The Lions of 101

They were paunchy and lumbering, some still taut with cultivated white beards, their wives--maybe not the ones they began with, children old enough to have their own army stories and grandchildren who could not yet know how the nation survived its early years. More than 100 friends and family of Shlomo (Shleimi) Baum came together at the Almorah restaurant in the Judean hill town of Even Sapir. We were there to remember Shlomo on the 10th year since he died. We were there because Elana thought to bring us together with her now grown children Maia, Ilil, and David to hear stories about a husband and father who had been a legend in his lifetime.

It was a celebration of the 101, a unit of the IDF organized by Arik Sharon in August 1953 to retaliate for fedayeen
attacks against Israelis that had been costing many Israeli lives. Arik brought in Shlomo Baum as his deputy along with 50 men chosen to stop the raids by retaliation attacks in Jordan and Egypt. The unit carried out several damaging raids to carry the message that Israeli lives were not cheap and five months later 101 was absorbed in the Paratroop brigade. But one of the messages that came through at Shlomo's gathering this week was that the doctrine of retaliation that had been forgotten during the years after the 1948 Independence War, was reestablished as a core doctrine of the IDF.

It was an evening of reminiscence about Shleimi, everything from his famous big ears to his immensely strong body and bravery, to his intense curiosity about making things work. Stories came from members of the 101, from military historian Uri Milstein, from poet Haim Gouri, from General Israel Tal whose fame rests upon his development of Israel's Merhava tank, from novelist Meir Shalev and many others. And in between, musicians played familiar old songs.

Max and I were there with our son Daniel because when we lived in Israel from '73-'77, we met Shlomo and Elana and Max spent many hours with Shlomo, already retired from active service but deeply concerned about the political direction of Israel. And when Daniel and Alex came to join Tzahal, Shlomo was always ready to help them. Max and Shlomo would argue, the tough lion and his friend from such a different world. And when Shlomo would disagree with Max he would say MA-AX, as though it had two syllables, before launching into a lecture to straighten out his friend.

It was a privilege to be at this gathering of patriots. It was a reminder of how long Israel has had to fight to exist and of the price paid by many to protect it. It was a reminder that there was a time when, at least for some, protecting what you value was an imperative.