by Les Amdur
As part of the Sinai Campaign, we were attached to assist the U.N.R.W.A. troops who were guarding the food distribution in G-d forsaken refugee camps – (like Dir el Balach and Malek T’ubi, near Chan Yunis), for a few months. Of course “our” food was al hapanim to say the least! One day our ex “S.A. Army Scout” – Issy Shifren, volunteered to scrounge food and went on tiyul nearby. After a while we heard a rifle shot! Soon, Issy returned with a freshly killed chicken. Thanks to the U.S. marine helmets, with removable interiors, we soon had an “arucha chagigit” cooking over a fire (with chips) guess who “donated” the potatoes and oil!
Our Mefakdim were fascinated at the ingenuity of the South Africans and joined us. For them, it was their first introduction to “chips”). We also started a business! Most of the chayalim threw away their dog biscuits and powdered milk. So we collected same, mashed together with water in the – you guessed it – U.S. helmets and sold “Dysa” – for a few grush per messtin – to the chayalim. That’s entrepreneurship for you!