Participants at Uniquely Jewish event tested their trap shooting skills

Former idf captain keren benabou talked about her service

by Shiela Steinman Wallace, Editor

Fact: Sunday morning, July 14, was beautiful, clear and hot when members of the Jewish community arrived at Jefferson County Sportsman Club for the Jewish Federation of Louisville’s Uniquely Jewish Trap Shooting event. They learned about gunpowder and how to handle a gun safely to shoot at clay pigeons and they heard Keren Benabou’s story about her service in the Israeli Army.

Fact: Once ignited, one cubic inch of gunpowder instantaneously expands to a volume of about two and a half gallons. Inside a gun, the force of that sudden expansion is focused through the barrel propelling the projectile toward its target. In trap shooting, the projectile is a bunch of small pellets that move forward in an expanding cone shape pattern so they cover an area the size of a hula hoop by the time they reach the fragile disk target, called a clay pigeon.

Fact: Most Israeli teens serve in the Army after they graduate high school. Men serve three years and women serve two. Keren Benabou chose to become an officer. She served six years and retired from the service with the rank of captain.

Benabou served in the Combat Intelligence Corps as an Observation System operator. In this position, she operated high tech equipment and relied on her own powers of observation to keep Israel’s borders safe and secure. She was responsible for monitoring 15 km of fence and the area beyond it for any unusual activity and reporting it to enable other groups within the military to respond appropriately.

“I love my country,” she said, and she was happy to serve and protect it. Today, as a mother, she also adds that she hopes her children won’t have to go into the Army, “but that won’t happen.”

In addition to hearing Benabou’s story, those in attendance at this Uniquely Jewish event received instruction on the safe handling of several kinds of weapons used in trap shooting and, with range officers at their sides, had the opportunity to try each one.

Ben Vaughan chaired this event.

Watch Community for information about future Uniquely Jewish events.

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