Buffalo Soldiers

Appreciating the Sacrifice

Remember the Bob Marley song, “Buffalo Soldier”? The term “buffalo soldiers” was given by Native Americans in the nineteenth century to Black American soldiers serving on the frontier. There are two explanations as to the reason why - it was either due to their thick black hair reminding the Native Americans of buffalo fur, or due to their impressive fighting abilities. Much later, these “buffalo soldiers” became seen as an example of black men who performed with great courage and sacrifice, even though at the time they were subject to harsh racism by the very people who they were defending.

Well, the 19th century buffalo soldiers weren’t the only soldiers who showed tremendous dedication and yet had their sacrifice unappreciated. R. Aviezer Piltz, rosh yeshivah of Tifrach and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah representing Degel HaTorah, declared in a recent speech as follows:

“The secularists hate us, the Torah observant ones, so much. What do they care that Torah scholars who labor in Torah are exempt from the army? They have enough soldiers, they don’t even have anything to do with them... I think the root is that they envy us, because they say to themselves, I am also a Jew, why didn’t I deserve that my sons also learn Torah?”

I’m not sure whether judging him favorably would require one to believe that he is lying, or to take him at his word and conclude that after two years this “leader” is still completely ignorant of what has been happening, what is still happening, and what is forecast to happen for all the foreseeable years ahead.

The scale of sacrifice that the reservists and their families have made over the last two years, in the exceedingly important role of defending us against all those who want to kill us, has been unimaginable. This is whether with regard to their studies, their careers, their family lives, their marriages, and their mental and physical health. They are still being called back in for additional rounds of reserve duty. And going forwards, soldiers will have to do a minimum of seventy days reserve duty every year until they are 45.

Much of this is due the manpower shortage that the war and our new understanding of reality have brought; it could be greatly alleviated if even a quarter of the 80,000 charedim learning, working or bumming around would enlist. Yet this “Gadol” says that soldiers aren’t doing anything, and therefore there is no legitimate reason for people to want charedim to enlist?!

Anyway, if you are a person who is appreciative of these modern-day “buffalo soldiers,” I’d like to propose something that you can for for them - which involves actual buffalo!

In two weeks, we are hosting our “Feast of Exotic Kosher Curiosities” at the Biblical Museum of Natural History, a spectacular gourmet and educational adventure featuring all kinds of unusual dishes from African guineafowl to Asian water buffalo. It’s by necessity an extremely expensive event and we were asked by someone if we can offer discounts to reservist soldiers. Unfortunately we cannot, but we had an idea.

There are people who very much appreciate the tremendous sacrifices that reservists (and, sometimes even more so, their wives) have had to make as a result of the IDF manpower shortage. Perhaps they would like to treat them to a special experience, both in appreciation of their sacrifice, and to help them feel valued and be able to enjoy a wonderful and educational evening. Seats are $380 each (and, if you’re buying them as a gift for reservists, fully tax-deductible); if you would like to help some buffalo soldiers with some buffalo, please write to Ellen at advancement@BiblicalNaturalHistory.org.