The fighters of the paratroopers' brigade were in a warm-up run at the beginning of the brigade's sports day in Ramat Gan two months ago, including Moshe Golsheran, a platoon commander at the brigade's training base.
Then he heard a voice calling his name.
He turned and did not believe what he saw - in front of him was Y., his childhood friend with whom he had not seen each other for more than a decade.
And this is not a trivial matter, given the fact that they both grew up in Istanbul and immigrated to Israel separately.
The two grew up together in the Jewish community in Turkey and went to kindergarten and school together.
"I remember Moshe as a child, we studied together and were friends," says Y., whose name and photo are not revealed because he fears harming his family members who remain in Turkey.
"We have pictures where we are hugged together," laughs Moshe.
Moshe and Y. as children, Photo: IDF Spokesman
But in 2009 the connection was severed.
"I immigrated to Israel with my whole family and after a year at an absorption center in Raanana we moved to Rishon Lezion," says Moshe, and Y. adds: "I did not understand what it means to immigrate to Israel. We learned in the Jewish school what the State of Israel is, "Understand the concept of moving to another country. The connection between us has been severed."
A year after Moshe, in 2010, Y. and his family also immigrated to Israel and today live in one of the cities in the center.
The years passed and the two adapted to life in Israel.
Y. says that he did follow Moshe's family on social media so that he generally knew what he was doing in life, including Moshe's enlistment in the 890th Paratroopers Regiment in 2019.
Y. himself enlisted in the Red Brigade in 2020 and was assigned as a fighter in the 202nd Battalion. "I saw a picture of him in the paratroopers but I did not attach importance to it.
And so time passed.
Moshe has taken a cadet course, and is expected to open in the coming days with his friends the recruitment of August 2021 as a platoon sergeant.
Two fighters in the Paratroopers Brigade, but without any connection between them.
Then came the battalion sports day.
"It was crazy," Moshe recalled.
"We were on a warm-up run with the whole brigade, and suddenly someone called me and started speaking Turkish. And I understand that it's rewarding Y., the friend from childhood I haven't seen in a decade."
Y: "The feeling is that I found a lost friend, who I barely remembered where he was. Who would have believed that this is how we would meet again?".
In the two months that have passed since that day, the two have renewed their relationship in full force, and they make it clear that they will not agree to a break-up again.
Moshe shares the close bond formed between the two: "We have talked so many times since that day - about Turkey, Israel, what about me, what about him, about friends, family, everything."
