedding approached, we were afraid that some family wouldn’t be able to come because of canceled and expensive flights, but everyone did show up in the end.
“We were also worried that there would be sirens in Haifa. Luckily, there was a siren the day before and after the wedding, but not the day of. Still, some of our good friends were killed during the war, and it’s hard knowing that some people weren’t able to celebrate with us because they’re mourning their loved ones.
“I was also afraid I’d be called up on our actual wedding day, but that didn’t happen. We basically spent the whole time leading up to the wedding hoping things wouldn’t get worse. But it’s our responsibility as Jews to keep things going. We’re trying to live our lives. We still got married. We hope to have a family. This mix of sadness, anxiety, and joy is happening for us all at once.
“I remember my grandpa talking about serving in the Yom Kippur War, and my father was born in 1972. I think of my grandpa on reserve duty when my grandma had two small babies at home. Now, I’ll probably go through the same thing.
“Some women were bridezillas before the war. Now, they’re just happy to have a wedding. We need to be grateful for what we have. We need to say thank you and keep things in proportion. When we’re up North, we know exactly where the rockets are falling and where the threat is. We’re not panicking because we know that it’s not the whole region that’s under constant immediate threat. But at the end of the day, nothing is more important than being alive.”