When someone leaves home in search of meaning, they often discover far more than they expected. For Michal Mendelsohn, one of the earliest female rabbis in North America, her decision to volunteer in Israel as a young woman became a defining chapter in her life. In Rabbi, Your Cleavage Is Showing, she describes how serving in the Israel Defense Forces shaped her understanding of duty, community, and the need to belong.
When Michal first flew to Israel, she did not imagine that a war would break out the moment she landed. She arrived during a time of rising tension, surrounded by fear and confusion. However, she stayed. This early choice set the tone for what she would learn in the months and years ahead. Duty, she discovered, did not come from titles or praise. It came from stepping into responsibility even when the path was unclear.
Her early experiences on a kibbutz showed her what it meant to work for a shared purpose. She weeded fields, tended crops, and helped wherever needed. These tasks were simple, but they made her feel part of something larger than herself. It was one of the first times she felt fully seen and included.
Entering the IDF and Finding a Role
Serving in the IDF as a new immigrant came with real challenges. Michal had to learn the language, prove her capabilities, and adapt to a system where expectations were set without explanation. But she discovered a new kind of belonging in the process. Her assignment to the IDF Entertainment Corps became a place where her voice, music, and presence mattered. She sang for soldiers, traveled between bases, and used performance to bring comfort to people living with constant tension.
This service had an emotional impact far beyond entertainment. It reminded Michal that supporting others is a form of duty. It also revealed how women could contribute to military life without fitting the narrow roles the world expected of them.
A Cultural Education That Changed Michal’s Identity
Living in Israel and serving in the IDF also taught Michal how culture shapes community. She observed how people from diverse backgrounds collaborated under challenging circumstances. She learned to speak Hebrew, navigate local customs, and form connections with people who saw her not as an outsider but as someone committed to their shared future.
Her emotional growth during this time was tied to feeling accepted in a new environment. For someone who grew up without a close family, the structure and unity of military life provided her with a rare sense of connection. The IDF became a place where she felt she belonged because she was valued for her contributions.
Feminist Lessons in an Unexpected Place
There were also clear feminist implications to her service. Michal entered a male-dominated military at a time when women were often treated as side notes. By taking on visible roles and proving her abilities, she challenged the assumptions around her. She learned to trust her judgment, protect her boundaries, and speak for herself, all skills that would later serve her in rabbinical school and in congregational leadership.
These experiences created a foundation for her identity as a leader. They showed her that duty is not only about service. It is about standing in your worth even when others doubt it.
For anyone interested in how identity is shaped through challenge and community, Michal Mendelsohn’s Rabbi, Your Cleavage Is Showing offers clear insight.
