Former Hugo Boss model joins Border Police
32-year-old fmr. Hugo Boss model James Hirshfield swears allegiance to Israel, joins Border Police as lone soldier; despite 14 year difference between him, fellow recruits, Hirshfield speaks about camaraderie, says everyone in Israel 'feels like family,' he and fellow recruits are 'like brothers.'
James Hirshfield, the former Hugo Boss model who left a lucrative modeling career behind to come to Israel and join the IDF as a lone soldier, finally realized his dream last week when he swore an oath of allegiance to Israel at a Border Police swearing-in ceremony.
Aged 32, and a former model, Hirshfield was something of an unlikely private. Nevertheless, he was one of 413 Border Police recruits—conscripted in August 2017—to swear the traditional oath of allegiance to Israel and receive a Bible, service rifle and police officer ID card at a ceremony held last Thursday.
Getting there was no easy feat, however, and Hirshfield was afforded no concessions, taking the 13-kilometer "swearing-in march"—terminating at the parade grounds in Tel Hadid near the Ben Shemen Forest—along with his comrades.
Hirshfield, the son of a London Jewish family, did photo shoots for Hugo Boss campaigns and strutted down runways in high-end fashions shows. His photos appeared in magazines and were emblazoned on billboards. Then, a year ago, he decided to make Aliyah and join the IDF.
This past April, Hirshfield came to Israel and took a Hebrew course. Today, he seems far removed from his modeling days with tightly trimmed hair, Border Police uniform and excitedly holding onto his new weapon and Bible.
"I moved from London to the US, which is where I first heard about my grandfather, who escaped the Holocaust when he was nine and moved to England," Hirshfield recounted.
"He was also in Israel for a short period during the War of Independence, but then went back to England to dismantle Nazi organizations that were still active there at the time. When I heard that story, I knew there was no way of just carrying on with my normal life, knowing Israel is plagued by terrorism," the former model continued.
"I decided what I really wanted to do was to come to Israel and serve in a combat role in the army. I went back to London, packed my things and said my goodbyes, and made Aliyah," he finished his tale.
When he first arrived to Israel he had never even heard of the Border Police, but he nevertheless knew he "wanted to keep the country safe."
"I ended up hearing about the Border Police through the media and realized they were on the forefront of Israel's defense. When I was told at the induction center I would be joining the force, I was elated at having finally been granted what I wanted all along," he beamed.
Hirshfield also spoke about the age difference between him and his brothers in arms, who at 18 had just recently graduated from high school. "It wasn't the easiest gap to bridge, but of all the countries I've been in, only Israel gave me that familial feeling of constantly trying to help each other," he said.
"I felt right at home from day one, especially in the service since we all have one common goal. We're all in this together, friends that are like brothers. The level of support I've been getting is so insane that the age gap doesn't matter so much after all, and I never even get the chance to feel lonely," he summed up his experiences.
