Yoav Sarig, a Santa Monica College (SMC) international student from Israel who has served in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), interviewed by The Corsair at SMC Main Campus, Santa Monica, Calif., on Monday, May 20, 2024. (Alexey Nosov | The Corsair)

After the Oct. 7 attack in Israel, Yoav Sarig decided to indefinitely delay his plans to come to Santa Monica College (SMC) and help those in need in his home country. There was a shortage of resources in Israel, so he volunteered to deliver food, toiletries, and equipment to those in need.

Sarig wanted to stay and help his community heal. “With everything that happened, I wasn't sure if I was going to come,” he said.

However, when people started to return to some normalcy after several months, he decided it was time to pursue his goal of studying child development at SMC. “It was very hard for me to leave, and it's still hard for me to be here,” Sarig said.

Despite the challenge of being away from his hurting community, Sarig thought it was best to work towards his longer-term goals. “Developing myself so I can gain the tools to help other people is what I need to do right now,” he said.

Sarig is a seventh-generation Israeli, meaning his family was there long before Israel became an independent nation-state in 1948. He said that his great ancestors hailed from Russia and Poland.

Sarig loved growing up in Hod Hasharon and the smaller village of Ramot Hashavim just outside Tel Aviv. “It’s a very special country, very community-oriented, at least where I grew up.”

Similar to children in the United States, Sarig said grew up playing video games, watching TV, and playing instruments.

Most Israeli men and women are required to join the military at age 18, but Sarig was able to take a year volunteering at a kibbutz in Jerusalem before enlisting. A kibbutz is unique to Israel and is a small community living collectively. He worked in agriculture as well as helped both children and adults with special needs.

When he was 19, Sarig joined the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He said it was “pretty awful,” but it wasn’t combat that was the worst part while he was there; it was the training. “Unless you're dealing with stuff that people are dealing with today, the training is probably the hardest part,” he said.

Sarig said that it may have been harder on his body because he joined the IDF a bit older because he struggled with injuries from the beginning of his training. He was discharged several months early after he got surgery on his hip, two years into his service.

After service, Sarig did not want to go back to school yet, so he decided to do more work with kids. He did personal training, tutoring, and substitute teaching for local children.

Now, as he finishes his first semester thousands of miles away from home, Sarig is still confronted with the global impact of the events of Oct. 7 and after. The movements on college campuses and daily media reports about the war in Gaza dominate the conversation.

Sarig said that most people don’t understand the impact of the attack on the community and the ongoing situation in Gaza. “I know ten people who were killed and one girl who is kidnapped, and I mean, even I’m the lower statistic, probably,” he said.

Sarig understands that it’s challenging for people to research the conflict because there are discrepancies in the reporting of both sides, but he hopes that people would do more to find out. “I have been asked how I’m doing, is my family safe, but I have not been asked what’s happening,” he said.

According to Sarig, the Israeli people are fighting many battles: Hamas, the Government, and public opinion. There have been ongoing protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet. Sarig himself has participated in a few protests against the government in the months before Oct. 7.

“I think most rational people would believe that the government is not fighting for its citizens best interests,” Sarig said.

Despite his challenges with the government, Sarig expressed a deep gratitude and love for his country. “I am proud of my country, and I wish for the safe return of all the hostages, and I wish for the end of suffering, and I wish for the abolishment of Hamas and a safe and secure future for the people of Gaza.”

While Sarig has not been politically active on the SMC campus, he would be happy to participate in discussions with students who seek diverse perspectives and want to learn about what’s really happening in the Middle East. However, he does not want to engage with people who are malicious or extreme, as he sees portrayed in much of the media coverage.

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