I served in Gaza

Incredible Experiences from Service in the Israel Defence Forces

Plenty of people can tell you (often unsolicited) stories about the situation in the Gaza Strip. But how many of them can say they've actually been there? David Shorf can. The coach, marketer, musician, and former journalist spent three years in the ranks of the renowned Israeli army. And although he sometimes felt like Švejk in a surreal dream, his stories are an authentic testimony to one of the most explosive regions in the world. Get to know the Israeli army from his unique point of view! The book is supplemented by an interview with Petros Michopulos from the Kecy a Politika podcast.  

David Shorf

He served in the Israeli army, was the deputy editor-in-chief of Lidové noviny, played in Bořek Slezáček's band Raketa, owns an advertising agency, and is a relationship coach. What to make of it all? He says himself that the most powerful experience, which nothing has surpassed yet, was his time in the IDF (Israel Defence Forces). It was there he truly tested his own character. “You can never know in advance how you'll behave in extreme situations. You might think, for instance, that if someone were drowning under the ice, you'd be a coward and too afraid to help. Then the situation happens, and you jump in. Or you don't. You never know who you are beforehand,” says Shorf. As he has always been interested in relationships, whether in group dynamics or between couples, it’s not such a surprise that the work that now fulfils him is coaching. Unlike advertising, he sees meaning in it. He is married to therapist Kristýna and has two children from a previous marriage.