Safety, Sense, and Security

First, a word about these pictures. In Israel, girls ages 18-20 participate in mandatory military service. During the swearing in ceremony they make this oath: “I solemnly swear…to devote all of my strength and to sacrifice my life to protect the land and the liberty of Israel.”
Rachel Papo served in the Israeli Air Force as a photographer. These two intensive years of service inspired her current photographic project titled after her own number during service -- "Serial No. 3817131." Her full collection can be found here: http://www.serialno3817131.com/index.html

These portaits make me I wonder what these girls and I would say to one another. If we could really converse, what would we say? What would they think or say about me? What do they think and say about themselves? What might we have in common? What would they wish for?
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SECURITY UPDATE -- July 20, 2007

The US State Department has issued a new travel advisory for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The following are relevant excerpts:

The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to remain mindful of security factors when considering travel to Israel and Jerusalem at this time. In addition, the Department of State urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to the West Bank and to avoid all travel to the Gaza Strip.

American citizens are urged to exercise a high degree of caution and common sense when patronizing restaurants, cafes, malls, places of worship, and theaters, especially during peak hours. Large crowds and public gatherings should be avoided to the extent possible, and personnel should be alert to street vendors who sometimes aggressively harass tourists. American citizens should take into consideration that discos and nightclubs, as well as public buses, trains and their respective terminals are "off-limits" to U.S. Government personnel.

Violence between organized criminal elements sometimes occurs in areas frequented by foreigners and has occasionally resulted in death or injuries to bystanders. While American citizens have not been the target of such violence, they should be aware of their surroundings and follow common sense precautions to avoid it.
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That's the Government saying what I've been saying since I considered applying for the Jerusalem study program. If you keep your head about you, and you obey all the rules of the center--nothing's going to happen to you, and if it does, it's for a very special reason. Whatever happens--if you are where you're supposed to be, doing what you should be doing and nothing else--you'll be fine. I know it.

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(and here's a picture that made me laugh, though, I suppose it isn't really funny at all)