It’s German-Israel time again, and I’m currently attending the Bertelsman Stiftung German-Israel Young Leaders Exchange Program Reunion 2009 at the Dead Sea.

How coincidental that, just a few days ago as I was arriving at the Latrun base near Jerusalem for my miluim [reserve duty] the IDF marching band was practicing the German national anthem, for a ceremony later that day in honor of some German military delegation.

One of the guys in my unit took this video, I believe it’s quite interesting:

Several of us, Jewish soldiers performing reserve military duty, stood amazed at what we were seeing and hearing: this is the Israeli army performing the German national anthem, quite surreal. I’m sure it’s been done many times before, and vice versa too, but for the 30 or so soldiers watching, it was the first time. I don’t know what all the others thought about it, but I felt it was a special moment.

Some of the younger soldiers at the base who were also looking at what was going on thought the band was playing the American anthem…