David's Israel Experience

My son David has walked a long road with many bumps in it, he starts his journey at Congregation Ansehi Israel Pre-school where he did well, he fit in and enjoyed life, then he moved over to the  a Jewish Day School  where he had a core group of friends, they had much in common, he spent Shabbats with them and life was good, though he had learning disabilitiy and he struggled at times in English Subjects he did great in Hebrew and loved being part of learning track with the Rabbi, all seems like he was on the right road, but at the end of 4th grade his world came crashing in, as he was told the school wouldn't accommodate his learning disablilities.  He had to move from all that he knew, his friends, a place that he felt safe and comfortable, and for a young boy with mild Asperger Syndrome it was a huge blow, he felt that Judisim had kicked him out.  He moved to a public school and for the first time in all of his school career he was no longer in a small safe environment.  Though as hard as he would try to keep in touch with his friends for his former school they drifted a part, and David though he had a few friends in this new school it wasn't like him buddies from THA.  When he started High School he chose to follow his dream of military and went to a school that had a JROTC program, unfortunately a problem that plagues so many of our schools and youth, bullying was going to prove to be a bit overwhelming for David, school was already a struggle because of learning issues and add bullying and he soon went to a string of schools none of them proving to be a good choice.  Last Summer David went to Arkansas National Guard Youth Challenge Academy, with the hopes of completing the program and getting a GED and enlisting in the military, though he completed the program and excelled in the military component trying to squeeze 4 years into 6 months to get his GED proved a bit much.  He returned home and went to another alternative high school but it wasn't a good fit but he moved forward because since David was 3 in has wanted to be a soldier, and he knew he needed that diploma to get in since , unfortunately the US military has only a few spots for those with a GED.   After looking at many programs David thought he would like to go and be a soldier in Israel.  But before doing that he will go and experience Israel first by going to Aardvark Israel Immersion Program, doing a gap semster from January to May and then hopefully  doing Marva which is an 8 week volunteer program with IDF, then he would like to enlisted in the IDF and after serving and learning there return to the US to enlisted in the US Army.   The program is expensive and though we are looking toward scholarships there are still funds need, it is the first time in a very long time that I seem him excited to do something as a single parent it isn't easy to make dreams like this come true.  But David is a polite well manner young adult, who would give the shirt off his back to someone in need, would give his last dollar to someone who would ask.  He would be truely grateful for any help that is provided.